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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
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. 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.
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