While January might be the most popular month for detoxing, sometimes you’re not ready to kick your New Year’s resolution into action until well into the New Year.  That’s why Spring Cleaning exists though, right?  March is the perfect time to get a jumpstart on that summer glow by spring cleaning your skincare regimen.

After the holidays, you probably focused on what you were putting in your body and got reacquainted with salads and smoothies, but did you pay attention to what you were putting on your body, more specifically, the different toxins you may be applying to your skin?  Diet and exercise are both super important when it comes to detoxing, but by revamping your skincare routine as well, you can set yourself up to go into summer feeling your freshest.

Here’s a couple things you can do this spring to purge your skin of chemicals and toxins and spring clean your skincare routine.

1. Know what your products are made of

This probably seems like silly advice, but a lot of people actually aren’t aware of the different chemicals in their skincare products.  That’s because most moisturizers, deodorants, and body washes have chemicals in them that we aren’t necessarily familiar with, but that we just assume are necessary to “get the job done.” 

While the chemicals in these body washes and moisturizers may be effective in getting our skin clean and soft, they are also effective in altering our body’s natural bacteria, which isn’t what we want. 

Most big brand body washes and lotions contain chemical and alcohol based ingredients, which can kill the natural bacteria our bodies produce.  Without these natural bacteria, our skin stops producing what’s necessary to clean and protect itself.

So, what do you do?  You want to detox your skin, but you also want to feel clean and moisturized.  Easy, just shop natural products.

2. Know what natural skincare products are out there

Only shopping natural products feels like incredibly general and incredibly obvious advice…and that’s because it is, but it is also very true.  There are enough options out there now that it is simple to only shop natural products.  You aren’t even stuck with “slim pickings.”  There are numerous natural skincare lines to choose from. 

While ditching your old skin care regimen and replacing it with an all-natural one may feel a little drastic, we want you to think about it this way: the number of different products you use on your skin can be as high as ten, and even if those products are from the same brand – one that you like and trust – that’s a lot of different chemicals you’re using on your skin. 

So, if you are someone who has an extensive skincare routine, you could actually be hurting your skin in the long run, rather than helping it, making it even more important to explore natural skincare options.  If you identify as the person packing more than five face lotions for a weekend, then it is also important to be aware of how much skincare is too much skincare.

3. Know how often to treat your skin

Something we’re sure you never thought you’d hear, but yes, there is a such thing as too much skincare.  Even if you are using all natural products, you can oversaturate your skin and actually reverse the good you’re trying to do.  There are certain things that you need to do every day, such as washing your face with an all-natural cleanser and even applying a daily moisturizer, but that’s about it. 

Washing your face at the end of the day is necessary to cleanse your skin of all the toxins you encounter just out in the world every day, but washing your face more than once a day can dry out your skin. Same with applying a daily moisturizer; if you’re using it just once each day then it will help keep your skin feeling soft, but more than once a day can actually clog your pores. 

Other treatments you can consider for your skin more sparingly include all-natural face masks and detoxifying baths.  Both of these treatments should be done no more than three times a week, seeing as they can actually dry out your skin if performed every day.

So, while you have this relaxing little lull that is spring, do yourself a favour and don’t just detox from the inside, give your body some love on the outside too with a more natural skincare routine.