How to Look After Your Skin in Spring

Spring... and our skin goes on alert. It is a time of year when it is no longer cold, but not yet really hot either. Sun exposure increases, environmental humidity changes, pollen appears and our skin starts to feel a little out of balance. If you notice that your skin changes in spring, it is no coincidence, which is why in this article we explain what spring skin allergy is, what happens to your skin at this time of year and how you should care for it.

Skin in spring

Even if temperatures are not especially high at this time of year, solar radiation becomes more intense, especially UVA rays. These are capable of affecting the collagen in our skin and altering its structure and integrity, as well as its barrier function. As a result, the skin loses water, becomes dehydrated and turns more reactive.

On the other hand, daylight hours increase, which starts to change our hormones, causing the skin to produce more oil. That is why, at this time of year, more shine and even blemishes or acne may appear.

In addition, pollen and spores appear, and our immune system begins to recognise them as foreign agents that it needs to defend us against. As a result, our skin reacts.

Spring allergy on the skin

Every year, the same thing happens: spring arrives, the weather improves and the skin starts to behave differently.

At the pharmacy counter, we see many cases of itching on the face and body with no obvious previous cause, but there is one; the cause is all the characteristic changes of spring, which have consequences for the skin. It is not just a change of season, it is a physiological change in the skin... our skin is simply trying to adapt.

Sometimes, our immune system starts to identify seasonal particles in the environment, such as pollen and spores, and reacts to them, causing skin hyperreactivity.

Pollen and spores activate mast cells and histamine is released, disrupting the barrier function, especially in the cheeks, eyelids and nose, leading to itching, redness, stinging, burning and flaking.

It is an inflammatory process that must be treated, controlled and prevented. This is possible by choosing the right products for your skincare routine.

How to care for your skin in spring

In spring, we need to pay attention to our skincare routine and adapt it to the needs our skin is showing us:

Cleansing

It should be gentle but effective, so that environmental particles are removed without stripping too many of the skin’s natural lipids.

Hydration

In spring, the skin needs more repair and soothing care, in lighter textures, moving away from the occlusive textures used in winter. Two products that should not be missing are:

• CeraVe Moisturising Lotion: with ceramides to hydrate and repair the skin. Its texture allows the product to absorb beautifully and leaves no greasy feeling at all.
• Avène Thermal Spring Water: to use as a toner, a make-up setting mist or whenever your skin needs an extra boost of hydration and soothing care.

Treatment

Treatment products should be adapted by using products specifically designed for this kind of reactivity, such as Skin Resist Serum, which not only soothes the skin but also provides anti-ageing benefits.

Sun protection

Sunscreen should not be forgotten at this time of year. We should apply it every morning to prevent and control the inflammation caused by sun exposure, helping to keep sensitivity and reactivity under control. In fact, many sensitive skin types improve simply by using the right sunscreen.

We recommend La Roche-Posay UV Air Daily SPF 50+ because it is an ultra-light sunscreen that all skin types can use thanks to its texture, its properties and the fact that it is non-greasy. It can also work very well as a make-up base. It protects against different types of radiation and provides a high protection factor.