Supporting your skin for spring

Apply sunscreen to protect all exposed skin. Shutterstock picture

THANK goodness for that. We made it through another winter. As much as we all enjoy those cosy fires and indoor days, isn’t it fantastic to feel the sun?

The new season means time to pay attention to our skin again as it’s had a rough time over the winter months. Cold weather and low humidity means dry air, which sucks moisture out of our skin and exacerbates conditions like eczema, psoriasis and cracked skin on fingers and hands.

The warmer temperatures and increased humidity are a blessing for our skin, and our mood is also enhanced by the extra exposure to the vitamin-D giving sun.

Five ideas to get your skin ready for springExfoliation

If you don’t want to pay for fancy scrubs, and don’t have any oatmeal to make your own, try a beauty tip practised by even Princess Kate Middleton. It is so simple: a facecloth. Use a warm facecloth or mitt to wash your skin morning and night. It works as an exfoliant and you don’t even have to add a cleanser. It works.

Lighten the load

Find a foundation that includes an SPF as well as good coverage so you don’t have to double up on lotions and creams. Less is definitely more here and allows your skin to breathe.

Sunscreen

Men, women and children, it's sunscreen time. If this is the only skin care you do over spring and summer then that is fine as it really is a must for all ages and all colours of skin. Our New Zealand sun is harsh and we have the highest rates of melanoma in the world. Apply sunscreen every day to all exposed skin for protection. Don’t forget to reapply if you have long days in the sun or go swimming.

Add an eye cream

The sun causes us to squint. To combat the fine lines and wrinkles that can form around the eyes, find an eye cream with a high concentration of antioxidants and peptides. The delicate skin around our eyes needs some nourishment.

Don't forget your lips

Regardless of skin type, the transition from winter to spring is one of the hardest times for the lips, which are often dry and chapped at this time of year. For better lips tomorrow, use a chapstick, lipstick or gloss that includes an SPF.