Hydrating Routine

As the seasons shift, so should your skincare routine. Heavy creams and thick occlusives? Not it. With warmer weather settling in, your skin needs lighter layers, targeted treatments, and ingredients that soothe, brighten, and balance—especially if you’re dealing with breakouts, dark spots, or sensitivity.

Whether navigating the tail end of spring or already feeling the summer heat, this routine is built to calm flare-ups, fade marks, and keep your skin hydrated without overwhelming it. These are the real ones I’ve been using—some old favorites, some new staples—and yes, those microdart patches actually helped stop pimples in their tracks.

AM Routine

Start with a gentle cleanse to refresh your skin and prep for the day ahead. A pH-balancing formula, such as the Calm + Restore Gentle Nourishing Oat Face Cleanser, is great for those with dry and sensitive skin. Formulated with colloidal oatmeal, it gently cleanses without stripping, soothes irritation, and supports the skin barrier—perfect for sensitive, dry skin. Oatmeal cleansing milk also helps clear away dead skin buildup that blocks pores while leaving the skin with a natural radiance. Then use Bright & Balanced Aloe Vera Leaf Face Wash, which calms inflammation, hydrates with aloe vera, and helps keep blemishes in check without over-drying your skin. While the skin is still damp, apply either the Snail Rescue Blemish Busting Toner or Bolden Skin Brightening Toner.

Let the skin air dry, then layer on a serum. For daytime use, you can’t go wrong with the Physicians Formula Skin Booster Vitamin Shot Hydrating Hydratant and Physicians Formula Skin Booster Vitamin Shot Brightening Éclaircissant—or try pairing the Hydrating Hydratant with the Vitamins and Sea Beauty Dead Sea Minerals & Vitamin C Complex Toning Skin Serum. These serums help even skin tone, reduce hyperpigmentation, boost hydration, minimize dark spots, and protect against signs of aging—leaving your skin visibly brighter, more radiant, and giving it that Hollywood-meets-K-beauty luxury glow. Best of all, they don’t feel sticky, oily, or greasy, and they won’t clog pores or cause breakouts.

Once the serum has been absorbed, lock in hydration with a gel or water-based moisturizer like the Snail Rescue All-in-One Oil-Free Moisturizer. If you want your blemish scars to fade faster, follow with the Bright & Balanced Aloe Vera Spot Cream. Don’t let the name fool you—it’s not a heavy cream. The texture is gel-like, absorbs easily, and even if you apply too much, it won’t leave your skin feeling sticky or greasy. It settles beautifully into the skin.

Finish with a non-greasy, non-comedogenic sunscreen like the Suntouchable Invisi-Stick—preferably SPF 50 or higher—to protect your skin. And last but definitely not least, spot-treat active breakouts and blemishes (old and new) with the Mario Badescu Drying Lotion Blemish Spot Treatment.

PM Routine

When wearing makeup and SPF, it’s essential to start your nighttime routine with the Erase It All Makeup Cleansing Balm with Vitamin C to fully break down dirt, oil, and buildup. Always apply it to dry skin and massage for two minutes before rinsing with warm water. Follow up with a second cleanser—this can be the same one from your AM routine, or you can switch to the Snail Rescue Purifying Cleanser for a deeper clean.

Once your skin is clean and dry, pat in an exfoliating toner to help remove dead skin cells and boost luminosity. Use this step 2–3 times per week to avoid over-exfoliation. Next, apply a hydrating serum to help maintain skin elasticity, followed by a gentle retinol to support collagen production. If you’re new to retinol, start with a small amount and use it every other night to build tolerance.

REN’s Overnight Glow Dark Spot Sleeping Cream is another excellent product to incorporate into your PM routine—it works overnight to help fade dark spots and even out skin tone. Finally, finish with an eye cream and a nourishing night cream to lock everything in.

If you like a touch of color even at night, swipe on a lightweight water lip stain for a soft, just-bitten look—no stickiness, no transfer.

The Bottom Line

Healthy, radiant skin comes down to smart ingredients, steady habits, and a routine that works for you. This season, skip the overwhelm and stick with what your skin actually needs.

As the seasons shift, so should your skincare routine. Cold-weather creams and ultra-rich formulas? It’s time to swap them out. With rising temperatures and extra humidity, your skin craves lightweight hydration, antioxidant protection, and gentle exfoliation to keep it fresh and balanced. If you’re looking to reset your routine for spring, here’s the hydrating routine that your skin needs—morning and night.

AM Routine

Begin with a gentle cleanser to remove natural oils and refresh your skin after a long slumber. A pH-balancing formula, such as the Anokha oatmeal cleansing milk, is great for those with Dry and Sensitive skin. Also, oatmeal cleansing milk clears the dead skin buildup that blocks pores while leaving the skin with a natural radiance. Let the skin air dry and layer on an antioxidant serum next. For daytime use, you cannot go wrong with Youth To The People 15% Vitamin C + Caffeine Energy Brightening Serum for Uneven Tone, which will help even skin tone, reduce hyperpigmentation, protect against signs of aging, and brighten your skin throughout the spring season. Once the serum has been absorbed, lock in hydration with a gel or water-based moisturizer like the Caudalie VinoHydra Gel Moisturizer with Hyaluronic Acid & Aloe Vera. Finally, a non-greasy, non-comedogenic sunscreen, preferably 50 SPF or higher, is to protect your skin.

PM Routine

When wearing makeup and SPF, the best thing is to add an oil cleanser into the mix to ensure you remove all that unnecessary grit and dirt. Always apply this dry and massage for 1 minute before emulsifying. Then, follow up with a second cleanser (this can be the same one from your AM routine). Once your skin is dry, pat in an exfoliating toner to help remove dead skin and boost luminosity. Be sure to implement this 2-3x per week. Next, with a hydrating serum to help maintain skin elasticity, follow up with a gentle retinol for collagen production. If you normally don’t use retinol, start with a small amount and use it every other day. Finally, top off your PM skincare routine with an eye cream, and night cream.

This hydrating routine emphasizes light hydration, antioxidant protection, and gentle exfoliation to keep your skin radiant as the weather warms up!