As the snow begins to melt and the last of the holidays wind down, Spring starts showing signs of life
again. The air temperatures rise and the humidity in the air increases. We can finally throw open our
windows and turn off our heaters. But what do all these changes mean for your morning and evening
hygiene routine?
Did you know that some people experience more acne breakouts or blackheads during the spring?
That’s because the changing seasons mean changes in your skin, too. In the Spring, there are four factors that you need to take into consideration when re-evaluating your seasonal skincare routine.
Your skin’s response to warmer temperatures, higher humidity, and blossoming allergens could make a big difference on your skincare routine. What’s more? Everyone has different skin types, so it’s important to know whether you have typically oily skin, dry skin, combination skin, sensitive skin, or acne-prone skin. It also helps to know how your daily routine and the environment in which you live play a role in your skin’s everyday health.
If you want to find out for sure the right combination of products and the right regimen for your healthiest skin, take the Skin Quiz to get Y’OUR Customized Skincare Regimen.
Once you have a better idea of what “living your best skin life” could really look like for you, read on to understand what changes take place during the spring that may have an effect on the health of your skin.
So, what can you do?
First of all, make sure your cleanser is pulling its weight with clearing away excess sebum. Sweat can block your pores and make it harder for your naturally produced sebum to clear out. For a truly deep sebum-clean, you might think you should just scrub harder or wash more frequently. Unfortunately, vigorous scrubbing can aggravate acne by promoting the development of inflammatory lesions. Instead, stick to a regimen of twice-a-day cleansing with the right combination of ingredients for either oily or dry skin, depending on your needs. How do you find out which cleanser to use? Start with the Skin Quiz.
Another point to consider is whether you should have salicylic acid in your corner. Salicylic acid aids the natural process of shedding skin cells so that your pores don’t clog. It also helps prevent acne lesions. (Note: salicylic acid doesn’t kill the bacteria that causes some forms of acne, nor does it affect the production of sebum, which clogs pores and causes acne, too.)
However, salicylic acid isn’t always the best choice for every skin type, so take the Skin Quiz to find out whether this is the right option for you.
Third, keep up with your sunscreen routine. The sun is making his presence known stronger and brighter as the seasons change to spring. Plus, any products containing salicylic acid make your skin more sensitive to the damage from the sun’s rays. So you have two reasons to be extra diligent with your sunscreen – and big reasons why the daily face lotion in Y’OUR Custom Skincare Regimen will always contain sunscreen (unless you specifically ask us to formulate yours without).
Another tip? You can now resume your frequent showering schedule that we suggested backing off of during the dry winter months. Back in our guide for taking care of wintry skin, we explained that every time you shower, you are stripping your skin of its protective oil barrier. This will lead to either dry, flaking skin or, alternatively, skin that tries to compensate for the constant assault to its oil reserves by over-producing oil.
Now, it’s ok to resume your regular bathing schedule as the humidity will restore the balance of your skin’s oil barrier.
Next, evaluate your moisturizer. A moisturizer that both absorbs into your skin and provides a skin barrier to balance the higher humidity in the air is necessary as the temperatures begin to warm and the air begins to grow more humid. This article will help you pick the right moisturizer for your skin. Or skip straight to the Y’OUR Skin Quiz to get a skin care regime tailored specifically to your personal springtime skin needs!
Sixth, check back in with your diet. If you had added in some good oily fats to your diet to make up for dry winter skin, start easing back.
Lastly, pay attention to your activity levels and the skin beyond just your face. Most people spend more time outdoors being physical and enjoying the Great Outdoors again. Simply being more active leads to more time sweating. So, while you may have laid off on taking particular car of your neck and back skin care during the lazy winter months, you’ll want to pay better attention to those areas now. The neck and back are the most-commonly reported areas of acne breakouts in the spring. On days when you’ve spent more time being active, be sure to give all of your acne-prone skin a good cleanse.
Sure, seasonal allergies can make your eyes puffy, your nose red and runny, and your acne flare. BUT, there are some great things in the silver lining. For example, more sunshine and blossoming trees generally revive our emotional well-being in the spring. Studies have shown that spending more time outdoors in the spring, as opposed to winter months, has a positive affect on our mood! Plus, it’s linked to better memory and “broader cognitive abilities.”
What else is worth getting excited about? Finding your perfectly tailored skincare regimen to use all spring long. Our team of scientists and hygienists will use the results of Y’OUR Skin Quiz to create a personalized skin care routine just for you to ensure everything is suited to the environment of Y’OUR skin type and lifestyle. We’ll show you the perfect skin wash, day cream (with UV protection), serum, and night cream to balance Y’OUR skin’s pH, unclog your pores, remove sebum, clear our bacteria, and protect your skin from UV. You’ll receive Y’OUR personalized kit seasonally so that you never run out!
A Warm Heart and a Clear Head: The Contingent Effects of Weather on Mood and Cognition
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Matthew C. Keller, Barbara L. Fredrickson, Oscar Ybarra, ...
First Published September 1, 2005
