Spring skincare: Tips & tricks for a radiant complexion

Spring awakening

Crocuses, tulips, and daffodils are blooming, the days are getting longer, and the sun is shining more often – the dreary but cozy winter is giving way to spring. Many people now want to spend as much time outdoors as possible and soak up the first rays of sunshine. But we need to be careful with our skin. It doesn't adjust to spring as easily as our mental well-being.

You might think that with the arrival of spring, stress on the skin would decrease. In reality, however, several factors combine right now to make it even more stressful for the skin. The dry air from heating systems in autumn and winter is slowly fading, but it's not completely gone yet. Spring weather, much like autumn, is unpredictable and can swing from one extreme to the next. "April showers bring May flowers," as the saying goes. Unfortunately, April isn't the only one. Temperatures generally fluctuate throughout spring. From almost summery conditions to the last frost, virtually anything is possible, and as we remember from the article on winter routines, abrupt temperature changes of 15-20°C are anything but pleasant for our skin. Humidity also fluctuates. All of this means that even in spring, the skin can still suffer from dehydration and often has a weakened skin barrier. Here you can learn more about how to rebuild and maintain a healthy skin barrier.

Besides temperature and humidity, the sun naturally plays a more significant role again. People are spending more time outdoors and enjoying the sunshine. The only problem is that, after the dark winter, skin is no longer accustomed to it and reacts particularly sensitively. Furthermore, the UV index is higher compared to winter, making sun protection more important. Another factor not to be overlooked is pollen. For allergy sufferers, pollen can now quickly lead to redness or other reactions in addition to hay fever, and even for people with few allergies, these tiny particles in the air can cause skin irritation.

What changes for the skin in spring?

The pollen count is a good starting point for discussing what's particularly important for skincare in spring. Contact with pollen can irritate the skin and cause itching. To reduce the risk of allergies, facial cleansing is essential in spring. Cleansing shouldn't be skipped, especially in the evening, as we all want to get rid of the day's potentially irritating build-up. Gentle cleansers are just as perfect for this as they are in winter.

As mentioned above, some symptoms similar to those in winter still appear in spring: dry and rough patches, flaking , and redness . The skin is extremely sensitive and should be treated gently. Active ingredients with a soothing effect are particularly beneficial now. A gentle, moisturizing day cream helps with rough and dehydrated skin. Ideally, it should also contain a sun protection factor.

During winter, our skin is essentially in a state of hibernation. In spring, it ramps up activity and regenerates more quickly. Sebum production also increases; less than in summer, but still significantly more than in winter.

Adjustments to the skincare routine

In spring, there are a few things to keep in mind when it comes to skincare. The first important change concerns textures, which can now become lighter again. Light lotions, serums, and fluids are perfect for your routine now. Textures can range from liquid to gel-like to emulsions. The latter offer particularly pleasant care; they are nourishing, yet extremely light in their formulation and absorb in no time. Oil-based products can be used more sparingly or even omitted altogether – depending on your skin type. Oily and combination skin types, in particular, appreciate less oil in their creams during the warmer months. But even dry skin now produces more of its own sebum and requires less external sebum.

The next key point is hydration. No matter the season, we lose moisture incredibly easily, which is why a good hyaluronic acid serum remains a star in the bathroom cabinet even in spring. Moisturizingface masks are also invaluable. We especially love overnight masks during the spring. They can intensively nourish, regenerate, and hydrate the skin overnight.

Other staples in the skincare routine are lip balm andscrubs . Just like the rest of the skin, the delicate skin on the lips still struggles with hydration and can easily crack. A good lip balm, ideally with SPF, provides relief. Scrubs, on the other hand, are fantastic because springtime, with its many irritants and increased sebum production, makes blemishes more likely to appear. Scrubs reduce these, gently remove excess sebum, and thereby improve both the skin's regeneration and absorption capacity. To protect the skin, mild scrubs are best.

Your facial cleanser should also be mild, as your skin is irritated and sensitive. Or should we say facial cleansers in the plural? In spring, double cleansing, along with nature itself, experiences a revival. To effectively wash away the increased irritants from the outside, double cleansing with a gentle oil cleanser and another mild cleanser is ideal. Another argument for double cleansing is sun protection. Since UV radiation was low in winter, skin reacts much more strongly to sunlight in spring. This makes sun damage very likely, and sunscreen is the most effective way to prevent it. However, sunscreen also tends to cling to the skin. This is advantageous during the day, but in the evening, double cleansing removes all traces of sunscreen.

To protect ourselves from sun damage, we naturally need antioxidants again. In winter, our bodies primarily needed vitamins to ward off bothersome colds and the like. Now, it's our skin that needs a vitamin boost, which is why serums and boosters with vitamins are perfect for spring. Feel free to combine different vitamins. Vitamin C is excellent in the morning to start the day. In the evening, vitamin A, better known to many as retinol, is ideal. Vitamin E and vitamin B3 (or niacinamide) are also good choices and protect the skin from free radicals.

Top 10 active ingredients for spring

A wide variety of active ingredients are simply indispensable for spring. We've compiled our top 10 for you.

Hyaluronic acid:

As mentioned above, a hyaluronic acid booster is the perfect companion all year round, including spring. Hyaluronic acid replenishes our moisture reserves like no other active ingredient. When different long-chain hyaluronic acids are combined in a serum, they work in multiple layers of the skin, producing both short-term, immediately visible effects and long-lasting hydration.

Vitamin C:

Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid , is beneficial year-round, but it's especially helpful now during the transition to warmer weather, providing so much that our skin desperately needs. Its protective function as an antioxidant is probably the first thing that comes to mind. But vitamin C also accelerates cell renewal. Furthermore, it promotes a fresh, healthy complexion, helping to shed that tired winter look.

Niacinamide:

Vitamin B3 has a similar effect on the skin as vitamin C. It also acts as an antioxidant, protecting us from free radicals. Niacinamide is particularly beneficial in spring for regulating sebum production and reducing blemishes. It keeps the skin clear and healthy.

Vitamin E:

Vitamin E, also known as tocopherol, is an antioxidant like vitamins C and B3, and it effectively supports their function. It aids skin regeneration. Furthermore, vitamin E helps the skin retain moisture more effectively. This is a significant advantage, especially in times when we lose a lot of moisture.

Retinol :

The last vitamin in our selection of spring favorites is vitamin A. This vitamin also helps the skin regenerate faster after the winter months and boosts cell renewal. Incidentally, there are many different forms of vitamin A, which vary primarily in their potency. You can read more about this here .

Peptides:

Now let's turn to a true all-rounder among active ingredients. Peptides perform just as many important functions for our skin in spring as vitamin C. Peptides also help the skin regenerate. They are also valuable for moisturizing the skin and synergize particularly well with hyaluronic acid. Finally, peptides are also suitable for soothing irritated skin.

Aloe Vera:

Aloe vera is an often underestimated active ingredient, yet this extract from the desert lily can do so much. Aloe vera is particularly known for its soothing effect and is therefore perfect when external stimuli threaten to overwhelm our skin. Furthermore, aloe vera is a powerful moisturizer. As the finishing touch, aloe vera leaves the skin feeling soft and nourished.

Squalane:

This ingredient is one of our favorites for locking in the moisture provided by other active ingredients. The skin-like substance squalane not only seals the skin, preventing water from escaping, but also contributes to light and quickly absorbed textures – exactly what we want in spring.

Shea butter:

Shea butter combines several benefits we already appreciate in the previous ingredients. It also has a soothing effect on irritated skin. Furthermore, it's simply unbeatable as an ingredient in moisturizers, as it not only provides hydration but also helps retain it. An absolute must for irritated and dehydrated skin in spring.

Kaolin:

White clay is a perfect ingredient in clarifying and cleansing face masks to help manage increased sebum production in spring. Kaolin binds the sebum and can then be easily washed off as part of a pampering mask. Learn more about face masks and why they belong in every well-stocked bathroom cabinet here .

Our tips for getting used to it

Getting your skin used to a new skincare routine always takes a little time and patience. Just like in winter, it's best to make the transition gradually. We don't want to put undue stress on our already stressed skin. Winter, in particular, is a time of extremes for the skin. Therefore, a gentle transition from autumn to winter and from winter to spring is all the more important. An effective way to do this is not to switch all textures to lighter ones all at once. The easiest way to do this is to use different textures in your morning and evening routines. During the day, we naturally want a comfortable feel, so you can certainly use lighter textures in your morning routine. For the evening, however, you can stick with nourishing, intensively conditioning, and rich products for a while longer. Such a transition only takes about half a month; that is, two to three weeks. During this transition, special attention should be paid to the skin barrier, as it can be easily damaged at this time of year. You can read tips and tricks on this here .

Morning routine for spring

The best way to start your morning is with the Hydrating Cream Cleanser . It provides a gentle boost of moisture right from the cleansing step.

Afterwards, you can spray a fine layer of the Aloe Vera Spray onto your skin as a toner from a distance of about 20-30 centimeters. Aloe Vera can soothe your skin throughout the day and provides additional moisture. Alternatively, you can also use our slightly richer, yet still lightly formulated Revival Toner .

Following this, our ever-popular Hyaluron Booster comes into play, whose sole focus is on providing your skin with as much moisture as possible.

Next, you should take a vitamin. We recommend either the Vitamin C 15 Booster or the Niacinamide Booster . If you can't decide between vitamins C and B3, you can alternate between them, boosting with vitamin C one day and niacinamide the next.

To retain all that moisture, a combination of squalane and shea butter is recommended. Our Calming Moisturizer is perfect for this, as it contains both. It perfectly complements the moisturizers and locks the water into the skin.

For carefree enjoyment of the sun's rays, all that's missing now is the Daily SPF 50+ Moisturizer or our Ultra Light SPF 50+ as sun protection.

Since not every routine is suitable for everyone, here are a few variations:

a) If two day creams are too heavy, you can skip the Calming Moisturizer and go directly to the Daily SPF 50+ Moisturizer.

b) The Vitamin C 20 Booster can be a light alternative to a day cream and applied instead of the Calming Moisturizer for an even lighter feel. In that case, however, either omit the Vitamin C 15 Booster in step four or replace it with the Niacinamide Booster.

c) For dry skin, the Vitamin C 20 Booster is more suitable; therefore, this skin type can either omit the Vitamin C 15 Booster or replace it with the Niacinamide Booster and instead apply the Vitamin C 20 Booster directly before the day cream.

Evening routine for spring

Double cleansing is perfect for your evening routine. Because we're using more sunscreen again and many allergens accumulate on our skin while outdoors, thorough cleansing is especially important. With double cleansing, you first use the Calming Oil Cleanser to remove surface dirt. After rinsing off the cleanser, you follow with another cleanser for a deep pore cleanse. If your skin tends to be dry in the spring, the Hydrating Cream Cleanser is recommended. If your skin gets oily quickly, thePurifying Gel Cleanser is right for you.

Optionally, you can now use the aloe vera spray again as a toner. Whether this is necessary depends very much on how sensitive your skin is in general and how easily it reacts to irritation. If it needs some soothing, aloe vera is the ideal active ingredient for this purpose.

This is followed by the Hyaluron Booster , which, as always, intensively moisturizes the skin.

We then recommend our Polypeptide Booster . It provides additional moisture and also ensures that your skin can regenerate and soothe itself overnight.

Regeneration is the perfect keyword to conclude your evening routine. Our Night Cream with retinol has both regenerating and nourishing effects overnight. Because the retinol content is low, it's very well-tolerated and suitable even for beginners. If retinol is new to you, feel free to read our tips on getting used to new active ingredients .

Extra care in between

Even in spring, our lips are often chapped and need care. They also need protection from UV radiation. That's where our lip balm with SPF 50 comes in, keeping lips protected and soft.

As we learned in previous sections, exfoliating the skin is also an important factor. Chemical peels are particularly recommended for this, as they are very gentle and contain naturally occurring acids found on the skin. In our range, you can choose between the Exfoliate Booster and the 2% BHA Peel . The latter is especially suitable for oily and combination skin.

To remove residue from the skin and pores, a BHA mask is also suitable. It also has an exfoliating effect. In spring, increased sebum production makes it easier for blemishes to reappear. A BHA mask can prevent this by dissolving the sebum from the pores and binding it with the kaolin it contains.

We've already mentioned above how great overnight masks are for intensive skincare in spring. And here's the perfect product for you: our Rich Hydration Mask . It's a true moisture bomb. Besides hydrating ingredients, it contains valuable nutrients and leaves your skin feeling soft and supple.