5 Ways to Spring Clean Your Skin Care Routine

Here in Michigan, spring has arrived. The icy winter days have given way to a softer, sunnier outdoors. The birds are singing and early spring plant life is peeking its way out into the world. The grass becomes green again and we can open the windows and take a deep breath without our nostrils sticking together from the frigid temperatures.

We celebrate renewal with springtime rituals, both old and new. 

Walking barefoot to see plants peeking out for their very first time in the herb garden of our new farm. 

And playing with our 5-week-old chickens. 

And counting the buds on our new family apple tree, awaiting arrival of blossoms in a few weeks.

It is safe to say that the transition from winter to spring in Michigan is one of the most dramatic - and most anticipated - changes of season.

Those dramatic changes in weather can also cause dramatic shifts in your skin, as the spring temperatures and humidity begin to make their climb toward summer. The result can be skin that is out of balance - still dry and flaky from the winter months, yet feeling the effects of the warmer, more humid days with increased oil production and seasonal breakouts.

Here are 5 ways to bring winter skin into springtime balance...

1. Switch to a lighter skin care routine

As the days become warmer, begin to transition your skin to products with a lighter touch. The same rich moisturizers and lotions that your skin may need for winter become too heavy for spring. Switch to lighter serums and lotions, as well as moving to a lighter foundation for daily wear.

2. Exfoliate

The dry skin of winter may still be lingering on your bod. A barrier of dry, flaky skin keeps your products from working optimally and, when mixed with humidity and increased oil production from warmer temps, creates a recipe for breakouts.  

Exfoliate your face 1-2 times weekly with either a mild physical exfoliant, like a scrub or gentle cleansing grains (scrubbing gently) or an exfoliating enzyme mask that you leave on and rinse off. 

Treat your body once a week to a thorough exfoliation with a circulation boosting DIY sugar scrub. Mix 1 cup cane sugar with 1/2 cup olive oil (adding a few drops of essential oil if desired). Massage the scrub thoroughly in a circular motion onto damp skin in the shower from the neck down - taking care not to slip and to be gentle on the delicate bits. ;) Rinse off with warm water, towel dry and apply your favorite light lotion.

3. Go "bare-faced" a few nights a week.

The time when we are sleeping is prime skin regeneration time. Although nourishing night serums or lotions do help to enhance our skin's health and appearance, take a few nights a week to allow skin to breathe freely and perform its natural detoxification and renewal process, allowing it to naturally regulate moisture balance.

4. Continue to stay hydrated.

Transitions to warmer days require extra internal hydration to keep skin in proper balance. No amount of lotion applied to dry skin can make up for not drinking enough fluids. Be mindful to increase your fluid intake with water, herbal teas and coconut water accordingly, even more so if you drink caffeine or alcohol or are working out regularly.

5. Wear your sunscreen.

These mild, breezy spring days with the first rays of sun on our skin can glamour us into forgetting we need to apply sunscreen. Although a few minutes a day of sun on bare skin is good for Vitamin D levels, don't forget to wear a natural zinc-based sunscreen. Every. Single. Day. Unless you want wrinkles. :)

What is your favorite springtime ritual? How do you celebrate the coming of the warmer, brighter days?