After months of icy weather, having to wear several layers of clothing and drinking endless cups of hot tea, the start of spring is a welcome change. Longer and warmer days means spending more time outdoors and finally having some fun in the sun.

When the temperature changes, so does your skin’s needs. Ensure your skin looks and feels its best this spring by making a few small adjustments to your daily regime:

Add vitamin C to your skincare regime

Vitamin C is one of the most important ingredients you can use to ensure clear, bright and radiant skin. It’s also essential for preventing and minimising pigmentation. While you can apply vitamin C skincare products all year round, they’re particularly important when we enter spring and summer, as vitamin C helps protect your skin from the effects of the sun’s harsh UV rays. Creightons Vitamin C Serum (R139.95) contains 2% vitamin C to treat a dull complexion and uneven skin tone. This non-greasy essence quickly melts into the skin, releasing beneficial ingredients vitamin C, natural fruit acids and enzymes, to hydrate and enhance your natural glow. The delicate area around the eyes deserve a special treat after winter. We recommend Creightons Vitamin C Eye Serum (R115.95). This 2% vitamin C serum rejuvenates and replenishes the under eye area while minimising the appearance of dark circles.

Give your skin a moisture boost

We’re quick to associate moisturising products with winter, but it’s common for skin to need a moisture boost during spring, too. When seasons change, the skin goes through a disruption and its barrier function becomes vulnerable. Giving it an extra moisture boost helps to avoid dehydration-related breakouts and sensitivity, dryness and flaking. One of the best moisture-providing ingredients is hyaluronic acid. It’s able to hold up to 1000 times its weight in water, and when applied to skin, it has the ability to restore and maintain moisture levels. Try Creightons H20 Boost Foaming Gel Wash (R109.95), H20 Boost Face Serum (R179.95) and H20 Boost Day Gel (R169.95). This trio makes use of hyaluronic acid to intensely moisturize skin and keep it hydrated for up to 24 hours.

Don’t forget exfoliation

When the temperature rises your skin can become a little oilier, which means you may need to exfoliate more regularly to ensure sebum and dead skin cells do not clog up your pores and lead to breakouts. Glycolic acid is an excellent exfoliant: it dissolves the sebum that holds dry and dead cells on the surface of the skin, it increases cell turnover, boosts collagen and elastin production and improves the skin’s tone and radiance. For high-performance exfoliation, we recommend NIP+FAB Glycolic Fix Daily Cleansing Pads (R379.95). Soaked in 2.8% exfoliating glycolic acid to retexture and resurface skin, this moisturising formula with hyaluronic acid and soothing blue daisy helps to reveal brighter and smoother looking skin. We recommend using it with NIP+FAB Glycolic Fix Serum (R295.00), an innovative overnight serum with 4% glycolic acid to retexture the skin’s appearance. This highly effective formula smoothes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles while improving skin texture. Designed with the pore-refining ingredient PoreAway, the size of pores are visibly reduced for a more refined, even looking complexion.

Time to get bronzed

Getting bronzed doesn’t need to be dangerous – you can avoid the sun and sun beds while still getting a beautiful sun-kissed look. Modern sunless tanning products don’t cause streaking or that dreaded orange glow and are easy to use, even for beginners.

Australian Gold offers a range of body bronzing products that are safe and easy to use, with natural-looking results. Australian Gold Instant Sunless Mousse (R264.00) is a quick-dry, oil-free formula that delivers a natural-looking, Aussie-glow all year round. This formula allows for even, streak-free coverage in one easy motion. If you prefer a lotion texture, try Australian Gold Instant Sunless Lotion (R304.00), which helps your skin develop a rich, sun-kissed bronze colour in no time. It offers the perfect balance of caring and bronzing ingredients for summer-ready skin that’s healthy and nourished.

Invest in SPF

SPF is a must-have all year round, but chances are your body was wrapped up during winter, eliminating the need for all-over sun protection. Prolong the youthfulness of your skin and avoid potentially dangerous sun burns by applying SPF to exposed areas of the body, every day. Piz Buin sun care products are lightweight and non-greasy, plus they smell incredible! For everyday facial protection, we recommend Piz Buin Sun Protection Allergy Face Cream SPF50(R152.00). It offers high protection to sun sensitive skin and contains a unique anti-irritant shield complex proven to help strengthen the skin’s resilience to the sun.

For the body, try Piz Buin In Sun SPF30 Sun Lotion (R172.00), which has advanced UVA/UVB filters to protect the skin from the sun and is enriched with antioxidants to prevent premature skin ageing, or Piz Buin Allergy SPF30 Lotion(R216.00) which has been clinically proven to protect sensitive skin from the sun and provide long lasting moisturisation while increasing your skin’s tolerance towards the sun. And lastly, if you end up spending a little extra time in the sun, be sure to nourish your skin with Piz Buin After Sun Soothing Lotion (R104.00). Non-greasy and fast-absorbing, it combats the effects of sun stress by cooling and moisturising skin with aloe vera and mint extract.

Prime your canvas

Some of us can get away without a primer during winter, but that changes once spring sets in. Warmer weather means your makeup is more likely to melt and slide, so you’ll need a little something extra to ensure its longevity. A primer makes foundation application more even, it makes it last longer and it blurs pores and imperfections. wet n wild’s award-winning Primer Face Focus Serum (R169.95) creates the perfect canvas for a smooth, hydrated and even complexion, allowing your foundation to glide on effortlessly for a luminous, flawless finish.

Also new, is the limited edition wet n wild Blooming Face Mist (R129.95). This multi-use mist can be used to prep the skin before applying makeup, set a finished look, or as a refresher throughout the day. It has light-reflecting properties to leave skin glowing, and micro-fine pearl pigments add dimension.

Set your makeup with wet n wild’s new Fight Dirty Detox Setting Spray (R229.95). Formulated with a nourishing blend of ingredients known to help clarify and tone the skin, this setting spray helps keep your skin clear and your makeup in place.

These simple changes to your daily skincare regime will ensure you enjoy your best skin, all season long.