Skincare and the Seasons

Musings on Spring and the Skin

With every transition comes change. As we shift with the spring equinox we welcome a period of renewal and new growth. For the farm, spring brings a certain new energy, a sense of possibility and enthusiasm for what’s to come. Similarly, for the skin it is an opportunity to check in and consider how it is feeling. How is it responding to the additional sunlight, increase in temperature, and change in humidity? For those in the more temperate regions where there is a clear shift in seasons, spring is a time when we can make some slight adjustments in our routines to best support and nourish the skin.

Renew

With milder weather in spring, it can be a good time to consider a gentle exfoliating step in the routine, to help delicately slough off some of the dead skin cells that naturally accumulate on the outermost layer of the epidermis. 1-2 times per week, depending on your skin, easing into an exfoliating step will help renew the skin and aid against dullness and dryness if properly moisturized after exfoliation. There are 3 methods of exfoliation to choose from: 1. Physical exfoliation (using a washcloth, sonic cleansing device, etc), 2. Chemical exfoliation (products with glycolic acid, lactic acid, salicylic acid, etc), and 3. Enzymatic exfoliation (typically fruit enzymes like bromelain or papaya, but even an enzymatic honey will do just fine).

We prefer the enzymatic exfoliators because they tend to be the gentlest, and still get the job done. You want to avoid red, raw-feeling skin during exfoliation, and if you ever feel your skin getting close to that, stop and apply a nourishing face oil to nurture and support the abraded skin. It might take a couple sessions before you find your preferred method, but doing this once to twice a week will help renew the skin.

Rebuild

In addition to the renewal benefits of exfoliation, it can even trigger something called hormesis, which is the idea that short, intermittent bursts of certain stressors can trigger a cascade of cellular processes that enhance the overall health of the skin and make it more resilient to future stress. That being said, after exfoliation it is recommended to nourish and nurture the skin to replenish and fortify it with an abundance of phytonutrients to help it recover from these micro-stresses. Our Extrait de Maison would be an excellent choice here, laden with full-spectrum antioxidants and supportive essential fatty acids that the skin cannot produce on its own, but any performance-driven face oil will help the skin rebound brighter, plump, and more supple.

Replenish

Follow the face oil with nutrient-dense aqueous products to help fully replenish the skin. Consider a lighter moisturizer, combining a hydrosol with your face oil, and of course remember your SPF. It is likely that with spring we’ll spend more time outdoors, and thus exposed to greater amounts of sunlight, which is the biggest stressor to skin making SPF all the more important.

The exact routine will vary from person to person since we all have different skins that ask from us different things, but as a general guide, the above are good steps to review with your skin as the sunnier, warmer weather emerges from winter.

xo,
Carolina