After reading The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo several years ago, I have to admit, some areas in my home have been easy to declutter while some have proven more difficult. While some areas of my home need semi-annual or annual touchups, others need more frequent. I did a deep clean of my makeup drawers several years ago after realizing how much clutter I had in my makeup bag (aka threw out all the old bright pink lipsticks that had expired years ago, removed any products with questionable ingredients or harmful chemicals). If you’re like me, doing some spring cleaning of your beauty and skincare can lift your mind and really get you ready for the warmer spring days ahead.
Below are some helpful tips and steps to clean up your makeup bag and welcome the new season with a fresh look, more manageable beauty routine and safer products too!
Wash Brushes
Makeup brushes are pools of bacteria and to be honest the majority of us do not clean them nearly as they should be. If you use your brushes every day, you should be washing them at least every week. I am going to be the first to admit that may not be reasonable with other demands on your precious time but using dirty makeup brushes can cause breakouts and other skin problems. I found that using a DIY cleaning solution and/or getting your kids involved may help push this to the top of your list.
Check Expiration Dates and Throw Out the Old Products
It is often a surprise to some people that makeup and skin care products do expire. Make sure you are checking dates and throwing out old products to avoid bacterial infections or other skin conditions. Below are some guidelines for how often you should be swapping out your products:
- Mascara: 3-6 months as using expired or old mascara can cause eye infections
- Foundation: 12-18 months as these can genuinely be utilized longer than other makeup products.
- Lip-gloss: 18-24 months
- Liquid Eyeliner: 3-6 months again it’s important to regularly swap out makeup products that are applied near the eyes to avoid serious infections that can even cause vision loss!
Try a Simple 4 Step Skincare Routine
Spring is a perfect fresh start for your skin especially as the dry winter weather starts to slow down. Investing in a simple routine and being consistent is the best way to see results. Look for products with natural ingredients, free of toxic additives that can irritate the skin.
Step One: Cleanse
Keeping your face washed and clean is an important foundation step to any skincare routine as this is the first step in ridding the oil and bacteria from your pores. Beautycounter offers a cleanser for each skin type, utilizing only safe ingredients. If you want a budget friendly, gentle option for sensitive skin try – Counterstart Cococream Cleanser. For other skin types such as combination try Countermatch Foaming Cleanser or dry/aging skin, try Countertime Lipid Defense Cleansing Oil.
Step Two: Prep
Prepping your skin is an important step in your skincare routine. Using a toner helps minimize the appearance of pores while removing residual impurities. You will feel an instant glow and see radiance added to your skin. Patting a little of the Countertime Mineral Boost Hydrating Essence adds just the right hydration to your skin to start the day. Take the skincare quiz to find the right prep step for your skin type.
Step Three: Treat
Treating the direct problems of your skin is a great way to individualize your skincare routine. Sometimes this is treating small blemishes I get or treating dry skin in the winter. All of us have different skin problems we struggle with whether its clogged pores, acne, dry skin, eczema, dark spots or more. Doing the research to find a clean and safe product for your skin is super important. The powerhouse All Bright C serum by Beautycounter is a supercharged formula to brighten skin and reduce the appearance of dark spots (while the turmeric and camu camu inside it help prevent new ones). It’s like putting sunshine right on your skin.
Step Four: Protect.
The final step calls for moisturizing your skin to protect against cold and sun damage. You may want to lighten up as the temperatures warms up if you find your skin is not as dry as in the winter. So, choose a moisturizer that matches your spring skin regimen as well as making sure to use SPF.
Start Adding in the Sunscreen
Dermatologists claim SPF is the number one skincare product nobody should skip. Go through your medicine cabinet, pool bags and travel bags and get rid of any expired sunscreen. If you have a cabinet full of sunscreens that you don’t love, leave a white cast on the skin, or are too greasy; now is the time to toss them and find some products you like. My children have different sunscreen needs so I make sure we are stocked with high performing products that work for the different skin types. Remember there’s is no shame in using higher SPF, especially in the summertime!
I use Beautycounter daily facial sunscreen lightweight formula. This protects skin from UVA, UVB, and HEV blue light rays, without leaving a chalky cast. On top of being great for my skin it’s reef safe. Protect your skin and the ocean as the weather heats up. If I’m not wearing the facial sunscreen, I am using Dew Skin’s sheer luminous formula that features a blend of black currant seed oil, peony root extract, and vitamin C. This helps me achieve my skin care and makeup routine all in a flawless flash. Bonus—it even fights sun damage as it contains SPF 20 mineral sunscreen.
Choose Some Fresh Colors To Match The Season
Wearing bold colors can be a lot of fun when you have some extra time on your hands. You may want to swap out the deep shades for some lighter, brighten colors to match the season. This will help brighten you up and lift your mood. Beyond Gloss in peony, dahlia or raspberry are like spring blooms but for your lips. Sheer Conditioning in rose, orchid or lily is also a great way to add spring color to your lips! Are you sensing the flower theme here? April showers do bring May flowers and that is exactly what you will embody with Cheeky Clean Cream Blush in Rosebud or Havana.
Boost Radiance with a New Mask or Peel
Masks are a great way to quickly and efficiently clean pores, rid one of acne and heal dry skin. Spring is the perfect time to do an exfoliating peel on the face because it will help rid one of the dead, dry winter skin. Dr. Hadley King, a dermatologist from New York City discusses that as the weather warms up our skin can tolerate acids and stronger ingredients. She recommends this as a great way to kick off ones spring skincare regimen. Beautycounter’s Reflect Effect AHA Smoothing Facial Mask is a radiant boosting unique blend of bamboo particles and glycolic acid. These combine to create a powerful exfoliator that rids the skin of unwanted bacteria—in just 10 minutes!
While spring cleaning your home can get overwhelming, making it more enjoyable by ensuring you put your own skincare and beauty routines first will keep you feeling energized, youthful and full of spring spirit. With kids, work and running side hustles sometimes it can be hard to remember the simple things like cleaning our makeup brushes or swapping out mascaras. These things are important to remember though as part of our self-care regimen and also to avoid harmful infections, bacteria or skin damage. Bonus–it will also keep us looking beautiful.