By Heleayner Davies
Spring has finally sprung. The Daffodils are blooming, the birds are singing and the sun is shining (for now). After months of wearing woolly jumpers, oversized coats and knee-high boots, many of us are taking advantage of the increasing amount of spare time that we now have on our hands; decluttering our wardrobes and using up every last morsel of food in our kitchen cupboards. But, what about your skincare routine?
Now is the perfect time to have a ‘Spring clean’ and re-organise your beauty cabinet. Gone are the days of slathering on rich, heavy and comforting creams in order to combat dry and dehydrated Winter skin. As we welcome in the warmer months, our skin is prone to becoming oily, acne prone and shining like a disco ball by 12pm. From amping up the SPF to choosing lighter formulations. Check out our top 5 tips in order to achieve that natural Spring glow that you’ve been yearning for all Winter long.
1. Switch To A Lighter Cleanser
Throughout Spring, we recommend using a lighter cleanser as your skin will most likely be craving less moisture due to the increased humidity. Beauty Kitchen’s Seahorse Plankton Revitalising Gel Cleanser, £15, which you can purchase from feelunique.com, contains a blend of marine extracts that work gently to remove impurities and pollution without stripping the skin of its natural oils; revealing a refreshed, glowing and hydrated complexion.
Use morning or evening, massaging into damp skin using circular motions and remove using a muslin washcloth. Alternatively, supercharge your cleanser by using their Seahorse Plankton + Facial Cleansing Konjac Sponge, £7, that is 100% compostable and made from pure plant roots.
We are huge fans of Beauty Kitchen here at KeiSei as every element of their products has been designed with sustainability in mind. Their return, refill, repeat scheme encourages their customers to return their empty products to then be washed and reused for the next batch, preventing tonnes of products from ending up in landfill. They’re true eco-warriors.
2. Buff The Day Away
Got that post Winter flaky skin feeling? You’re not alone. Exfoliating sloughs away any dead skin cells and unblocks and refines pores. However, many exfoliators contain harsh and abrasive textures that can damage and irritate the skin.
Pai Skincare’s Kukui & Jojoba Bead Skin Brightening Exfoliator, £28, which you can purchase from paiskincare.com, is gentle enough for even the most sensitive skin. This omega and vitamin-rich gel to oil formula contains 100% natural and biodegradable Jojoba Beads that gently roll across the skin, buffing away dead skin cells and impurities without causing irritation.
Use 1-2 times a week and simply massage a small amount onto dry skin, paying close attention to any particular areas of congestion e.g. nose, chin, forehead. Moisten fingertips with warm water, massaging again to create a silky milk and then rinse thoroughly. Your skin will be left feeling smooth, glowing and nourished.
3. Lighten The Load
It’s time to put aside those rich, creamy and balmy moisturisers that quenched your thirsty skin during Winter. With temperatures slowly rising (very slowly), you may notice that your skin becomes oily and spot prone and by the time the mid-afternoon touch up comes around you’re gasping at the fact that your forehead is shinier than your lip gloss. If this is the case, consider switching to a lightweight moisturiser such as Herbivore’s Pink Cloud Rosewater Moisture Crème, £42.00 which you can purchase from Space NK.
It is 100% natural, vegan, cruelty-free and is particularly great for the warmer months as it doesn’t contain any comedogenic ingredients that could congest the skin. Additionally, it contains a natural form of salicylic acid to encourage exfoliation and unclog pores and is high in active ingredients such as Aloe Water, Rosewater and White Tea Extract to soothe, moisturise and reduce redness. You’ll be left with a dewy, glowing complexion that is the perfect base for SPF and makeup.
4. SPF
Now is the perfect time to start thinking about introducing an SPF into your morning skincare routine. Using SPF is the most important thing you can do for your skin, as it prevents skin cancer and has been shown to slow down the ageing process.
We have been told time and again by skincare and health experts that we should all be wearing at least SPF 30 daily, even when its cloudy and grey outside. If you didn’t know already, we should also be using some form of sun protection when we are indoors as unfortunately, windows do not protect against UV radiation.
According to National Geographic, 14,000 tonnes of sunscreen are thought to end up in the oceans every year and the harmful and polluting chemicals contained within them such as Oxybenzone, Octinoxate and Avobenzone have contributed to the loss of 80 percent of corals in the Caribbean.
Thankfully, natural and sustainable skincare brands have begun to develop chemical – free sunscreens that do not bleach or destroy coral. We recommend Tropic’s Sun Balm SPF 50, £16, which you can purchase from tropicskincare.com. It is highly effective, 100% natural and contains emollients derived from coconuts. It is also free from chemicals and instead uses zinc-oxide as the hero ingredient to protect against UVA and UVB rays.
To use, apply generously all over the face and lips (as they can burn too). You can also re-apply on the go at it us super compact and lightweight, so you can be sure to have broad spectrum protection wherever you go. Top tip: don’t forget to apply SPF to your hands, as they are likely to be exposed to the sun’s harmful rays during Springtime.
5. Check Your Diet
Remember those cold, blistery Winter nights that had you craving literally all the carbs? Well, the saying goes ‘you are what you eat’ and the foods that we consume can make an incredible difference to our exterior and overall health. So, if you’ve been slacking on the fruits and vegetables, now would be a good time avoid the sugar and give your diet a bit of a clean-up to ensure that your skin is at its optimum health.
We aren’t saying that you shouldn’t treat yourself every once in a while. When you’re craving something sweet opt for a small amount of high quality 70% or above dark chocolate, as it is rich in vitamins A, B1, C, D and E and contains flavanols that boost the skin’s moisture, prevent wrinkles and even protect against sun damage.
We hope that this inspires you to revive your post Winter skin and to start introducing lighter formulations into your beauty routine. As always, all of the products mentioned are 100% natural, cruelty-free and vegan. So, you can be rest assured that you’re not only being kind to your skin, you’re being kind to the planet.
Heleayner Davies
Heleayner is a beauty writer that is passionate about sustainability and the welfare of our planet. She is a lover of natural beauty alternatives, beauty podcasts, the 70s and coffee. You can find her on Instagram @heleaynerdavies.
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