These early days of spring are just a taste of what’s to come in the months ahead. Sunsets are getting later, there’s more moisture in the air, and temperatures are just beginning to climb—pretty soon, all you’ll need is a light jacket. As the weather starts to change, so will the needs of your skin, and now’s the perfect time to upgrade your routine.
You may have already noticed your complexion feeling the effects of the seasonal shift. The humidity in the air means that your skin doesn’t need quite as much hydration (it may even start to skew oily.) This means that ingredients that may have been irritating to your dry, winter skin—like retinoids and chemically exfoliating acids—are now fair game. And considering the sun gets a whole lot stronger as we head toward summer (meaning that you’re at higher risk for skin cancer and sun damage), it’s extra important to wear sunscreen every day.
Together, these factors inform the major changes that dermatologists recommend making to your routine from now through Labor Day. As a general rule, you should “replace products that are formulated primarily to be moisturizing and hydrating with products containing more active ingredients like antioxidants, alpha hydroxy acids, or retinoids,” board-certified dermatologist Hadley King, MD, previously told Well+Good.
There are plenty of products on the market that will help you upgrade your routine, but this year, we’ll be buying all of our spring-approved products from Cosmedix. Developed by nurses and aestheticians, the brand hit the market 25 years ago and has been a celebrity favorite ever since. Stars like Hailey Bieber, Kim Kardashian, and Alix Earle all swear by the products (Bieber even used the exfoliating cleanser on her wedding day!), and it’s for good reason: The brand has everything you need to put together a power-packed, minimalistic routine that really works.
Don’t believe us? Keep scrolling to shop the five products that derms are begging you to use all spring and summer long. Once you check out, you’ll be good to go until dry skin season comes back to haunt us once again.
Start fresh
Key ingredients: Salicylic acid, L-lactic acid, olive oil
Keeping your skin clear means starting your routine with a cleanser that effectively reduces the excess oil it produces this time of year. Oil cleansers are generally a great option for getting the job done because the oils in these formulas attach to the oils in your skin and whisk them away without causing any stripping or irritation.
Cosmedix’s Purity Balance is made with a blend of olive, moringa, kukui, safflower, sesame, and argan oils, all of which won’t clog your pores. What makes the formula particularly beneficial for spring skin, though, is the fact that it pairs its oils with gentle exfoliants to offer even more benefits. Salicylic acid dives deep done into pores to decongest them from the inside out; lactic acid melts away dead skin cells for a softening and smoothing effect; and tea tree oil helps to balance oil production.
Maintain your moisture
Key ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, witch hazel, lecithin
More moisture in the air means that you need less moisture in your routine, which is why dermatologists recommend swapping the heavy moisturizer you used all winter for a lighter lotion. Cosmedix’s Skin Thirst fits the bill, and its weightless, oil-free formulation ensures that it won’t feel goopy or greasy on your skin (and won’t clog your pores) when temperatures hit the 70s. It gets its hydrating powers from hyaluronic acid, which sucks in moisture from the environment to keep your complexion quenched while also offering a nice plumping effect. The lotion also contains witch hazel, an astringent that helps balance oil production. It melts seamlessly into skin and layers beautifully under makeup, and—more importantly—SPF.
Add some exfoliation
Key ingredients: Lactic acid, niacinamide, papaya fruit extract
If you and your winter-dry skin have been skipping your exfoliation step since Thanksgiving, it’s time to add it back to your routine. A gentle chemical exfoliant, like Cosmedix’s Prep and Reset, will help slough off the dead skin cells that have accumulated over the colder months to leave your complexion resurfaced and bright. The dual-sided pads are infused with lactic acid—which is known to be one of the gentlest exfoliating acids money can buy—and have a smooth side and a rough side that delivers a little extra physical exfoliation.
Be mindful with your retinoid
Key ingredients: Bakuchiol, squalane, jojoba and moringa seed oil
Dermatologists can’t quite agree on the best way to use retinol this time of year. Some will tell you to double down on the stuff now that your skin is less sensitive than it was all winter, but others will tell you to lay off because it makes your skin more sun sensitive (which you don’t want when you’re spending more time outside).
The easy middle ground? Trade your traditional retinoid for bakuchiol, a plant-based alternative that offers all of the same benefits without the risk of upping your UV damage. Cosmedix Bakuchiol Complete pairs the glass skin-inducing ingredient with hydrators like squalane and jojoba seed oil to give you a bright and well-balanced complexion.
Wear sunscreen!!!
Key ingredients: Niacinamide, green tea extract, D-trehalose
Sunscreen should be a morning routine staple all year round, and slathering the stuff on once in the morning isn’t enough to keep you protected all day long. In fact, dermatologists recommend re-applying every two hours to ensure your skin stays sun safe. Cosmedix’s Protect UV is an SPF 30 in spray form, which makes it endlessly easy to spritz over makeup while you’re out and about. Keep one in your purse, and revel in the additional hydrating, antioxidant, and oil-balancing benefits that come along with niacinamide and green tea extract.