Spring officially begins Saturday with the Vernal Equinox. Among many other things, that means it’s getting warmer and sunnier out there for just about everyone in the Northern Hemisphere. It’s a great time to talk about Springtime skin care.

Oh sure, a bit of sunshine feels great after a long, cold winter! But the fact is that you’ve been hiding your skin all winter under hats and gloves and long sleeves. Not only is your skin likely to be dry, it is also more susceptible to burning. Good skincare not only prevents painful sunburns, but it helps prevent wrinkles — it’s a lot cheaper than Botox or a face-lift. This spring, commit to these 3 steps to keep looking as young as you feel.

First, evaluate your cleansers. Are they doing the job and getting you clean? Are they leaving your skin dry? You want a “Goldilocks” product that leaves your skin feeling “just right.”

Second, don’t forget to moisturize. Take just a minute or so after you shower and dry off to apply a good moisturizer all over. Just like your cleansers, make sure that you are using a product that does what you need and gives you just the right level of hydration. We don’t like moisturizers with lots of heavy fragrances. We don’t really want to smell like that all day, but more importantly those fragrances can ultimately be drying. Who needs a moisturizer that makes you dry?

Third, don’t skimp on sunscreen for exposed skin like your face, hands, ears, and the back of your neck. Your product should give you both UVA and UVB protection, and in an ideal world will also be moisturizing.

Ladies have a fourth step. This is a great time of year to go through your make-up. Throw away stuff you haven’t used lately. Toss stuff that’s last year’s trendy colors. Get rid of anything that smells funny, looks like it’s breaking down, or that you suspect may not be good for your skin. Clean your make-up brushes. Treat yourself to a fresh foundation and some cheerful, fresh colors.

We wish everyone a happy and healthy Spring.