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.
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.
When wearing makeup and SPF, it’s essential to start your nighttime routine with theErase It All Makeup Cleansing Balm with Vitamin Cto 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 tonerto help remove dead skin cells and boost luminosity. Use this step 2–3 times per week to avoid over-exfoliation. Next, apply a hydrating serumto help maintain skin elasticity, followed by a gentle retinolto 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!
I’ve struggled with dark spots for as long as I can remember. If you’re Black or Brown and acne-prone, you probably feel my pain. It wasn’t until I started adding the right ingredients to my skincare routine that I started to notice a significant and lasting improvement. I learned that there’s one key product that can make or break your routine—your moisturizer. If it doesn’t have the right ingredients for melanated skin—well, let’s just say you could be hurting rather than helping your skin goals. Luckily though, I have estheticians on speed dial who are willing to give some sound advice on the matter. Below, I’m breaking down what to look for in a moisturizer if you have Black or Brown skin and the best ones to buy. Keep on scrolling.
“Black and Brown skin can be more prone to certain skin concerns, such as hyperpigmentation or uneven skin tone,” says esthetician and Klurfounder Lesley Thornton. “Look for ingredients like niacinamide, vitamin C, or licorice extract, hyaluronic acid, glycerin, ceramides, and non-aggressive acids that can exfoliate the skin without stripping or irritating.”
“Moisturizers should contain ingredients that provide and retain hydration in the skin with emollients and occlusives to help create a barrier on the skin’s surface, preventing moisture loss. Look for non-comedogenic formulas to avoid clogged pores and breakouts—these formulations are less likely to cause acne or worsen existing skin issues. Sun protection against harmful UV rays is also crucial for maintaining healthy skin. Look for moisturizers that contain broad-spectrum SPF to shield your skin from both UVA and UVB rays. Aim for SPF 30 or higher.”
Thornton’s top moisturizer pick for Black and Brown skin is below, along with a few of our favorites.
Pros: Relatively inexpensive, contains skin barrier-supporting ingredients like hyaluronic acid and ceramides, suitable for sensitive skin.
Cons: Contains silicones.
“This moisturizer contains ceramides and hyaluronic acid which help to hydrate and strengthen the skin barrier. It is suitable for sensitive skin, very affordable and it has multiple formulations, a day version with SPF and a standard without SPF is often recommended by skin health professionals.” —Thornton
Customer Review: “This is my favorite moisturizer with SPF. I discovered this brand in a pharmacy store in Paris a few years ago and use their other products too. Hope to get to their spa one day!”
Pros: Contains retinol to help speed up skin cell turnover, has 19 anti-inflammatory plant ingredients, firming peptides tighten aging skin.
Cons: Expensive.
This moisturizer from Thornton’s skincare brand Klur is great for those who may struggle with acne and dark spots. It’s an overnight retinol cream that’s gentle (yet powerful) while lifting pigment and speeding up skin cell turnover. In addition to retinol, it also contains 19 anti-inflammatory plant ingredients along with peptides to firm the skin and calm redness.
Customer Review: “OBSESSED with Klur’s Sculpture + A… I use this a few nights a week, and it is truly magic in a jar. I have two young toddlers that exhaust me 24/7 and have added at least 10 years to my face in the last year. Whenever I use this product, I wake up the next morning looking a little more youthful around the eyes, and my skin looks healthier with a nice subtle glow. Grateful this product exists as it has become a new staple in my routine!”
Pros: Contains SPF 30, niacinamide in the formula helps fade dark spots and provides excess oil control, hyaluronic acid deeply hydrates the skin.
Cons: Contains chemical sunscreen filters.
Fenty’s invisible SPF 30 moisturizer locks in hydration, helps fade dark spots, and smooths out enlarged pores with ingredients like niacinamide, Kalahari melon, hyaluronic acid, and aloe.
Pros: Budget-friendly, contains 5% niacinamide to provide oil control and fade dark spots, ceramosides and a betaine complex reduce moisture loss and hydrate the skin.
Cons: May not be hydrating enough for extra dry skin.
This lightweight water-based gel moisturizer from the Inkey List stops moisture loss in the skin with ceramosides and a betaine complex while simultaneously reducing excess oil production and fading dark spots with 5% niacinamide.
Customer Review: “This is very light and watery, a gel-like texture that feels cool and comfortable. Great for quick and simple moisturizing, but even better if you like to layer heavier creams on top of lightweight moisturizers!”
Pros: Hyaluronic acid complex in the formula hydrates the skin, pineapple enzymes smooth out skin texture and fade dark spots, amino acids provide antioxidant protection.
Cons: May not be suitable for hypersensitive or extra dry skin.
Featuring a hyaluronic acid complex, amino acids, and pineapple enzymes, this formula from Summer Fridays aims to provide antioxidant protection to skin, deeply hydrates, and gently smooths out skin texture and dark spots.
Customer Review: “I was so excited to [try] this and it did not disappoint. It gives my skin such a glowy look. I have fairly sensitive skin and it worked great for me. A little goes a long way and there’s a good amount of product in the jar. Will definitely buy again.”
Pros: Fragrance-free, balances oil production in the skin, provides long-lasting hydration with hyaluronic acid and polyglutamic acid, moringa and papaya help remove impurities from the skin.
Cons: May not be hydrating enough for extra dry skin.
If you’re acne-prone this moisturizer is an absolute lifesaver. It provides just the right amount of hydration your skin needs with hyaluronic acid and polyglutamic acid while moringa and papaya help remove impurities from the skin and calm redness.
Customer Review: “I stumbled upon it on accident and have been so surprised by how much my skin enjoys it. My skin has been chronically dry and sensitive, and I’m amazed this doesn’t break me out. It feels greasy going on but in a light refreshing way. It is so moisturizing. New staple!”
Pros: Peptides firm skin and support healthy collagen production, squalane repairs the moisture barrier, hydrosella provides up to 72 hours of hydration.
Cons: Expensive.
Dry skin will greatly benefit from this moisture-rich cream from Shani Darden. It’s also great if you use any brightening acids in your skincare routine to lighten dark spots or even out your skin tone. Peptides support healthy collagen production in the skin while hydrosella provides up to 72 hours of hydration and squalane replenishes the skin’s moisture barrier.
Customer Review: “Very hydrating and soothing to my skin. Rich enough but not greasy. I noticed a difference even after the second day. I have sensitive normal to dry skin, 58 years old, and I’m not expecting a miracle out of any product. Although this peptide cream made a difference. My skin looks more glowing and rejuvenated.”
Pros: Rich in vitamin C and niacinamide, adds radiance and hydration to the skin with squalane, peptides, and hyaluronic acid.
Cons: Large amount of vitamin C may not be suitable for extra sensitive skin.
OAM’s vitamin C-rich moisturizer adds so much radiance to the skin. It can also help even out your skin tone and fade dark spots in record time with niacinamide. Additional moisture also comes from peptides, squalane, ceramides, and hyaluronic acid.
Customer Review: “This moisturizer is so velvety and smooth on my skin. I love the ingredients like niacinamide, ceramides, hyaluronic acid, resveratrol, it keeps my skin bright and hydrated. My skin feels so soft and glowy after applying the moisturizer. Gifted by OAM Skin.”
Pros: Contains 10% vitamin C and a 10% peptide complex, ceramides and squalane support hydration levels and reinforce the skin barrier.
Cons: Pills slightly under makeup.
With a 10% vitamin C complex and 10% peptide complex, this moisturizer is a master skin-firmer and brightens like no other. Ceramides and squalane also support hydration levels and reinforce the skin barrier.
Customer Review: “Really impressed! Super hydrating, I wake up with soft skin, and it’s a very light consistency, which I love. My face is noticeably more hydrated. Great $$ too.”
Pros: Contains barrier-supporting ingredients like ceramides and peptides, contains a complex to restore health to a hormonally imbalanced complexion, features bakuchiol, a retinol alternative.
Cons: Expensive.
This barrier-enhancing cream is great for dry or mature skin since it contains a peptide complex, vitamin E, grean tea, bakuchiol, and ceramides. Bakuchiol is a great retinol alternative and is a bit gentler on the skin so it’s also great for those who are sensitive and could use an extra dose of hydration.
Customer Review: “After using Dr. Zenovia Skincare Peptide and Ceramide repairing moisturizer over the past few weeks, I can say I have noticed a positive difference in the quality of my skin. My skin feels firmer and looks brighter. The aroma and the texture of the produce is light but very pleasant. I experienced no negatives from this product. As I’m approaching 30, I really appreciate products like this that help me keep my skin looking youthful.”
I’ve probably said this at least 1,000 times by now, but Tatcha products are so unbelievably good. I have extremely sensitive, dry, and acne-prone skin that can teeter on reactive, but Tatcha’s products are so friendly to the skin type that I’ve never had an issue with any of them. When you have skin that sensitive, let’s just say you tend to hold on tightly to the products that work for you (and never let go). I’m also not the only one who loves it, the entire BeautyLeeBar beauty community has at least one non-negotiable item from the brand, there’s just one issue—it’s expensive (*cries*).
Although that may normally be the case, today we’re in luck. Tatcha is currently offering 20% off sitewide for its annual Friends and Family Sale. Use the code FRIEND23 at checkout and receive a nice discount on all your Tatcha favorites through June 25. Keep on scrolling for all the products beauty editors are hoarding and stocking up on.
This gentle, creamy cleanser is a favorite of BeautyLeeBar beauty director Lee. It’s gentle on the skin with a pH-neutral amino acid base while Japanese rice powder softens the skin and boosts luminosity.
This serum is a non-negotiable item in Lee’s arsenal. It’s a three-in-one lactic acid serum that gently smooths skin’s texture and deeply hydrates with hyaluronic acid and squalane.
Lee also loves this hydrating mist from the brand that (as the name would suggest) leaves you with the most luminous glow. It delivers a serious hydration boost and is perfect to use under or over makeup.
A few BeautyLeeBar writers (myself included) loved this serum so much, we gave it aglowing review. It’s a great retinol alternative for those with sensitive skin because it utilizes gentle resurfacing ingredients like upcycled cranberry extract and sea fennel to reduce the appearance of fine lines and speed up cellular turnover.
This hydrating essence is like a tall drink of water for the skin. Infused with a trio of fermented Japanese superfoods, it gives you an otherworldly glow and helps improve the efficacy of your products to follow.
For those with oily or acne-prone skin, this texture tonic is an absolute godsend. Fruit AHAs, niacinamide, and Japanese mugwort help gently clarify skin and even out tone without stripping it of its essential moisture or oils.
I’ve been dealing with some moisture-barrier issues for a while now and this mask helps enormously. It’s a velvety serum-in-cream treatment that strengthens the skin’s barrier and helps balance the microbiome.
This is definitely one of my favorite vitamin C serums on the market. It contains two forms of vitamin C and 10% AHAs to give your skin a serious glow and power up. It might be a tad too much for those with dry or extremely sensitive skin, but if you have oily or acne-prone skin, it can definitely be a winner.
As far as makeup removers go, this formula and Fig. 1’s Micellar Oil Cleanser ($22) are my go tos. The Camellia Cleansing Oil is incredibly silky, hydrating, and removes even the most stubborn mascara in a flash.
For those who are acne-prone, this gentle exfoliating cleanser is the ticket. It’s packed with nourishing ingredients like luffa fruit, wild rose, and amino acids which lift away dirt and minimize oil without over drying your skin.
This body oil from Tatcha is a favorite of BeautyLeeBar beauty editor Katherine. It’s like a spa day bottled with the light scent of hinoki and an organic essential oil blend.
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