With spring weather quickly approaching, it’s time to face that dreaded annual activity: spring cleaning. This year, while you’re clearing closets and dusting your home, why not go the extra step and spring clean your skin? Winter can wreak havoc on your face, drying out natural oils and leaving your skin feeling flakey and looking dull. Here, skin pros give us their best tips for cleaning your skin so that you feel fresh and look celebrity-gorgeous for the new season.
Get a Facial
Here’s an obvious tip: get a facial. Facials aren't just about treating yourself— they can be a necessity to keep skin healthy (at least that’s how we justify it!).
“Regular professional facials are a must,” says Terese Linke, global education and spa training director for Amala natural and organic skin care. “Facials always begin with a thorough cleanse, steam and exfoliation to clean the pores and soften and remove dry dead skin cells…a relaxing massage is next which helps increase circulation to the skin and restore a radiant glow.”
You’ve been packing on heavy creams to bring moisture to you face all winter long, but it’s time to get the excess out of your pores. Debra Jaliman, dermatologist and author of "Skin Rules: Trade Secrets From a Top New York Dermatologist,” says sonic cleaning systems are the way to go.
“They are an excellent way to exfoliate the dead skin off the surface gently. My favorite is the Clarisonic because there are different brush heads for different skin types (acne, delicate, etc.), but other companies like Olay and Neutrogena make less expensive versions,” says Dr. Jaliman. “Another good way to exfoliate is with glycolic acid or salicylic acid impregnated pads that you can wipe across your face,” she adds.
Needless to say, facial cleansing is the most basic requirement for beautiful skin but some methods can just cause harm to the skin. “It is important to remove the day's accumulation of oil, sweat, dirt, bacteria and dead skin cells but far too often I see my patients over wash, over scrub and over dry their faces,” says Dr. Macrene Alexiades-Armenakas, Assistant Clinical Professor at Yale University School of Medicine and creator of 37 Actives. “Acids and buffing agents are meant to smooth skin by removing dead skin cells but exfoliate too often and you run the risk of stripping and drying out the new layer. Over time this will weaken the skin’s natural barrier.”
Get a Peel
“When going from winter to spring, your skin is a lot drier due to the lack of moisture in the winter air. This means you will need to fully and professionally have your skin exfoliated with either a light peel or microdermabrasion,” says Spa Director Chris Drummond, who runs The Spa at The Out hotel in NYC. “This takes off all the dead skin that has been accumulating over the winter and is important because this pile-up of weathered skin inhibits moisturizers and skincare from working properly.”
Ditch Old Products
Your heavy moisturizers and cleansers may have seen better days, warns celebrity esthetician Renee Rouleau, and need to be throw them out if you’ve had them more than a year.
“Also, toss products that contain Mineral Oil, Isopropyl Myristate, Isopropyl Palmitate, Petroleum or Petrolatum,” says Rouleau, who’s worked with celebs like Demi Lovato, Jessica Simpson and Kara DioGaurdi. “These ingredients can be pore-clogging and can suffocate the skin. Especially when the weather is starting to warm up, these ingredients are best to avoid.”