Are you planning to head south this spring? If you’re among the thousands headed for popular spring break destinations—maybe Miami, Orlando, or the Caribbean—you’re undoubtedly excited about pulling out summer clothes after a long winter. But don’t forget the bare essentials, such as water-resistant, high-quality sunscreen, sunglasses, and simple skincare products (so you can spend more time having fun not getting ready).

Spring break will be here before you know it, and if you aren’t careful, spring breakouts could be close behind. Seasonal transitions and changes in your environment or climate can cause adverse effects on your skin. Overall, the skin prefers consistency; a rapid change in weather can serve as a shock, and your skin may take a toll as it adjusts.

As the weather warms and humidity rises, your skin may feel greasier than usual as more oil gets trapped on the surface. This post spotlights steps you can take today to prepare your skin for traveling to warmer weather and spring’s arrival this year. 

Switch to lighter products.

In response to rising temperatures, your face’s sebaceous glands may produce excess sebum—an oily or waxy fatty acid that commonly leads to clogged pores and inflamed acne bumps

As winter fades away, it’s time to put a pause on using thicker creams or heavier serums and formulas for fighting off the bitter winter wind and harsh cold. In the spring and summer months especially, thicker moisturizers can make your skin too oily and break out. Substitute them in your skincare routine with lighter lotions and water-based serums.

Find a light, oil-free moisturizer, lotion, or gel. For a deeper clean, seek a solution containing salicylic acid. It’s an antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory exfoliant often derived from willow bark. In helping clear and prevent acne, it’s especially effective on oily skin types.

Lightly scrub and exfoliate.

Months of cold, rain, sleet, and snow can cause season-long buildup on your skin. Dead skin cells, leftover products in pores, and environmental toxins should be exfoliated. 

Light microdermabrasion, followed with a moisturizing mask, should help eliminate old, dead winter skin cells. Over-exfoliating is possible, though; lightly scrub and exfoliate no more than three times per week. Scrubs with sugar crystals are great for minor dry spots around the mouth and eyes, while salicylic, glycolic, lactic, citric, malic, and tartaric acids are other good ingredients to nourish the skin.

Consider an eye cream.

With more sunshine during the early spring, you’ll be much more prone to squinting. This can encourage fine lines and wrinkles to form faster around the eyes. Find an eye cream with a high concentration of antioxidants and peptides, which help with collagen production and ward off the harmful effects of UV rays.

Make your makeup pull double duty.

Refresh your makeup bag with products that offer even coverage and SPF skin protection, or look for a tinted SPF as both your makeup and sun protection. Throw out any older makeup products and tools, as bacteria can build up on these items over time. Sanitizing the tools used for your makeup and skincare application will help give your skin a fresh start this spring, too. 

Stay extra diligent with sunscreen.

Continuous sun protection is vital during spring break when skin is flooded with sunlight and UV rays for the first time in months. Spring sun damage can sneak up on unprepared skin, with milder temperatures and clouds helping mask how strong the sun can be.

While they are healthy for your skin, alpha hydroxy acids such as malic, lactic, and glycolic acids can leave your skin more sensitive to sunlight and prone to sunburn or other damage. Apply—and regularly reapply—a facial sunscreen designed to protect acne- and rosacea-prone skin against sun damage. Sunscreens containing zinc oxide and niacinamide, a form of vitamin B3 that strengthens the outer layers of skin, are the most effective. Most dermatologists recommend sunscreens with an SPF of  no less than 30.

Make vacation skincare simple.
Simple skincare solutions from SkinTherapyMD include all the natural ingredients that your skin needs in a two-step process. You’ll only want to add sunscreen. Browse SkinTherapyMD’s CAMU anti-aging and ClearSkin products today to be proactive and prepared for clear and healthy skin this spring.