3 Hacks for Glowing, Youthful Skin this Spring

Our clocks have sprung ahead… but what have you done to jump start your SKIN for Spring??  The new season is almost here and now is the time to press the reset button on our skin and get it into tip top shape and glowing for summer.  All of that cold air outdoors and dry air indoors can really leave your skin looking dull and in need of a refresh. So below, I am sharing three of the most important categories of skincare you need for glowing, youthful and plump skin!

EXFOLIATE

The first thing you want to do when resetting your skin for the new season is EXFOLIATE.  Exfoliation can be done manually or chemically, but today I am going to focus on chemical exfoliation with AHA’s, or Alpha Hydroxy Acids. AHA’s are super important because not only are they going to exfoliate away the dead, dull and dry surface layer, revealing gorgeous fresh skin, but they are going to cause your skin to produce collagen and elastin when used regularly.  My favorite way to do this most recently is with The Ordinary Peeling Solution.  I love this because it unglues all of those stuck dead skin cells that you accumulated over winter, and dissolves them.   I have found that using it for the last month, one time per week has smoothed my skin and left it more even.  My products are able to penetrate better and faster, too.

REPAIR AND CORRECT

The next thing you want to do for a reset is REPAIR AND CORRECT with vitamins- specifically vitamins A and C.  You want to use a form of Retinol, which is Vitamin A.  My favorite lately is Granactive Retinoid 5% in Squalane by The Ordinary.  This formula is great because not only is it fast acting and effective, but it is mixed with squalane, which really keeps your skin hydrated overnight and lets the Retinoid do the work with little to no irritation.  With Retinol/Retin-A/Retinoids, you want to use them at night, since they can make your skin more sensitive to the sun.  Start out with an application every other night, and slowly work your way up to applying it nightly.  Retinol is so incredible because it truly is anti aging.  It firms the skin, builds collagen and elastin, evens the skintone, and can diminish even deep wrinkles and large pores.  It also helps with acne since it exfoliates the skin.  The other vitamin you need for a reset is vitamin C.  I like the Paula’s Choice C15 Super Booster. Use vitamin C daily under your sunscreen for protection against free radical damage.  Not only does it protect your skin, but it evens it out, gives it a glow, and promotes firm skin! To recap on the vitamins, it’s vitamin “A” while you’re “ASLEEP” and vitamin “C” in the morning because I’ll “C” you in the morning. “C” what I did there??

HYDRATE

Finally, you want to HYDRATE.  When you are using ingredients that exfoliate, you need to hydrate that freshly revealed skin.  I am loving Squalane lately.  I like The Ordinary Squalane. I know it looks like I am paid by The Ordinary, but I am actually not sponsored! I just really love their straightforward ingredients, and their prices– they are so reasonable! My retinoid has Squalane built in, but it is good to have squalane on it’s own to use on top of pretty much anything– after your peel, on top of your retinol, or on top of your vitamin C, Squalane hydrates and is anti aging, and it won’t break you out.  Another great oil for moisture is Kiwi seed oil, and I love this one by Roccoco, which is perfect for after micro needling, or you can mix a bit into your moisturizer.  

There you have it! Three ways to reset your skin for spring, not including using sunscreen daily (which anyone who knows me knows I will yell at you for not using every day), and a monthly micro needling, which I will share about on a future blog post and on instagram (I have an IGTV coming your way!)

I would love for you to try these three categories of skincare, and let me know in the comments if you are already using these types of products! If not, what you are going to incorporate to get your skin in shape for Spring??

Hope you have a great rest of the week, my friends!