With Spring coming, it’s a great time to focus on your skin and prepare it for the change of season.

Skin Tip #1: Assess your skin care products
We all have more skin care products in our cabinets than we are actually using on a regular basis. Many of us have things that we don’t even know how or when to use, let alone when or why we bought it! Pull everything out of the cabinet and assess every product.

Toss:
-if the product is no longer working for you. No sense in hanging on to something that isn’t a fit for your skin. (Instead of tossing, you can give to a friend whose skin might be a better fit for it.)…

-if the product is older than two years. The preservative system in most skin care products has a shelf life of two years.

-if it contains Mineral Oil, Isopropyl Myristate, Isopropyl Palmitate, Petroleum or Petrolatum. These ingredients can be pore-clogging and can suffocate the skin. Especially now that the weather is starting to warm up, these ingredients are best to avoid.

-if it contains SD Alcohol, synthetic fragrance (listed on the ingredients as “fragrance”). These are common skin irritants and can cause skin sensitivity.

-if the product has or is changing color or consistency (a sign that the product is losing its effectiveness).

Skin Tip #2: Wash your makeup brushes
Most people rarely wash their makeup brushes, so give your brushes a spring cleaning to remove oil and bacteria that get caught in the bristles resulting in clogged pores and breakouts.

Skin Tip #3: Make daily use of sunscreen a top priority – and apply it generously
It’s a fact that wearing sunscreen year round will reduce premature skin aging, but many people don’t think of wearing it until the temperatures warm up. So, if you haven’t been wearing a sunscreen moisturizer, now is the time to do so! When it comes to sunscreen, in order for the SPF to truly protect the skin and prevent the harmful UV rays from damaging the skin, the formula has to be applied generously or it will not provide adequate protection. If you have a sunscreen that feels too heavy on your skin, you’ll probably only apply a small amount and you’re not doing your skin any good. The goal is to find a sunscreen that doesn’t use heavy emollients or sunscreen ingredients so as not to leave a greasy residue.  That way, you can be heavy-handed when using it (as you should be) but you’re not left feeling oily.

Skin Tip #4: Spring clean your pores with a professional facial
Without a doubt, the most effective way to clear out blackheads and clogged pores from the skin is to have them manually removed with a professional facial. Plus, with the change of season it’s a great time to consult with your esthetician about how to transition your skin into spring.

Skin Tip #5: Exfoliate to prevent blemishes
The change of season from winter to spring can bring on increased breakouts for some. Why? Since the air is dry in the winter, the skin may have some residual dead skin cell buildup. Then when the temperatures start to warm up, it can bring increased oil flow, which can get trapped underneath cellular buildup resulting in clogged pores and possible breakouts. The solution? Increase your exfoliation. A mild facial scrub with round particles should be used twice a week in circular motions for 60 seconds.

-from Renee Rouleau