Spring Skin Care Regimen Revamp

Winter’s cold and dry air pulls moisture from the skin, leading to a buildup of dead cells that can leave skin looking dull and contribute to clogged pores. To clear away the season’s accumulation of cellular debris, exfoliation is job one.

1. Exfoliation to Clear Away Winter Dullness

  • Add a fine-grain physical exfoliant to your routine a few times per week to polish the skin and promote renewal. We love Vivant’s Buffing Grains. You can use alone or mixed in with your regular cleanser.

  • Add an exfoliating enzyme a few times per week to digest dead, dull skin cells. We are obsessed with Osmosis Polish Enzyme. This enzyme is gentle, acne-safe and folliculitis-safe and renews and polishes the skin to reveal smoother, more polished skin.

  • Add a gentle chemical exfoliator. Lactic acid helps clear away dead-cells by dissolving the ‘glue’ that binds them together. Lactic acid is also hydrating so while it’s exfoliating it’s also replenishing moisture levels for glow-from-within-skin. We love Vivant C+E Serum for dry, dull skin. It contains lactic acid along with a high concentration of Vitamin C & E.

2. Swap Out Heavy Moisturizers for Lighter-Weight Gels and Nourishing Lotions

Now is the time to swap heavier creams for lighter-weight gels and lotions. A skin-barrier-loving lightweight gel hydrator like Vivant Totaloe Calming and Hydrating Gel (I love this stuff) is perfect for normal to oily skin, redness-prone skin, acne-prone skin and dry skin. It contains 3 humectants to pull water to the skin without the need for heavier moisturizers that can become greasy in warmer weather. Totaloe also calms inflammation, kills bacteria, promotes skin-barrier healing, plus it’s quickly absorbed to give skin needed hydration without clogging pores.

3. Protection Against UV and Environmental Damage

Warmer weather means more time outdoors and more exposure to the damaging effects of UV. SPF should be worn daily to protect skin from damage and delay signs of aging. Our picks: MD Solarsciences Tinted Mineral BB Creme SPF50, Sorella Quench + Protect SPF30 and SuperGoop Superscreen SPF40 (all acne-safe and beautiful on all skin)

You can increase your protection by adding a powerhouse vitamin C and E serum to your daily regimen. When combined, these two antioxidant heroes have a synergistic action that increases photoprotection four-fold. Vivant C+E Serum will add added UV and environment stressor protection. Vitamin C is also an essential component in the synthesis of collagen and an inhibitor of tyrosinase, the enzyme responsible for pigment production, while vitamin E repairs and protects cell function.

Spring Regimen Tweaks by Skin Type

Acne-prone: Mask once or twice a week with Vivant Sulfur Mask for clearer pores and texture refinement.

Rosacea-prone: Winter is full of triggers for redness and irritation. Go into recovery mode with anti-inflammatory, barrier-boosting ingredients like niacinamide, peptides, green tea, and grape seed oil. We love Vivant Green Tea Cleanser, Allantoin and Rejuv RX Serum

Hyperpigmentation-prone or Pregnancy: Mandelic Acid is your best friend along with a tyrosinase inhibitor. Both block the melanin production chain to prevent new discoloration. We like Vivant Mandelic 8% combined with DMK Melanotech drops.

Keratosis Pilaris (Chicken Skin): Dry, winter weather can aggravate keratosis pilaris. Soothe and clear away bumpy chicken skin with Touch Skincare KP Exfoliating Body Wash and KP Exfoliating Body Lotion.  An ultra-lathering, sulfate-free body wash and the deeply exfoliating body lotion made with glycolic and salicylic acids to exfoliate and clear your skin. Great for reducing symptoms of Keratosis Pilaris (KP), Body Acne, Uneven Skin Tone & Texture, & Dull Skin.

Oily Skin: With oily skin it’s important to keep the skin balanced with water-based hydration and skincare ingredients that help balance sebum production. We love using Hyaluronic-based Vivant Totaloe Calming and Hydrating Gel along with Rhonda Allison HA Hydration Cream to hydrate oily skin and Vivant Mandelic 8% Serum to balance sebum production (amazing).

Dry Skin: Dry Skin is lacking not only sebum (oil) but is also often lacking water and has an accumulation of dead skin cells. This can cause dry skin to become sensitive and the barrier impaired. We like to combine Anfisa An-Dew Radiant Hydra-Balm with Vivant FF3 HA Hydra Intensive + Vivant C+E Serum. This powerhouse combination hydrates, nourishes and lightly exfoliates dry skin while bringing back your radiance and glow.

Young Skin (under 14): Young skin can be prone to sensitivities and a less-is-more approach is often best. We very rarely do treatments or facials on skin under 14 years. Instead, focus on daily prevention and light correction. We like a water-based hydrator and a light SPF along with a antioxidant gel cleanser. If they are getting some acne, a little benzoyl peroxide at this age often helps. We like Face Reality Green Tea Cleanser, Vivant Totaloe Calming and Hydrating Gel and Supergoop SuperScreen SPF40. For some mild acne we like to add in Vivant BP 3% Wash in the PM as the cleanser of choice for a splash of benzoyl peroxide.

Want to take your skincare spring clean to the next level? Book a virtual or in-person consultation to get on the right routine for your skin and your concerns or book one of our signature custom glow facials. :)

Karen E OReilly