It feels good to take off those heavy winter jumpers and start to feel the warmth come back into that fresh breeze. Spring is a great time to shed the layers, so let's look at finding the right balance of exfoliation and hydration to help.

Exfoliation

I love to use lactic acid when the season is changing from Winter to Spring. Lactic acid speeds up cell turnover while also hydrating and brightening the skin. Usually after the colder months we may feel dry and dull so getting some lactic into the routine not only hydrates cells but we get a more even skin colour as well as radiant glow! 

Products I love with lactic acid are: 

• Skin Resurfacing Cleanser, with 5% lactic acid you can use it every second day cleansing for a minimum of 30 seconds,
• Multivitamin Thermafoliant - This one is made for shedding dull skin, it is a physical and chemical exfoliation which will boost circulation, slough off dead skin cells and boost absorption of the rest of your skincare.
• Daily Superfoliant - Being a PH6.0 it is slightly more alkaline than our skin, meaning it binds to pollutants and toxins on the surface and helps remove debris. Containing lactic acid paired with charcoal means its exfoliating as well as deep cleansing. 

With the season change it is a great time to get yourself booked in for a professional exfoliation. 

A Hydrodermabrasion is a perfect way to give the skin a deep physical exfoliation whilst restoring skin's hydration - resulting in a deep clean with a plump, rejuvenated and glowy skin. Hydrodermabrasion is the next generation of Microdermabrasion and adds liquid to the traditionally dry exfoliation procedure, simultaneously exfoliating and hydrating your skin. This is a painless procedure that is suitable for most skin types. You can choose Hydrodermabrasion as an enhancement on your ProSkin 30 and ProSkin 60.

You could also opt for a Dermalogica Ultrabright Peel, a powerful combination of Lactic and Phytic Acid to help to rid the skin of discoloured surface skin cells. Added to this clever formula are effective botanicals such as Tangerine Peel and Grape Juice Extract to further enhance its brightening capabilities.

Dry Body Brushing

Don't forget the skin on your body!

The mechanical action of dry brushing is excellent for exfoliating dry winter skin. Dry brushing unclogs pores in the exfoliation process. It helps detoxify your skin by increasing blood circulation and promoting lymph flow/drainage. 

It can also make you feel good since it has the additional benefit of stimulating your nervous system, which can make you feel invigorated afterward, the way getting a massage often does.

Hydration

Lighten the load with your products when coming into Spring

In winter we recommend using more oil rich ingredients, as they bind and lock moisture into the skin while protecting it against colder harsher environments. In the spring the conditions aren't so harsh, so we often require less richness in our products. We can lighten up on that moisturiser, changing from Intensive Moisture Balance to Skin Smoothing Cream. 

SPF & Antioxidants 

We can all become complacent in winter about our sun cream but now the brighter longer days are here so let's make sure we are UVA & UVB protected. 

As well as SPF, Spring is a great time to pack your skincare with antioxidants. Antioxidants are amazing at keeping your skin looking bright, fresh and healthy - they are one of the best ways to protect the skin from free radical damage caused by environmental factors (we tend to get more exposure to them in Spring than Winter).  

Nourish your skin on your body too! 

Spring for me, means summer is around the corner so Spring is summer's prep time. 

It's a great time to get into looking after and nourishing the skin on your body.
Dermalogica has a Beautiful Body Collection that will take you on a sensory journey through centuries of traditional bathing practices from around the world. You will discover Natural Sea Salt used by the ancient Egyptians, oils used in Turkish Hammams as well as Korean botanical extracts and antioxidants utilised in Japanese and Chinese skincare for centuries. Here is my Spring body refresh step by step.

Step  1: Conditioning Body Wash
Dermalogica’s Conditioning Body Wash is a rich sensorial body wash that cleanses, conditions and nourishes the skin. Formulated with aromatic oils of Chinese Eucalyptus and French Rosemary as well as fresh Lemon and Tea Tree oil to awaken the senses.

You can work the wash into a lather in your hands or simply use with a body cloth in the shower. You can also run under warm water for a relaxing bubble bath.

Step 2: Thermafoliant Body Scrub
A dual-action body scrub that energises and brightens tired and dull skin. When dead cells accumulate on our skin’s surface it can become very dull and dry. This hero product contains Indian Bamboo Stem to polish the skin and Lactic Acid dissolves dull and dead cells. This body scrub also features Natural Sea Salt to hydrate and revitalise the skin, and a blend of replenishing bio-lipids to help protect and strengthen the skin’s barrier.

Gently massage this exfoliant onto wet skin using circular motions and then rinse. To keep your skin soft and smooth you should use this body scrub 2-3 times per week.

STEP 3: Phyto Replenish Body Oil
The Phyto Replenish Body oil delivers a dose of antioxidants and skin-nourishing oils to calm and deeply moisturise the skin without leaving a greasy film - this deliciously light oil melts away into a cleansing milk to leave skin super clean, fresh and hydrated. It features Avocado Oil, French Plum Seed Oil and Sunflower Seed Oil, all of which are rich in Vitamin E and Omega Fatty Acids. 

This oil also features calming Fermented Red Ginseng which was inspired by Korean skincare rituals. These ingredients will calm and nourish the skin while delivering the ultimate glow. Neroli, Orange, Bergamot, Sandalwood and Patchouli awaken the senses and provide soft and delicately scented skin.

Simply massage the oil into clean, dry skin or add to wet hands to create a light moisturising milk.