Are you looking to switch up your skincare now that the weather is changing? Here is my spring and summer skincare routine that is perfect for busy moms!
If you’ve been around Sara in Season for a while, you might be asking yourself if I’m obsessed with skincare. I have outlined a whole skincare routine for tired moms and provided my tips to relieve dry winter skin, after all. And although I think the answer to that question is no, I do think it’s extremely important so I spend time making sure I’m taking the best care of my skin that I can. The amount of time I spend on it does tend to increase when the seasons change, especially when we move from Winter to Spring and then from Summer to Fall.
After many years of trying out a bunch of different products over all the seasons, I’ve determined that my skincare needs are different when it’s warmer and more humid in the Spring and Summer than when it’s colder and drier in the Fall and Winter. Although I don’t find that my whole skincare routine needs to change, there are specific swaps that I make in my Spring and Summer skincare routine that make a world of difference in how my skin looks and feels.
So, what changes? I focus on lighter products in my Spring and Summer skincare and put more emphasis on sun protection. I’ve also found a few new products that have proven to be terrific, so I want to share those with you too. No gatekeeping here at Sara in Season!
Things to Know
I’m a mom in my late 30s, so my skin is starting to show signs of aging.
I have dry, sensitive, eczema-prone skin. What this means is that I have to pick very gentle products that are fragrance-free.
I’m pretty lazy when it comes to executing my skincare routine. I don’t want to spend a ton of time applying 37 products morning and night. I want products that work that I can apply in about 5 minutes.
Spring and Summer Skincare for Moms
Morning
My morning skincare sets me up for success for the rest of the day. That’s true for my Spring and Summer skincare routine and for my Fall and Winter skincare routine. Let’s talk through what products I use and how I use them in my morning Spring and Summer skincare routine.
Water rinse
This might come as a surprise to some of you, but I don’t wash my face in the morning. I simply rinse it or splash it with water. This step is easy if I take a shower in the morning, but if I showered the night before, it’s still easy, but it requires that I actually splash my face with water from the sink. It doesn’t need much of a splash, just enough to get it damp. Because I don’t need much water, I don’t typically wait for the water to get nice and warm. I just do a little splash and get my day started.
Vitamin C
One of my favorite treatment products to use in my Spring and Summer skincare routine is Vitamin C serum. I use it year-round, but I really feel like it shines in the Spring and Summer. You see, Vitamin C is an antioxidant, so it really helps to protect your skin from things like free radicals that come from sunlight. It basically teams up with your sunscreen to better protect your skin from the harmful effects of the sun.
Now, there are many different varieties of Vitamin C available, and each variety is available from many different brands. Even though I have very sensitive skin, I still prefer to stick with products that use straight-up ascorbic acid because that’s the Vitamin C form that has all the research behind it. Although I’ve gone through a few Vitamin C products that did bother my poor skin, I have found one that works great and doesn’t freak out my skin – Timeless Skin Care 20% Vitamin C + E Ferulic Acid Serum. I’m never going back.
To apply, I simply take about a pump and a half into the palm of my hand. I rub my hands together and then pat my damp face and neck until I no longer feel product on my hands. Easy peasy.
Moisturizer
Immediately after the Vitamin C serum, I apply a light daytime moisturizer. You don’t need to wait for the Vitamin C serum to dry down, just forge ahead.
My favorite daytime moisturizer is and likely always will be Vanicream Daily Facial Moisturizer. It does a fantastic job at locking in the water and Vitamin C serum and keeping my face moisturized without being greasy. It’s also fragrance- and other yucky stuff-free, so it has never bothered my face or my kids’ faces. Not once. This product sets a high bar.
One other attractive thing about this product is that the packaging is very simple. Why is that a good thing? You can totally get your husband and your teenage sons to use this stuff. It’s non-threatening!
Facial SPF
The last step of my Spring and Summer skincare (at least where my face is concerned) is SPF. I wear SPF on my face year-round, and you should too, but I take it extra seriously in the Spring and Summer.
There are so many facial SPFs on the market, so this category can be extremely overwhelming. As I noted when I talked about sun protection, you can choose mineral or chemical SPF filters, tinted or non-tinted. I typically like a tinted mineral sunscreen, but do hold one non-tinted chemical SPF close to my heart.
So, what are my favorite facial sunscreens? My everyday facial SPF is Neutrogena Purescreen+ Tinted Mineral Sunscreen, obviously in the shade light. This sunscreen blends into my face nicely and doesn’t leave me feeling greasy or dry and chalky. The light shade in particular doesn’t lean too warm, so I don’t give off Oompa-Loompa vibes.
The non-tinted chemical sunscreen that gives it a run for its money is a Korean beauty product, SCINIC Enjoy Super Mild Sun Essence. This product uses gentler chemical filters than those used in U.S. products. These filters don’t sting my eyes or lead to an eczema flare. This particular sunscreen also has a beautiful finish that looks great on its own or under makeup. The only knock that I have on this product is that it can be hard to get because it’s a Korean product and I live in the U.S.
Body lotion
The body lotion that I use is the biggest change in my Spring and Summer skincare routine as compared to my Fall and Winter skincare routine. In the Spring and Summer, I want something a bit lighter weight that has SPF in it. The thick creams of Winter are just too much and I’d so much rather use one product that serves as a lotion and an SPF than two separate products. I’m lazy, remember.
The best product that I have found to tick all of my Spring and Summer body lotion boxes is Eucerin Daily Hydration Body Cream with SPF 30. It’s thick without being too thick, contains SPF 30, doesn’t bother my eczema-prone skin, and doesn’t have an offensive smell. It’s the whole package. Swipe right.
Throughout the day
In the Fall and Winter, I only have morning and evening skincThe big are. My Spring and Summer skincare routine, on the other hand, isn’t quite so compartmentalized. I have to reapply sunscreen to both my face and my body throughout the day. Especially if I’m spending time outside. When I’m going to be outside for longer than just a few minutes, I definitely add another layer of sunscreen to my face and I bring out the big guns on my body. That means I’m lathering on the Blue Lizard mineral sunscreen that I use on my kids. This stuff is the equivalent of a sunscreen tank. Ain’t nothing getting through this stuff.
Night
Just like my morning skincare starts off my day on the right foot, my evening skincare routine is the perfect end to my day. This might be a bit controversial, but I don’t typically do my evening skincare right before I go to bed. Instead, I do my skincare right after my kids go to bed. It’s a nice transition from mom mode to me mode and it ensures that I don’t ever skip it because I’m just too tired.
Double cleanse
Even though I don’t wear a lot of makeup, I always do a double cleanse. What is a double cleanse? It’s a two-step facial cleansing process that first uses an oil-based cleanser to remove makeup, dirt, and oil and then follows up with a more conventional cleanser to remove any remaining residue. I swear by this technique. My skin has improved so much since I started doing a double cleanse every night. If you’re not doing a double cleanse, I encourage you to give it a go. You might be just as shocked as I was.
1st cleanse
To do a first cleanse, you take your oil-based product and massage it onto your dry face. Don’t wet your face first! You can get a straight-up oil or an oil-based balm. I’ve tried both, and have had mixed results with both, to be honest. Until quite recently, I never really found a first cleanser that I truly loved. They either broke me out, didn’t work to remove the gunk off my face, or were just a straight-up mess to apply. But I have found the holy grail, friends.
My new favorite first cleanser is Beauty of Joseon Radiance Cleansing Balm. Y’all, it is so good. It melts in your hand, glides nicely over the skin, and removes like a dream. You’d think with all these benefits it would cost a fortune, but it doesn’t! I get it for about $15-$20.
Once you’ve gotten your cleanser massaged into your skin, take a little bit of water in your hands and go back over your face. This will emulsify your cleanser. Kinda like you’re making mayonnaise, but not really at all. I’m sorry I went there. After you’ve worked up a good lather, it’s time to rinse. I like to do this by cupping water in my hands and making a big old mess. This is where those separate sinks really come in handy. Now it’s time to go onto step #2.
2nd cleanse
My second cleanse is essentially what I used to do as my only cleanse. Basically, I pump out a little face wash onto my hand, mix it with a drop or two of water, and massage it onto my face. Once I’ve made sure to get every nook and cranny of my face and neck, I wipe it off with a wet washcloth. I like the slight exfoliation of a soft washcloth, but if you’d rather just rinse, that’s fine. This step is easy.
What’s my favorite second cleanser? I have three that I like equally: CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser, Vanicream Gentle Facial Cleanser, and La Roche-Posay Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Face Cleanser. These are all interchangeable in my Spring and Summer skincare routine.
Treatment
After I double cleanse my skin, it’s time for a treatment step. Because I’m in my 30s, I rotate between a retinoid and a non-retinoid most nights and I keep a calming serum on hand for nights that my skin really and truly needs a break.
Retinoid
You probably think I’m going to say that I use prescription tretinoin as my retinoid because every person on the internet in her 30s is, but you’re wrong. My skin is far too sensitive and eczema-prone to tolerate tretinoin, even at a low dose. Instead, I use old school adapalene gel. I apply a pea-sized amount of this stuff all over my face and neck every other night. It gives me the benefits of a retinoid without the eczema flare-ups.
Chemical exfoliant
On alternate nights when I’m taking a mini break from my retinoid, I use a chemical exfoliant. I like lactic acid for this job because it’s gentler than its more well-known cousin glycolic acid. Because this is delivered in a serum form, I like to pat it into my skin instead of rubbing it in. I have no idea why.
Calming serum
If my skin is having a moment, which it has pretty frequently, I skip the active ingredients and opt instead for a calming serum to help accelerate my skin’s healing. The best calming serum I have found for this purpose is Aveeno Calm + Restore Triple Oat Serum. It feels amazing on the skin and really does help to heal any skin issues with a few nights of use. I highly recommend having a bottle of this stuff on hand at all times, just in case.
Moisturizer
After I apply my treatment step in the evenings, it’s time to lock it all in with a moisturizer. Although I always use a moisturizer in the evenings, this is something that changes in my Spring and Summer skincare routine versus my Fall and Winter skincare routine. I like a slightly thicker cream in the Spring and Summer, but nothing nearly as thick as my Fall and Winter shellac that I live by in the colder months. My particular favorite night cream in the Spring and Summer is Eucerin Q10 Anti-Wrinkle Face Crème. It’s the perfect weight and it has that Co-Q10 antioxidant ingredient in it that can do a little magic while I’m sleeping.
Other posts
Want other Spring tips? I’ve got a few posts you might be interested in reading:
That’s it! My Spring and Summer skincare routine that works for this mom and I hope will work for you too. Do you have any skincare products that you love? Please share down in the comments or over on Instagram @sarainseason.
[Note: None of this content is sponsored. The links above may be general affiliate links, which earn me a small commission so I can keep making great content for you!]