Spring is the perfect time to freshen up your beauty routine. After wrestling with the harsh winter elements, many of us beauty enthusiasts are stoked to dive into the latest skin, makeup, and hair trends and tips we’re seeing pop on our FYPs. (Top on our to-try list? Switching heavy winter foundations for airy skin tints.)
But resetting your beauty routine isn’t just about hoarding new products. It’s about carefully examining your skin and hair needs and making the necessary tweaks. This could mean swapping out your winter moisturizer, adding a hydrating hair mask, upgrading to a higher SPF, or finally trying a high-tech skin treatment you’ve been considering.
Not sure where to start? Use these four pro suggestions to spring forward into the new season.
Spring Reset Tip 1: Spring Clean Your Makeup Bag
As the seasons change, it’s OK to clear your vanity table of skin-care and makeup products you won’t be using in the warmer weather. “I recommend getting rid of any cosmetics products that you truly won’t use over the next six months,” celebrity makeup artist Kasey Spickard tells PS. “We all hold onto cosmetics like collectors, but if you aren’t realistically using a product, it’s simply taking up precious real estate.”
Spickard also recommends you look at the seasonality of your products. “Perhaps your winter foundation is taking up space in your makeup bag when it could be stored somewhere else during the winter months in exchange for a spring or summer skin tint,” he says.
Spring Reset Tip 2: Try a Hair Gloss
Your hair often does the talking before you even say a word, and nothing screams “new me” like switching up your cut or color, especially if winter’s icy grip has left your hair feeling lifeless and dull. Add some bounce to your hair along with your step this spring with a fresh style and a gloss treatment.
“From a hair perspective, a great way to reset would be to add some face-framing highlights and a gloss,” says professional hairstylist Olivia Casanova, co-owner of IGK Salons. “It’s the perfect time of year to brighten up your strands and add some shine as we approach warmer weather.”
Spring Reset Tip 3: Exfoliate Your Hair and Scalp
Your scalp and hair need care the same way your skin does (call it the “skinification” of hair care). Just as you need to exfoliate dead skin on your body and face, the same goes for your hair, says celebrity hairstylist Dimitris Giannetos. “Adding a hair exfoliant to the hair helps to refresh and remove any product buildup,” he says. “Sometimes the hair begins to look dull because overconsumption of different hydrating shampoos and masks can work to clog hair follicles and have the opposite effect on the hair.”
Spring Reset Tip 4: Schedule a Laser Treatment
Feeling like winter has left your skin as dull as a snowstorm? It’s time to consider laser treatments. For those new to the world of lasering, cosmetic dermatologist Michelle Henry, MD, suggests trying a PicoSure treatment.
“This no-downtime laser is one that helps break up pigment in the skin,” Dr. Henry says. “Getting rid of the pigment helps to brighten skin, making it look more youthful. It’s a treatment that I use on a lot of my patients.”
If you’re in the game for a major reset and don’t mind a bit of downtime, board-certified physician assistant Gabby Garritano, founder and CEO of Ject NYC, says the Moxi laser might be worth trying. “Just like spring cleaning, it’s time for a clean canvas before summer,” Garritano says. “Downtime is minimal; avoid the sun for a couple of weeks following the treatment.” You’ll want to book your appointment as early in the spring as possible because lasers are a treatment to avoid in the summer; it makes your skin more sensitive to the sun.
With these tips, you’ll enter the warmer months feeling brand-new.
Stixx Mathews is a New York City-based freelance beauty writer with 11 years of experience who is passionate about telling stories that merge beauty and pop culture. He enjoys sharing his expert insights about the latest trends and must-have products, with a particular focus on lipstick and fragrance.