What We're Really Using For Our Spring Skin Care Routines

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As beauty editors, we're constantly getting an influx of products to try, but there are some things we go back to again and again. If you want to know what really works, take a peek inside our vanities. Spring is generally the time when we change out our entire routines for stronger SPF, lighter moisturizers, and all-over brighteners. This is your chance to get in on our skin care secrets — they await you ahead!

Lauren Levinson, Beauty Editor

Lauren Levinson, Beauty Editor

As I approach 30 (I'm 29!), I know this year is pivotal for getting my skin in the best shape possible. So exfoliating, moisturizing, and wearing SPF are must-dos on my primping list. I have been told by estheticians that I have "normal" skin with a slightly oily T-zone. I'm also a gym rat, so that sometimes causes breakouts. Luckily, I've found tricks to beat the blemishes, but you'll have to read on to see what they are! Source: Elizabeth Griffin

Fresh Black Tea Age-Delay Concentrate

Fresh Black Tea Age-Delay Concentrate

Since I rarely get the recommended eight hours of a sleep a night, I am reliant on under-eye creams, like Fresh Black Tea Age-Delay Concentrate ($85), to soothe and brighten the skin around my eyes. Caffeine (found in black tea) is a natural anti-inflammatory and increases circulation in that area; plus, this creamy formula feels cooling on the skin.

Logona Cleansing Milk With Organic Rose and Aloe

Logona Cleansing Milk With Organic Rose and Aloe

After the harsh Winter, my skin feels extradehydrated, and I have some red, irritated areas (especially around my nose). I use Logona Cleansing Milk With Organic Rose and Aloe ($20) as my daily cleanser since it is made of natural, moisturizing ingredients like wild rose, jojoba, and almond oils, as well as aloe vera and Damascus rose. The combination leaves my skin feeling velvety. Plus, it smells like a fragrant bouquet — and what screams Spring more than that?

Lucas' Papaw Ointment

Lucas' Papaw Ointment

Australian cult-product Lucas' Papaw Ointment ($12) is exactly what I need to nourish my chapped Winter pucker before I start layering on punchy lipstick shades. The sweet-scented balm is made with papaya fruit extract, which is known to have antibacterial properties. While the product is traditionally meant to be used on cuts, burns, and bites, I find it to be a rock star overnight lip mask.

Diptyque Protective Moisturizing Lotion

Diptyque Protective Moisturizing Lotion

Now that the sun is shining, it's simply unacceptable to leave the house without sunscreen. Diptyque's Protective Moisturizing Lotion ($72) gets the job done with SPF 15. Diptyque is known for it's dreamy scents, and I'm happy to report that this skin care necessity delivers the fragrance factor. Damask rose hydrosol and orange blossom extract give it a fruity-floral scent.

Peter Thomas Roth FIRMx Peeling Gel

Peter Thomas Roth FIRMx Peeling Gel

Peter Thomas Roth's FIRMx Peeling Gel ($48) is my favorite face exfoliator. You simply rub the enzyme-rich gel on your dry skin and feel the dead skin shed off. Once I am done and rinsed, my skin is glowing and serums sink in much better.

First Aid Beauty Blemish Patrol Pads

First Aid Beauty Blemish Patrol Pads

Spring means time for shorts and bikinis. Skimpier clothing means serious cardio workouts (like Zumba and spinning). Cardio means sweating. And sweating — drumroll, please — causes breakouts. That's why I keep First Aid Beauty Blemish Patrol Pads ($30) in my bag. A quick wipe of the pre-soaked pads (which contain witch hazel and salicylic acid), and I've stopped the problem before it starts.

Tatcha Ageless Enriching Renewal Cream

Tatcha Ageless Enriching Renewal Cream

I know Tatcha Ageless Enriching Renewal Cream ($185) has a hefty price tag, but I swear nothing brightens or hydrates my mug like this Japanese product. The fact that it has a spa-like smell just adds to the luxe feeling of the lightweight nighttime cream.

Melissa Liebling-Goldberg, Fashion & Beauty Director

Melissa Liebling-Goldberg, Fashion & Beauty Director

As the, ahem, most senior member of the team, I'm starting to really double down on my skin care routine in terms of antiaging. I joke that La Mer cream is like my version of Windex in My Big Fat Greek Wedding – I use it for everything. But otherwise, I'm trying to make sure that I exfoliate, use serum, moisturize, and just be more "proactive" with my routine, as Gwyneth Paltrow says, as I head into the back half of my 30s.

Simple Moisturizing Facial Wash

Simple Moisturizing Facial Wash

First step of the day is washing my face. I think this Simple Moisturizing Facial Wash ($6) pairs really well with my Clarisonic or just on its own in the shower.

Clarisonic Mia

Clarisonic Mia

I'm not a scrub kind of girl, thanks to my ever-sensitive skin, but I've found that using my Clarisonic Mia ($125) a few times throughout the week keeps my skin from looking dull or flaky.

Bioderma Créaline H20

Bioderma Créaline H20

I sometimes worry that I am going to be stopped in customs on my way back from France because I have so many bottles of Bioderma Créaline H20 ($20) tucked into my suitcase. I use it to take off my eye makeup and then as a final swipe after washing my face to make sure I'm fully clean before heading on.

Le Jour de Chanel

Le Jour de Chanel

I was never really a serum girl until I tried Le Jour de Chanel ($85). I find that my skin feels tighter, lifted, and smoother when I use it consistently, and that's no small feat.

Fresh Lotus Youth Preserve Face Cream

Fresh Lotus Youth Preserve Face Cream

Warmer temperatures call for lighter moisture and Fresh Lotus Youth Preserve Face Cream ($42) is both lightweight and fast absorbing while still being deeply hydrating. And it's got a unique smell I'm pretty addicted to.

La Mer SPF 50 UV Protecting Fluid

La Mer SPF 50 UV Protecting Fluid

One thing no one told me growing up in Texas was to slather yourself in sunscreen every day, and I have the sun damage to prove it. Now that I know better, I slick on La Mer SPF 50 UV Protecting Fluid ($85) before I put on makeup. It never makes me break out, and it feels weightless on the skin.

Guerlain Orchidée Impériale Eye Cream

Guerlain Orchidée Impériale Eye Cream

Nothing like hitting your mid-30s to start really pondering all the tiny lines under your eyes (by pondering, I mean obsessively checking in a magnifying mirror). I'm keeping them at bay with this superluxurious Guerlain Orchidée Impériale Eye Cream ($200). A little goes a long way, so this small pot lasts a surprisingly long time.

La Prairie Skin Caviar Luxe Sleep Mask

La Prairie Skin Caviar Luxe Sleep Mask

Some nights you just know your skin needs a little extra lovin.' I put on a very thin layer of the
La Prairie Skin Caviar Luxe Sleep Mask
($300) whenever I need a pick-me-up. It's not cheap, but I've used it at least 20 times this year, and I'm not even half through the jar. Bonus points: my husband loves the smell.

Maria Del Russo, Assistant Beauty Editor

Maria Del Russo, Assistant Beauty Editor

I have oily skin, so finding a cocktail of products that works for me can sometimes be difficult. Lately, I've been on a bit of an acid trip, including in salicylic, glycolic, and hyaluronic acids, which are good for my oily skin type. So I've been looking for products that contain all three ingredients. It has completely turned my skin around, and I don't see myself giving up this regimen any time soon.

When it comes to moisturizing, I'm hands down obsessed with Hada Labo's Skin Plumping Gel Cream. It keeps my oily skin hydrated the correct way without causing a grease-slick situation. This regimen has finally allowed me to start clearing up my skin. And it only took until I was 24! Source: Aemilia Madden

Erno Laszlo Sea Mud Deep Cleansing Bar

Erno Laszlo Sea Mud Deep Cleansing Bar

I used to be an exfoliate-at-night kind of girl, but that was until I discovered Erno Laszlo Sea Mud Deep Cleansing Bar ($45). This bar cleanses and heals your skin, and it's 97 percent natural. Dead Sea mud exfoliates your skin directly while slurping out that debris. My face has never felt so soft.

Drunk Elephant Glycolic Night Serum

Drunk Elephant Glycolic Night Serum

When I tell you that Drunk Elephant's TLC Framboos Glycolic Night Serum ($90) has completely changed my skin, I mean it. This potent formula, made with glycolic, lactic, tartaric, citric, and salicylic acids, actually dissolves the dead skin cells and turns over new ones. If I could bathe in this stuff, I probably would.

Hada Labo Skin Plumping Gel Cream

Hada Labo Skin Plumping Gel Cream

Confession: there was a good stretch of time where I was skipping moisturizer completely because of my oily skin. But the irony in this is forgoing moisturizer dries out your skin, making it produce more sebum. I love Hada Labo Skin Plumping Gel Cream ($25) because it's a gel, so it doesn't leave a greasy residue on my skin. Hyaluronic acid plumps your skin and keeps it smooth by absorbing moisture from the air around you while strengthening your skin's natural hydration levels. I've even turned my younger brother onto this stuff . . . that's how much I'm obsessed with it.

Supergoop Sunscreen Day Cream

Supergoop Sunscreen Day Cream

I have superoily skin, so the thought of layering on yet another cream was something I avoided like the plague. That was until my dermatologist told me that wearing SPF would vastly improve my skin. I now wear Supergoop Sunscreen Day Cream ($16) with SPF 40 on the daily, because it's infused with antioxidants, which help promote cell turnover while keeping me safe from UV rays.

Peter Thomas Roth's Moisture Infusion Facial Bar

Peter Thomas Roth's Moisture Infusion Facial Bar

Finding a cleanser that works with oily skin has been a challenge for me, but Peter Thomas Roth Moisture Infusion Facial Bar ($15) has been the answer. It cleanses my skin without stripping it of its natural oils and leaves it feeling supersoft without minus the grease.

Philosophy Microdelivery Peel

Philosophy Microdelivery Peel

I try to do a peel or a mask three nights a week while I'm cooking dinner, and my current favorite is Philosophy's Microdelivery Deep Exfoliating Mask ($42). You leave it on for one to three minutes, and the lactic and salicylic acids dissolve all the nasty things hanging out on your face. I like to slather it on if I notice a pimple coming in — and it typically gets rid of it on the spot (pun intended).

Origins Mega-Bright Dark Circle Minimizer

Origins Mega-Bright Dark Circle Minimizer

While I haven't launched into a fullfledged antiaging regimen, I've just started using eye cream. The difference about Dr. Andrew Weil for Origins's Mega-Bright Dark Circle Minimizer ($41) is that it uses color-correction optics to oust dark spots. So no matter how heavy those eye bags are, this eye cream will lighten your load.

Mario Badescu Vitamin C Serum

Mario Badescu Vitamin C Serum

If you haven't already noticed by now, the main component of all of my skin care products is that they have to leave me hydrated without feeling sticky. Mario Badescu's Vitamin C Serum ($45) does just that. A potent vitamin C formula delivers soft skin and hyaluronic acid keeps things smooth from the early a.m. weight room to the office.

Jessica Cruel, Assistant Beauty Editor

Jessica Cruel, Assistant Beauty Editor

With my darker skin tone, the biggest concern I have is hyperpigmentation and dark spots. If a product promises brighter skin, I'm on board! After trial and error, I've found that serums packed with vitamin C offer the best benefits. I'm especially addicted to eye cream. If I didn't keep a strict under-eye regimen, I would probably look something like a panda, and, trust me, it's a lot cuter on them. Source: Megan Wolfe

Estée Lauder Perfectly Clean Foam Cleanser

Estée Lauder Perfectly Clean Foam Cleanser

I'm really lucky that I have "normal/combination" skin, meaning I can get away with a lot when it comes to cleansing. However, I have three different cleansers in the shower (beauty editor trademark). This
Estée Lauder Perfectly Clean Foam Cleanser ($25) is my favorite. I use it most often with my Clarisonic Mia Deep Pore Brush Head ($27). The only exception is when I go to the gym or feel a breakout coming on. Then I use a gel cleanser like La Roche Posay Effaclar Foaming Gel Cleanser ($23).

Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Peel

Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Peel

Even though I love a good, strong salt scrub on my body. I prefer a chemical exfoliant for my face. The Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Peel ($82) changed my life. Whereas I used to have bulbous breakouts once a month, now it's a tiny whitehead on occasion. This dermatologist-grade product is easy enough for beauty beginners to do at home. It doesn't burn, but it does brighten in a matter of minutes.

Ole Henriksen Truth Serum Collagen Booster

Ole Henriksen Truth Serum Collagen Booster

Since my main skin concern is dark spots, bring on the vitamin C! This Ole Henriksen Truth Serum Collagen Booster ($48) is a favorite year-round.

Colleen Rothschild Sheer Renewal Cream

Colleen Rothschild Sheer Renewal Cream

As soon as the temperature hit above 50 degrees, I switched over from my Winter moisturizer to Colleen Rothschild Sheer Renewal Cream ($55). The powdery finish works well under my makeup (when I choose to wear it) or under my sunscreen.

Caudalie Vinosource Eye Rescue Cream

Caudalie Vinosource Eye Rescue Cream

Dark, under-eye bags run in the family, so I have been doing everything humanly possible to moisturize. The Caudalie Vinosource Eye Rescue Cream ($34) is my top pick for Spring because it's not too heavy. While I have two separate skin care kits for home and gym, this product floats between the two.

Clarisonic Detoxifying Clay Mask

Clarisonic Detoxifying Clay Mask

Clarisonic Detoxifying Clay Mask ($27) is what I turn to when I'm having a bad skin day. I slap on the mask and pray that 10 minutes is enough to revamp my complexion.

Perricone MD Blue Plasma Orbital

Perricone MD Blue Plasma Orbital

A lot of peels warn against application in the sensitive eye area. But this
Perricone MD Blue Plasma Orbital ($65) is safe for that sensitive area. Meaning I can get the brightening effect without the burn — dark circles begone!