Sunshine, 50-degree days, and the initial sights of tree blossoms might have you packing away your winter sweaters, but let us make the case for rethinking your spring skin-care routine, too. Think of it like lightening up your clothing layers—by adjusting your skin-care routine, you can emerge into the world a bit lighter.
And if you’re skeptical of over-complicating your regimen or switching out a trusty lineup more than necessary, I get it. While that hesitation is healthy (generally, reimagining your routine as often as social media encourages isn’t always best), turns out there is actual merit to tweaking your products along with the evolving seasons. “Shifts in temperature and humidity can dramatically affect the skin’s hydration and barrier function,” board-certified dermatologist Dara Spearman, MD, tells Vogue.
Vogue’s Favorite Skin-Care Products for Spring
It’s well understood that colder, drier climates evaporate moisture and cause drier, more irritated skin, but did you know the shift to from winter to spring can aggravate your complexion too? Per board-certified nurse practitioner Tama Tran explains it like this: “As temperatures become more temperate in spring, humidity rises, and the sebaceous glands tend to become more active,” Tran, NP-C, tells Vogue. “This can lead to more oil production, clogged pores, or breakouts for some. The skin is essentially recalibrating, which is why adjusting hydration levels and reintroducing gentle exfoliation can help maintain balance.”
From that perspective, it makes sense why my normally oily-prone skin is absolutely parched from November through early March and is just now starting to return to its usual high-shine territory. “The skin may appear dull in winter and brighter or more radiant in spring as circulation and environmental exposure improve, but it still requires consistent barrier support and hydration to remain resilient,” says Dr. Spearman. Ahead, our experts break down how to spring-clean your skin-care routine in 5 easy steps.
Step 1: Use a Gentle Gel and Foaming Cleansers
As spring brings increased humidity, skin often becomes oilier, making a thorough cleanse essential. In these conditions, thick, milky formulas can be swapped for gentle gel and foaming cleansers. “Cleansing should remove dirt and excess oil without disrupting the skin barrier,” says Dr. Spearman. For example, La Roche-Posay’s Toleriane Purifying Cleanser offers a gel alternative to their popular milky hydrating formula. Blue Lagoon Skin Science’s gentle foaming cleanser, packed with microalgae, Icelandic seawater, and silica, provides both antioxidant protection and hydration. As for what is now stocking my vanity, Dieux Skin and Sofie Pavitt Face also make two of my all-time favorite cleansers, each with simple, non-comedogenic formulas rich in gentle surfactants and soothing ingredients.
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Step Two: Reintroduce Targeted Treatments
While experts advise avoiding actives during winter due to harsh weather that can irritate the skin barrier, Tran and Dr. Spearman consider spring an ideal time to reintroduce them into your routine. “As conditions become milder, ingredients like retinoids, AHAs, BHAs, and gentle chemical exfoliants can be incorporated again,” says Tran. That’s because, as Dr. Spearman explains, “warmer temperatures and more balanced humidity make the skin more resilient, and these actives can help address any dullness, pigmentation, or texture changes that built up over winter.”
So, where to begin? Dr. Spearman points to La Roche-Posay Retinol B3 Serum as an option that’s gentle enough for sensitive skin while addressing texture, fine lines, and pigmentation. Other favorites of hers include Peach & Lily Glass Skin Refining Serum for lightweight hydration and radiance. Meanwhile, The Ordinary’s niacinamide and zinc serum helps to control oil, calm inflammation, and strengthen the barrier. And for hydration balanced with actives, SkinCeuticals Hydrating B5 Gel strikes the perfect balance. The expert notes that it’s important to reintroduce them gradually, monitor your skin’s tolerance, and, of course, always pair them with SPF—but we’ll get to that later.
Step Three: Use Lightweight Hydration
For those whose skin leans on the drier side, year-round, hydration flooding with essences, toners, and ampoules maximizes hydration without adding unwanted heaviness. While we’ve already established that I lean more toward oil slick, Vogue’s beauty shopping editor, Kiana Murden, is a known double-moisturizing enthusiast. “Inspired by J-beauty, layered hydration is incredibly important to me, and the secret to my glowing complexion that rarely experiences dry patches,” Murden tells me. “For spring, I’m swapping my thicker, richer, more viscous options for things with a liquid, serum-like consistency. Milky glazes by Rhode and Mara Skin are excellent beneath moisturizers, whereas Skin1004 and Symbiome offer serum options packed with gentle, skin-calming ingredients.”
Step Four: Swap in a Gel Cream Moisturizer
Gel creams, lightweight lotions, and emulsions—oh my! “As temperatures rise and humidity increases in spring, switching to a lighter moisturizer can help prevent your skin from feeling greasy while still maintaining hydration,” says Dr. Spearman, noting these formulas absorb quickly, without heaviness. Tran agrees, saying occlusive creams feel too dense and could contribute to congestion. “Water-based moisturizers are ideal because they hydrate without overwhelming the skin,” she says. “Ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and niacinamide work well during this time because they hydrate, support the skin barrier, and help regulate oil production.”
Dr. Spearman points to Summer Fridays’s gel cream as an excellent choice, highlighting its lightweight humectants, such as glycerin and hyaluronic acid, which layer effortlessly under SPF and makeup. Alternatively, Neutrogena’s Hydro Boost offers a derm-loved, affordable water cream for daily use. For those with reactive or acne-prone skin, my personal favorite is Purito’s Panthenol cream—featuring a soothing blend of panthenol, bamboo, and squalane to keep skin calm and smooth.
Step Five: Never Skip Sunscreen!
First things first, the experts reaffirm that sunscreen is essential year-round. ”SPF becomes increasingly important in spring and summer because UV exposure is higher and often more prolonged,” says Dr. Spearman. “Even on cloudy or cooler days, UVA rays penetrate and contribute to photoaging and pigmentation, so daily broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher is crucial.” This is especially true, as Tran adds, as daylight becomes longer and we spend more time outdoors. “Consistent sunscreen use helps prevent premature aging, hyperpigmentation, and collagen breakdown,” she says. “Many modern formulas are lightweight and cosmetically elegant, making them easy to incorporate into daily skincare routines without feeling heavy on the skin.”
Speaking of elegant formulas—for a popular K-beauty SPF, Round Lab’s Birch Juice sunscreen boasts a smooth, hydrating texture that feels neutral on skin. Plus, a blend of amino acids, birch juice, and lactic acid helps support the skin barrier. And for a two-in-one sun protection and complexion coverage pick, Murden particularly loves Merit’s silky smooth tinted sunscreen with a natural finish.
Step Six: Additional Complexion Boosts
For those looking to amp up their complexion care even further, face masks (both sheet and LED mask varieties) and gadgets are excellent additions. Of course, nothing replaces a consistent skin-care routine—but these options act as an added boost, like an espresso shot, in your overall regimen. Omnilux’s flexible silicone face mask uses two wavelengths of red and infrared light to target fine lines, wrinkles, and hyperpigmentation.
Meanwhile, for an at-home radio frequency device, Currentbody’s tool helps improve skin laxity by heating the skin to 104 degrees Fahrenheit—the ideal temperature for collagen production, according to experts. And for those less inclined to splurge on beauty tech, Biodance’s newest version of their viral collagen Real Deep mask infuses PDRN and caviar for an impossibly glowy complexion.
Everything You Need to Know
Winter vs. Spring Skin-Care Routine
For starters, both Tran and Dr. Spearman emphasize that a consistent skin-care routine should always include a gentle cleanser, a barrier-supportive moisturizer, and SPF protection. As the seasons change, other products can adjust to meet our skin’s current needs, adapting to environmental stressors. “The primary difference between winter and summer routines lies in how we support hydration and oil balance,” says Tran.
Below, she breaks down the difference between a good winter and spring routine—and helps you better understand why adjusting your product lineup is essential.
- Winter: “The skin tends to lose moisture due to cold temperatures and indoor heating, so richer creams, barrier-repair ingredients like ceramides, and fewer exfoliating actives are often preferred,” says Tran.
- Spring: “In warmer months, the skin typically produces more oil and sweat, so routines shift toward lighter moisturizers, increased antioxidant protection, and more consistent exfoliation to prevent congestion,” says Tran.
How We Tested
When we test and review a product, we take a holistic approach to deliver well-rounded product recommendations. First, we lean on Vogue's vast network of experts—from board-certified dermatologists to celebrity estheticians—to gain professional acumen on the industry's standout products, ones these specialists would actually use on their clients. We pair their expertise with our editorial best practices to curate the thoughtful edits you read on our site.
As it relates to spring skin-care products, we selected the best based on the following characteristics: ingredients, texture, finish, and the skin-care concerns they address. To do this, we paired our own personal tests of each formula with expert guidance and reviewer insights to determine which we would recommend to you.
Meet the Experts
- Dara Spearman, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist practicing in Fort Wayne, Indiana, specializing in melanoma and skin-cancer care.
- Tama Tran, NP-C Tama Tran is a board-certified aesthetic nurse practitioner.
