Spring is here, and it’s not just your home that deserves a fresh start, your skincare routine does too! Just like the perishable goods in your pantry, your favourite beauty products come with a best-before date as-well.
Here are our 6 top tips on how to declutter and refresh:
1. Check your expiration dates
Is your skincare cabinet looking a bit like a science experiment? Spring cleaning means saying farewell to expired or outdated products. Check those labels for an expiry date, if it’s been sitting around for more than a year, it’s time to let it go. Fresh, new products will give your routine a fabulous boost. Your skin deserves the best, so make sure it’s not being weighed down by ancient skincare relics!
As a general rule, products with active ingredients like Vitamin C, Retinol or plant extracts have a shorter shelf life, while your fundamentals with fewer actives like cleansers or toners last longer.
Generally, here is how long your skincare will be good for after opening:
- Cleansers and Exfoliating cleansers: 1- 1 1/2 years
- Toners: 1-2 years
- Exfoliating serums or toners - 6 months – 1 year
- Serums: 6 months
- Facial oils (without actives): 1-2 years
- Facial oils (with actives): 6 months – 1 year
- Moisturisers: 6 months – 1 year
- Eye creams: 6 months – 1 year
- SPFs: 1 year
- Face masks: 6 months – 1 year
You may also have some skincare that you just don’t use or that you’ve used, had a breakout and didn’t use again. Be honest with yourself about these products:
- Do you still want them or will they sit around until they have expired?
- Is there someone else that might benefit from them?
- Can you figure out a way to give them another go and incorporate them into your routine?
2. Remove and review
Empty your cabinet, give it a good wipe, and lay everything out.
Ask yourself:
✨ Do I actually use this?
✨ Did it cause breakouts?
✨ Could someone else benefit from it?
Be honest, don’t let old skincare relics linger.
2. Refresh your skincare
Swap heavy winter creams for lighter, water-based options that hydrate without weighing you down. Spring is the perfect time to bring in:
✨ Exfoliating cleansers
✨ Hydrating serums
✨ Daily SPF (non-negotiable, year-round!)
Even when it’s cloudy or cooler, UV rays can still cause damage. SPF isn’t just for summer, it’s your skin’s best defence, every single day.
4. Wash your tools
Your skincare and makeup tools work hard for you, but they also collect oil, product build-up, and bacteria, which can lead to clogged pores, breakouts, and even shorten the life of your products. 🧽
Make it a habit to give your tools a good clean:
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Brushes & sponges: Use gentle soap or brush cleanser with warm water. Work up a lather, rinse thoroughly, and lay flat on a clean towel to dry.
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Rollers & gua sha: Wipe down with warm water and a mild cleanser after each use, then spritz with a sanitising spray (like our Skinsmiths Sanitising Spray) for extra protection.
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Applicators & lids: Don’t forget to wipe the tops of jars, pumps, and droppers, they’re bacteria hotspots too.
✨ Pro tip: Aim for once a week with brushes and sponges, and after every use with rollers. Clean tools = clearer skin, fewer nasties, and better product performance.
5. Reduce & recycle
Once you have whittled down your collection, review how much of each product you have. For those products where there isn’t much left, can you put them into smaller containers?
6. Rearrange & reset
Then go about rearranging the products, separate your weekly from daily use products and organsie them in terms of your routine – cleanse, exfoliate, treat, hydrate and SPF. Rearrange your products if you are feeling like they are a little bit jumbled. Not only will this help you find everything in a flash, but a tidy space means a clearer mind—and a more effective skincare routine!
How do you spring clean your skincare? Share us your tips, we would love to hear from you!
