Spring Cleaning for your skin care routine

Spring is my favorite season.  It means saying goodbye to heavy winter coats and gloves, and saying hello to warmer, sunny days. And, if you’re like me, Spring also signals that it’s time to clean!  No, I don’t mean tossing things out of the garage or basement – there are plenty other seasons to do that messy job.  I’m talking about cleaning out my skincare cabinet in order to prepare my skin for the new season ahead. 

To make the task easier, here are some simple guidelines to follow:

Check expiration dates – this is something that should really be done every 6 months since using skin care products beyond their expiration date can be risky for your skin.  Not only do products lose their effectiveness over time but also bacteria can accumulate over time causing breakouts and irritation.  To make this easy for you, most companies use a PAO (Period After Opening) symbol to indicate a product’s shelf life.  Look for an image of a jar with the letter M (months) and a number (6, 12, 24).  This symbol lets you know how many months after opening you can still safely use a product.  For example, if you see M12, that means the product is good for 12 months after you first opened it.  If there is no symbol or you can’t remember the last time you opened it – play is safe and throw it out. 

SPF products – The Food and Drug Administration requires sunscreens to remain at their original strength for 3 years[1].  Generally speaking, this means that you can use last summer’s tube for another year.  However, keep in mind that after applying a SPF lotion, we don’t always put it back in our bag.  Exposing SPF products to excessive heat and sunlight can degrade the formula.  To make sure your sunscreen is still good, double-check for bad odors or formula separation.  And, as always, when it doubt, throw it out.

Clean everywhere – don’t forget to look through the items you keep in your gym bag or your travel toiletry bag.  These bags are often filled with small sample jars and foil packets of products that we’ve collected.  It’s probably safest to either toss those items or carefully wash and then refill those little jars with a fresh dollop of product.

Lighten up – If you have normal or slightly oily skin, consider switching from the heavier winter crèmes to light weight lotions.   Spring showers can leave your skin more hydrated and more dewy. Drier skin types often require more barrier protection and should stick with their current moisturizer to maintain proper hydration.

Exfoliate – Slough off the dull, dry skin cells that may have accumulated over the dreary winter months.  Commit to using an exfoliator or exfoliating mask at least once a week to get your skin glowing for Spring.