Spring Clean Your Skincare Routine: 8 Deep Cleansing Rituals

If winter has left your skin looking a little lacklustre, we’ve put together some genius cleansing tips to get your spring skincare routine off to a glowing start.

Chapped lips, acne flare-ups and dry complexions can leave your skin feeling a little under the weather during the colder winter months. But just like the change in seasons, our skin adapts to the warmer climate too. So the heavy-duty, replenishing moisturisers you splurged on during the winter might be a little OTT now that we’re stepping into a balmy spring.

It’s always a good feeling when you have a bit of a clear out — after all, spring is the season of decluttering, and with it, the reminder that we should be giving our skincare routines the same treatment. If a piece of cheese starts to smell a little too pungent for your liking, you throw it out, right? So you should apply the same methodology to any products that start to turn too — be that in colour, texture or smell. Just like food, skincare has an expiry date too.

So if your skin is crying out for a spring clean, we spoke to our beauty expert Maizie Paddison to share a few of her tricks of the trade.

From swapping your moisturiser to cleansing your make-up brushes, Maizie’s foolproof skincare routine is guaranteed to get your skin fully prepped and ready for spring.

Your New Season Spring Skincare Routine

1. Throw Out Anything Over 6 Months Old

Be ruthless! A good spring clean means throwing out old items you no longer use. If your cupboard is full of half-used products, just get rid. A clean bathroom cupboard will inspire you to purchase products you actually want and need. Start afresh for spring and indulge in a few pamper products you know you love.

If you really want to minimise on space, re-evaluate your spending habits. We’re all for trying new products, but only buy and use what you need. So set yourself boundaries — that means no impulse buying! Even if you do think you need a bit of a ‘pick me up’.

Really think about what your skin needs. If you’ve build up an excess of skincare products, ask yourself why? Do you really need all of them? Throw out the ones that no longer serve you, and keep the ones that are adding value to your skin.

2. Start Fresh

So, you’ve sorted through your skincare products and you’ve thrown out the ones you don’t want. If you’re then left with a bare beauty cupboard, it’s time to start afresh. Like you needed an excuse for a shopping spree?

After your spring clean, you might find the products you're currently using aren't working for you, or you’re keen to try something new.

Our advice? Keep it simple but effective. To start off with, invest in a gentle cleanser, followed by a good treatment serum and moisturiser, and of course an SPF to protect against spring’s intense UV rays.

Hyaluronic acid is great for hydration — it’s intensely hydrating and leaves even the most sensitive of skin plumped and full of moisture.

For blemish-prone skin types, niacinamide is about to become your new BFF. It supports your skin's barrier, reduces congestion by balancing oil production, and evens out skin texture.

3. Swap to a Lighter Moisturiser

We spend the winter months using heavy creams and products to deeply replenish our dry skin. In spring, however, you should opt for a lighter texture instead. Try a lotion or a gel texture for a cool, fresh and lightweight finish.

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Perfect for that spring switch, its lightweight formula and gentle ingredients provide the skin with a daily dose of hydration, without irritating the skin.

 

4. Bump Up Your Sunscreen Factor

Spring is almost here, and warmer days are on the horizon. If you’re spending more time in the sun (who are we hiding. Of COURSE you will be), use an SPF50 sunscreen before your daily skincare ritual for the best protection during the warmer seasons. Or opt for a moisturiser or BB cream that has SPF built in, like Avene Antirougeurs Unify SPF30 or Natio Daily Defence Face Moisturiser SPF50+.

 

 

Don’t forget, UVA and UVB filters can affect your skin through glass and clouds too, so don’t let the sun deceive you. Even when it’s cold, your skin can still suffer from sun damage.

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5. Exfoliate Your Skin

Exfoliators not only remove dead skin cells and excess makeup, they also work hard to extract debris and minimise pores. Opt for a gentle and less abrasive facial scrub or exfoliator that won’t strip the skin dry. We recommend any product containing bamboo, jojoba beads or any natural exfoliant ingredients.

6. Clean Your Make-up Brushes

Either deep clean your brushes or throw them out and start afresh. Makeup brushes collect so much bacteria, it’s important to keep them clean to avoid filling your pores with dirt. You can use baby shampoo as a daily wash for your brushes and try to store them upright in a pot rather than leaving them in a makeup bag.

For a really deep clean, try the MillaFresh Matt Brush Cleaner. It’ll keep your brushes sparkling clean and bacteria-free!

7. Get Your Hit of Vitamin C

As we slowly step into spring, we’re looking forward to warmer weather and endless sunny days on the beach. As you’ll be exposing your skin to more sun, try using a vitamin C-infused skincare product to protect against free radical (ageing). Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that protects skin cells from damaging free radicals caused by UV exposure. So it not only prevents premature ageing, it also brightens and repairs the skin leaving a youthful, glowing and healthy complexion.

This anti-ageing, anti-pigmentation and antioxidant-rich serum is enriched with pure Vitamin C, salicylic acid and neurosensine — a trio of hard-working ingredients that work to deeply hydrate and soften the skin, improve skin texture and tone, and reduce fine lines and wrinkles.

 

8. Do a Skincare Detox

A great way to refresh and reset your skin is to give yourself a facial detox. Essentially, that’s dedicating one week (or whatever your schedule allows) to removing all impurities, toxins, pollutants, and dead skin cells, to renew and revitalise your skin, with the end goal that your complexion will look better than it ever has before.

Start with a facial to clean out your pores. A nourishing face mask like CEMÔY Hydra Ampoule Face Mask will leave your skin cleansed and deeply hydrated, followed by your new spring cleanser, serum and moisturiser.

Depending on your skin goals, some active ingredients could help kickstart your detox routine. Generally speaking, you can look for these ingredients for each skincare concern:

To purge your pores:

• Retinol
• Witch Hazel
• AHAs and BHAs

For dryness:

• Hyaluronic Acid
• Ceramides
• Jojoba Oil

To fight environmental stressors:

• Vitamin C
• Mineral SPF
• Niacinamide

Loved our spring skincare tips? We've got plenty more women's health and beauty advice on our Health & Wellness Edit, guaranteed to give your body a well-deserved boost. Is your skin prone to blemishes? Here are 11 skincare mistakes that could be seriously damaging your skin. Suffer with UTIs? Here are some helpful tips on how to prevent them.