Spring Clean Your Skin: The Best New Cleansers and Exfoliators

by Grace Gold (Subscribe to Grace Gold's posts)
Posted Apr 12th 2010 at 7:00AM

Photo: Getty Images

Spring may have just sprung, but chances are, winter has left its drying, dull mark on your skin.

We've got good news: there are lots of quick, easy ways to rev up your complexion for a dewy glow. You just need to make sure you eliminate the dimming skin offenders first.

"Harsh products are the worst enemy of glowing skin because they can leave you red, swollen and flaky. You should baby your skin. Save the antibacterial bar soap for your feet!" says LA Dermatologist Dr. Jessica Wu.

For the most dramatic change, an in-office derm treatment can polish you up faster and more effectively than anything else. "The best no downtime quick-fix is the LHA peel. LHA stands for lipo hydroxy acid, which is a variation of salicylic acid that sloughs off dead skin cell layers and leaves your skin softer than other peels. It takes about 10 minutes, and you leave looking a little pink and flushed, with smoother skin in a few days. It's especially great for acne and sun damage," advises Dr. Wu.

There are also countless product options today with such advanced technology that a difference in the texture and glow of the skin can often be seen after just one use. With continued application, these skin savers can even transform your complexion for the long-term.

"Resurfacing is a term I use to describe products that address the visible imperfections that we all obsess about," says Skincare Expert and Brand Founder Jan Marini. "Resurfacing perfects the look of skin by giving it that airbrushed luminescent surface. On a deeper level, these topicals can boost collagen production, discourage the output of excess pigment and help the skin to repair damage and generally look and act much younger," adds Marini.

So get ready to glow, and read on as we round up the best options for rejuvenating your skin in time for spring's first crop of crocuses.

And now that your skin's in great shape, find out the best new ways to protect it, with this year's crop of sunscreen superstars.

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Spring Clean Your Skin

Courtesy of St. Ives

Spring Clean Your Skin

While St. Ives is best known for their legendary Apricot Scrub, the Swiss brand's newest green tea version contains the antioxidant bonus of tea leaves as well as salicylic acid to prevent and treat acne breakouts. We love that it's paraben and phthalate-free, so you can slather on and scrub with piece of mind.

Spring Clean Your Skin

Serums absorb faster and deeper into the skin than any other skincare product, and Bliss's Peeling Groovy is formulated with a packed set of AHA's for exceptional brightening results. Apply a small amount with finger tips over freshly cleansed skin at night (start slowly, this stuff can tingle), and wake up to the brightening effects of what Bliss calls their "liquid version of a microdermabrasion kit."

Spring Clean Your Skin

One of the biggest culprits of dull-looking skin is dryness. "Look for products with glycerin and hyaluronic acid, which hydrate your skin and make the cells more plump," advises Dr. Wu. Kinerase's HydraBoost Intensive Treatment is a soothing blue gel that blends mineral and plant extracts with hyaluronic acid to restore and balance optimal moisture levels in the skin.

Spring Clean Your Skin

If you don't have the time or extra bucks to stop in for a spa visit, facialist-to-the-stars Ling (who has worked on Madonna, Alicia Keys and Uma Thurman) makes a full at-home regimen that mimics the results of her famous deep pore cleaning facials. While the basics of cleansing and moisturizing are covered in the kit, masks and targeted treatment products especially formulated for dry or oily skins are included too.

Spring Clean Your Skin

With a cult following of die-hard electronic cleansing fans, Clarisonic's newest Opal Sonic Fusion targets the darkness and aging of the delicate skin around the eyes. The smooth white gadget circulates an anti-aging sea serum into skin for a rejuvenated and energized look and feeling - and the Clarisonic fans are just as crazy about this new version. "I'm totally addicted - I use it everyday and see a very noticeable difference in the fine lines around my eyes," says Washington DC Dermatologist Dr. Tina Alster.

Spring Clean Your Skin

It's a well-known fact that Vitamin C brightens the complexion - but the market is littered with useless formulations that don't keep the vitamin active and stable. Environ's C-Boost does both, and comes in a lightweight oil-free lotion that works for all skin types. Oily skins may find it doubles as moisturizer, while drier types can apply before their deeper night cream. We saw noticeably brighter results from the rapid cell turnover in just a couple of weeks.

Spring Clean Your Skin

For blotchy skin troubled by a bumpy texture, nothing fights the good fight quite like glycolic acid. Avon's Anew Clinical Advanced Retexturizing Peel packs a 35% professional level glycolic peel in each disc pad. This is also a great option to prevent and treat breakout blotchiness on chests and backs too - the pad makes reaching those finicky spots far less reminiscent of yoga class.

Spring Clean Your Skin

After any exfoliating treatment - whether manual or chemical - fresh skin is left more sensitive to the sun rays, and it's especially important to protect. Today's sunscreens can add even more glow to your complexion. "Opting for mineral sunscreens with micronized zinc and titanium help reflect light," says Dr. Wu. NIA24's Sun Damage Prevention 100% Mineral Sunscreen improves skin tone and texture while protecting skin with Dr. Wu's suggested micronized duo.

Spring Clean Your Skin

Not fully cleansing all of the day's pollutants, grime and makeup off can leave skin looking ruddy. Olay's new Dual Action Cleanser + Pore Scrub covers all your bases with moisture ribbons that target and remove dirt and impurities and exfoliating microbeads that buff skin and reduce the appearance of pores.

Spring Clean Your Skin

If skin discoloration like post-acne scarring is raining on your glow parade, you'll need more than just a manual exfoliation to see any difference. Jan Marini's Bioglycolic Lightening Gel combines glycolic acid with kojic acid - a mushroom derivative that has treated discoloration successfully in Japan for many years. It's also gentle enough to use with skincare regimes that include medicated items - just ask your derm first.

Spring Clean Your Skin

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Filed under: Beauty, Skin & Body
Tags: Dr. Jessica Wu, Dr.JessicaWu, exfoliation, healthy beautiful you, HealthyBeautifulYou, skin cleansing, SkinCare, skincare products, SkinCareProducts, SkinCareTips, SkinCleansing, spring cleaning, SpringCleaning

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READER COMMENTS

(15)Add A Comment

Bob, 4-13-2010, 5:56PM

I always use Lava, leaves me skin clean and tingley

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Shirley, 4-13-2010, 7:59AM

I LOVE the "Lava!" In fact, I erupted in laughter! Thanks, Bob!

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Campbell Hayden, 4-13-2010, 11:00AM

I used to use Lava all the time, as well. Now I trade off between Safeguard and Lava. My face never smelled to begin with so if I don't feel the need to 'EXFOLIATE' on a daily basis, I have an alternative. As Paul Lynde would always say: 'All over my body'!

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harvey, 4-13-2010, 11:20AM

My God ! What is whith that picture of the 2 fat street hookers with the phony tans in the picture above. Now that is just plain disgusting.

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Mike, 4-28-2010, 9:44AM

I don''t understand your statement! Are you just being STUPID or RACIST?

Fred, 4-13-2010, 2:14PM

Under the pic it says the photo is courtesy of the Style network. I guess that's the style to avoid if you're not a big fan of herpes.

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028na9t97, 4-13-2010, 12:32PM

"For the most dramatic change, an in-office derm treatment can polish you up faster and more effectively than anything else. "

Doesn't the author realize there is a DEPRESSION going on, and people don't have the $$$ for that kind of crap???

Plain old soap and water works just fine and is a whole lot cheaper. Save the $$ and put it into rice and beans ---the way things are going, you're gonna need it!

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020m48a6w3n, 4-13-2010, 12:34PM

I was wondering about that myself. ewwwww

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Helen, 4-21-2010, 2:58AM

I never use bars of soap. Body wash is by far the best for you and for your plumbing. You will never have soap scum with it. Use a wash cloth if you need exfoliation and follow with a mild toner and moistuizer.

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Helen, 4-21-2010, 2:56AM

I use body wash all the time. If I need exfoliation, I put a little on a wash cloth and go from there. The benefit is that you never have soap scum. After washing, you follow your normal procedure, toner, moisturizer, et. My plumber told me this after a 400 tile repair bill. No problem since.

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jean, 4-13-2010, 1:25PM

WTF..why are we even thinking about exfoliation, or skincare? Because there is money to be made. My great aunt (lived to 106) & my grandmother (lived to 95) both born before modern soaps were concieved, used lye in their youth, used Zest or equivelent as they got older. No special treatment just soap and water and a clean wash cloth and towel did fine and their skin was beautiful until they passed several years ago. They spent their days outside as much as they could, grew, stored and ate most of their diet. Just eliminate all the chemical foods and chemical products and you'll have beautiful skin, and good health overall.

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ruth, 4-13-2010, 1:47PM

I'm a senior in my late 60's who is always taken for much younger because of my routine every morning that is to take a soft washcloth using warm water not hot to open up the pores,then I use Olay cleanser on my face then cold water to close the pores that leaves my skin glowing.I only use Olay beauty products including the body wash for my baths saying that the best beauty advice ever given me was to never use HOT water on face or body......

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Azuree, 4-13-2010, 1:59PM

I use Pears soap, but since I'm working for AVON now I will be trying ANEW or another cleanser that I can recommend for my customers. I love their Dramatic Firming face cream; it really works and it's cheap enough.

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