As temperatures rise and flowers begin to bloom, your skin is undergoing its own seasonal transition. The winter-to-spring shift brings significant changes in your skin's needs—from moisture requirements to cell turnover rates and oil production.
Creating a thoughtful spring skincare transition can help you avoid common issues like breakouts, sensitivity, and uneven texture that often occur during seasonal changes. In this guide, I'll share the five essential skincare shifts to make now, based on both skincare science and my personal experience creating seasonal formulations.
Understanding the Winter-to-Spring Skin Transition
Before diving into specific recommendations, it's helpful to understand what happens to your skin during this seasonal shift:
What Changed During Winter:
- Cold air and indoor heating depleted moisture levels
- Reduced humidity created a cycle of dehydration
- Cell turnover typically slowed, leading to buildup
- Many people used heavier products that may have caused congestion
- Reduced sun exposure may have resulted in dullness or uneven tone
What Happens in Spring:
- Increasing humidity affects how much moisture your skin needs
- Rising temperatures often trigger more active oil production
- Seasonal allergies can create inflammation and sensitivity
- Increased sun exposure brings new protection needs
- Environmental changes can disrupt your skin's microbiome
With these changes in mind, here are the five essential shifts to make for a smooth transition to spring skincare:
1. Reset with Gentle Exfoliation
Winter's slower cell turnover typically leaves a layer of dead skin cells that can cause dullness, uneven texture, and prevent products from absorbing properly. Spring is the perfect time to reset with exfoliation—but the key word is gentle.
Why It Matters: Proper exfoliation removes winter's buildup, revealing fresher cells beneath and allowing your spring skincare products to penetrate more effectively. However, aggressive exfoliation can damage your skin barrier at a time when it's already adapting to environmental changes.
How to Transition:
- Begin with once-weekly gentle exfoliation, gradually increasing to twice weekly if your skin responds well
- Choose enzymatic exfoliants (like fruit enzymes) or very fine physical exfoliants
- Avoid harsh scrubs, high-percentage acid products, or mechanical brushes until your skin has adjusted
- Always follow exfoliation with appropriate hydration and sun protection
Ingredients to Look For:
- Fruit enzymes (papaya, pineapple)
- Gentle botanical exfoliants (hibiscus, rice powder)
- Mild AHAs in lower percentages (lactic acid is particularly gentle)
- Clay-based masks that exfoliate without scrubbing
Our upcoming Hot Compress Facial Mask in the Spring Renewal Box uses hibiscus (nature's gentle AHA) and bentonite clay for effective yet gentle exfoliation.
2. Adjust Your Moisturizing Approach
The rich creams and heavy oils that saved your skin in winter often become too heavy as humidity rises in spring, potentially leading to congestion, breakouts, and an overall "suffocated" feeling.
Why It Matters: Your skin's moisture needs change with the seasons. In spring's increased humidity, your skin can draw more moisture from the air, requiring less from your products. Continuing with heavy winter moisturizers can overwhelm skin, clog pores, and disrupt its natural balance.
How to Transition:
- Switch from creams to lotions, or from heavy oils to lighter ones
- Consider using hydrating layers (like a hydrating toner or essence) rather than one heavy product
- Pay attention to how your skin feels after application—spring moisturizers should feel refreshing, not suffocating
- You may need different products for different areas (lighter on T-zone, richer on cheeks)
Ingredients to Look For:
- Lightweight hydrators (hyaluronic acid, glycerin, aloe)
- Non-comedogenic oils (jojoba, grapeseed, hemp seed)
- Water-based formulations rather than oil-dominant ones
- Humectants that draw moisture from the environment
Our Spring Revival Facial Serum features a balanced blend of lightweight oils (jojoba, grapeseed, hemp) that provide nourishment without heaviness—perfect for spring's transitional needs.
3. Add Antioxidant Protection
Spring brings increased sun exposure and often more environmental pollutants, making antioxidant protection especially important during this seasonal transition.
Why It Matters: Antioxidants help neutralize free radicals generated by UV exposure and environmental factors, preventing oxidative stress that can accelerate aging and damage skin cells. They provide a second line of defense beyond sunscreen and can help prevent seasonal hyperpigmentation.
How to Transition:
- Incorporate an antioxidant serum in your morning routine before moisturizer
- Look for stable formulations that won't oxidize quickly
- Consider layerable products that don't conflict with your other skincare
- Remember that antioxidants work synergistically—combinations often provide better protection than single ingredients
Ingredients to Look For:
- Vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid or stable derivatives)
- Vitamin E (often paired with vitamin C for enhanced efficacy)
- Green tea extract
- Rosehip oil
- Niacinamide
- Botanical antioxidants (sea buckthorn, raspberry seed oil)
Our Spring Revival Facial Serum incorporates rosehip oil, a powerful natural source of antioxidants, to protect newly revealed skin cells from environmental damage.
4. Balance Oil Production
Many people notice increased oil production as temperatures rise in spring, especially in the T-zone. Rather than stripping skin with harsh products, focus on gentle balancing approaches.
Why It Matters: Sebum (skin oil) production often increases with temperature, but overly aggressive oil-control products can trigger the skin to produce even more oil as a protective response. The goal is balance, not elimination of natural oils.
How to Transition:
- Incorporate weekly clay treatments to gently absorb excess oil
- Consider double cleansing in the evening to thoroughly remove sunscreen and environmental buildup
- Look for non-comedogenic hydration that won't contribute to congestion
- Pay attention to how certain foods affect your oil production (many people notice dietary connections as seasons change)
Ingredients to Look For:
- Balancing clays (bentonite, kaolin)
- Niacinamide (helps regulate sebum production)
- Lightweight hydrators that won't contribute to oiliness
- Gentle cleansers that remove excess oil without stripping
The bentonite clay in our Hot Compress Facial Mask helps absorb excess oil while delivering minerals to the skin—perfect for managing spring's changing oil production patterns.
5. Protect Your Microbiome
The skin microbiome—the collection of beneficial bacteria that live on your skin—can be disrupted during seasonal transitions, especially with changing environments, new product introductions, and spring allergies.
Why It Matters: A balanced microbiome is essential for proper skin barrier function, protection against pathogens, and regulation of inflammation. Disruptions can lead to sensitivity, redness, and increased reactivity to products or environmental factors.
How to Transition:
- Focus on gentle, pH-balanced cleansing that doesn't strip beneficial bacteria
- Introduce new products gradually to avoid overwhelming your skin ecosystem
- Consider probiotic skincare that supports beneficial microbial populations
- Be especially careful with exfoliation, which can affect microbial balance
Ingredients to Look For:
- Pre and probiotics in skincare
- pH-balanced formulations (ideally around 5.5)
- Barrier-supporting ingredients (ceramides, fatty acids)
- Soothing botanicals for microbiome stress (calendula, chamomile)
Our entire Spring Renewal Collection is formulated with microbiome awareness, using pH-balanced formulations and including ingredients like calendula that help soothe microbiome stress.
Coming Tuesday April 7th: The Spring Renewal Collection
We've created our upcoming Spring Box specifically to address these seasonal transition needs! Each product works together to support your skin through the winter-to-spring shift with gentle exfoliation, balanced hydration, and barrier support.
The complete Spring Renewal Gift Box launches Tuesday, April 7th at 10am Central! Limited quantities will be available, so mark your calendars if you're interested.
Remember that seasonal skincare transitions should be gradual and intuitive. Pay attention to how your skin responds and adjust accordingly—your skin's needs are as unique as you are.
What changes do you notice in your skin as spring arrives? Share your experiences or questions in the comments below!
