Spring is the season for a new beginning so my beauty routine is no exception to that. After the long cold months of autumn and winter, I tend to switch up a bit my beauty products welcoming lighter formulas and more natural makeup looks that will go better with the warmer weather. My daily hydrating moisturizer makes way to a hydrating fluid that will sit lighter on my face. I stop using exfoliating cleansers and focus on milder cleansing routine instead.
Spring is also the perfect time to pick up some new skincare habits that will not only prepare your skin for the warmer months but also will improve the general condition of your skin. So while making room for new lighter beauty products, I consider also the rituals that I will be following in the next few months. Here are the skincare habits that I will start this spring.
APPLY SUN PROTECTION
Wearing sunscreen is one of the best – and easiest – ways to protect your skin’s appearance and health at any age. Used regularly, sunscreen helps prevent not only sunburn, but also premature aging and even skin cancer. I am pretty sure that you already know that sun protection is essential for long days at the beach but do you know that we shouldn’t ignore the importance of wearing sunscreen on a daily basis?
Any exposure can result in sun damage, with different types of UV radiation resulting in different types of damage. From the immediately apparent sunburn caused by UVB light to the deeply penetrating damage resulting from UVA light, you should do all you can to protect your skin from the sun. And this doesn’t apply to scorching hot days or to days spent completely outside. In reality, sunscreen should be applied every day, even if it is overcast outside or you’re spending much of the day inside. UV radiation is not only present on a warm summer’s day but is also present and can damage skin when the weather is cool, or there is cloud cover. This is especially the case for people with a fairer skin tone, like me, so my morning routine always features a sun protection step.
Sunscreen is in fact the most powerful skincare product you can have in your collection so if you want to pick a new skincare habit this spring, I suggest wearing sun protection on a daily basis be that one!
GET A FACE SERUM
So, you’ve got your face wash, sunscreen, moisturizer and exfoliator sorted, and you think that’s all you need to make it work. There is one product though, which is a potent source of nourishment and nutrition for your facial skin, and often remains undiscussed. I am talking about the facial serum – I cannot believe how long it has taken me to understand its benefits and why I should have added it to my skincare routine.
A facial serum is a concentrate of active ingredients, which targets specific skincare concerns, and the ingredients are powerful, and made up of smaller molecules. The level of active ingredients is higher than in a usual face cream – so while the latter could have around 10% of active ingredients, the former has a whopping 70% or more!
A few months ago I added the Revolution Skincare 10% Niacinamide + 1% Zinc serum to my daily skincare routine and the results so far have been outstanding! My skin texture have improved drastically and has become firmer and smoother. I experience less spots, scars, pimples and other marks, as they have started lightening with regular use of the serum. And my favorite part – all of this has been done in a holistic manner, without the use of harmful peels and chemicals!
RESEARCH CLEANER BEAUTY PRODUCTS
I first became interested in exploring cleaner beauty products a year ago when I started my whole transition to a healthier and more active lifestyle. We all know the importance of making healthy decisions when it comes to staying active and eating well, but have you ever thought about the products that you use on your body? Up to 60% of what you apply to your skin makes its way into your bloodstream, so choosing safe products is an important decision you can make for your health.
Clean beauty products exclude ingredients that are either potentially or known to be harmful, such as parabens, phthalates, and chemical sunscreens. What you should look for are plant-based ingredients, cruelty-free and environment-friendly production. And while it can be overwhelming to decode all the ingredients on the packages, you can start by avoiding the following:
- Aluminum zirconium in deodorants
- Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) in cleansers
- Petroleum, synthetic emulsifiers and preservatives in moisturizers
So next time you are in the drugstore, think about purchasing clean beauty products – if a product is intended to stay on your skin all day (like a moisturizer) and/or it’s covering a large surface area (like a body lotion), then try to switch to a cleaner alternative.
Will you change your skincare routine for spring? Is there anything new that you will incorporate in it? Let me know in the comments below.
Photography by Nikola Ivanov
