March Skin Care: Is It Time to Exfoliate More in Spring?

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Right. Here we are. March. The air is starting to change. There are actual signs of light in the morning. The heating isn’t quite running at full blast. And I’ve genuinely started to feel optimistic about my skin for the first time in months.

But here’s the thing, I didn’t realise until I started looking into it. March is actually a bit of a tricky skin month. You’re leaving winter behind, but you’re not fully into spring. Your skin has been through a lot, and the changes in temperature, humidity, allergens, and UV levels mean it needs a thoughtful transition rather than a sudden overhaul. So let’s figure out what March actually needs. I’m still very much learning this as I go.

Your Winter Routine Might Be Working Against You Now

This is something I genuinely hadn’t considered. The heavy, rich products that saved your skin in January and February can start to cause problems as temperatures creep up. As humidity increases in spring, your skin produces more of its own oil. Layer a thick winter cream on top of that, and you might find yourself dealing with clogged pores, congestion, or unexpected breakouts.

The shift to consider is moving from heavy, protective to light, breathable. That doesn’t mean stripping everything back overnight. Instead, gradually swap your thick tub moisturiser for something lighter. Water-based formulas and gel moisturisers work really well here. Look for hyaluronic acid and glycerin, which hydrate well without the heaviness.

The same goes for your cleanser. If you switched to a cream cleanser in winter, March is a good time to edge back towards something a little more cleansing. Not necessarily a harsh foaming one, but something in between. A gentle gel cleanser is a good middle ground.

West Dermatology’s spring skincare reset guide offers a practical breakdown of what to swap and when, which I found helpful.

Exfoliation: Time to Gently Pick Things Back Up

If you reduced exfoliation over winter, good. That was the right call. But March is a genuinely good time to start picking it back up. After months of cold, dry air and indoor heating, dead skin cells have built up on the surface. They’re making your complexion look flat and slightly grey. Exfoliation removes that layer and lets your moisturiser and serum actually absorb properly.

The keyword here is still gentle. I know it’s tempting to go in hard after months of being careful. But over-exfoliating causes redness, sensitivity, and barrier damage. That’s the last thing you need as your skin is adjusting to seasonal changes.

Start with once or twice a week. Chemical exfoliants are still kinder than physical scrubs. Lactic acid is great if your skin is still on the sensitive side. Glycolic acid is a step up in strength and is really good for brightening dull skin. As the weeks go on and your skin settles, you can gradually increase frequency if it’s tolerating it well.

The Illinois Dermatology Institute’s spring skincare guide covers exfoliation for different skin types in a way that’s easy to follow and avoids being too prescriptive.

SPF: This Is Where It Actually Gets Serious

Okay, I know I mentioned SPF in the last two posts. But March is when sun protection stops being a nice habit and becomes urgent. The days are getting longer. You’re likely spending more time outside. And UV levels are increasing significantly, even if it still feels chilly.

What I didn’t realise until recently is that UV rays don’t need the sun to feel hot. On a cool, overcast March day, UVA rays are still reaching your skin and contributing to premature ageing and pigmentation. So, on days when it’s cloudy, do you skip SPF? Those are doing more damage than you think.

Spring is also a good time to reassess your sunscreen itself. The thick, cream-based SPF you’ve been using under a heavy winter moisturiser might start to feel greasy as temperatures rise. You might want to switch to a lighter, more fluid formula. Many tinted SPFs also double as a light base, which is a nice bonus for this time of year.

SPF 30 minimum, broad spectrum, reapply if you’re outdoors for any length of time. The SLMD Skincare spring transition guide from board-certified dermatologist Dr Sandra Lee includes solid sunscreen advice among its seasonal changeover tips.

Pollen Season Is Here, and Your Skin Knows It

This is one of the things I did not connect until fairly recently. Seasonal allergies don’t just affect your nose and eyes. They affect your skin too. When your body reacts to airborne allergens like pollen, it releases histamines. Those histamines can make your skin red, itchy, puffy, and reactive. Even if you don’t suffer badly from hay fever, you might notice your skin is more sensitive than usual in March and April.

Pollen can also land on your skin. It can remain on the skin, contributing to irritation and clogging pores. Washing your face after coming in from outside is especially important in spring than it might be the rest of the year. A quick, gentle cleanse when you get home makes a real difference. Similarly, changing your pillowcase more regularly in spring is a small but useful step. Pollen settles on fabric and then sits against your skin overnight.

If your skin is particularly reactive during allergy season, it’s worth simplifying your routine temporarily. Pull back on any strong activities that might be adding to the irritation. Look for ingredients that calm and soothe. Niacinamide is effective here because it reduces redness and strengthens the skin barrier simultaneously. Aloe vera, colloidal oatmeal, and chamomile are also worth looking out for in products. Fragrance is one of the most common skincare allergens, so if you’re experiencing a flare-up and not sure why, products with lots of added fragrance are a good place to start investigating.

Tower Dermatology’s guide to spring skincare for allergy-prone skin covers this in detail and is worth reading if you know allergy season tends to affect your skin.

Spring Clean Your Skincare Shelf

This is one of my favourite things about the seasonal change. It’s a brilliant excuse to go through everything you own and actually check whether any of it has expired. It turns out skincare products do expire, and many of us are using them well past their best.

Most products have a small symbol on the packaging that resembles an open pot with a number inside. That number is how many months the product is good for after opening. If you’ve had a serum sitting on your shelf since last spring and it’s now March, and it says 12M, it’s time to discard it.

Expired products don’t just lose their effectiveness. In some cases, they can harbour bacteria or change in a way that causes irritation. It’s also a good opportunity to assess whether the products you’ve been using are working. Winter is a period of heightened risk. Spring is a time to be more thoughtful.

While you’re at it, clean your brushes, replace any worn applicators, and decant anything that needs it. A clean, curated shelf makes your routine feel easier and more intentional.

Affiliated Dermatology’s seasonal skincare transition guide emphasises the importance of checking expiration dates and refreshing your product lineup in spring. Solid practical advice.

Slowly Reintroduce Your Actives

In January, we discussed dialling back retinol and strong acids. In February, it was about being gentle and building glow. March is finally the month when you can begin reintroducing activities with greater confidence. Your skin barrier has hopefully had time to recover. And you’ve got the season working with you rather than against you.

If you reduced retinol use over the winter, try easing back in with a lower concentration a couple of nights a week. See how your skin responds. If it’s happy, you can gradually increase from there. The same goes for glycolic acid and other AHAs. The skin is generally more resilient now that the worst of winter is behind it.

One thing worth knowing is that as you ramp up your activities again, SPF becomes even more important. Exfoliating ingredients and retinol both make your skin more sensitive to UV damage. So the fact that spring is also when you need to take sun protection more seriously works out quite neatly.

The Summit Dermatology seasonal skincare guide has a good overview of this and covers different skin types, including oily, dry, and combination.

Don’t Forget Your Body Skin

We spend a lot of time talking about facial skincare, and I’m as guilty of this as anyone. But March is actually a really good time to think about the rest of your skin, too. You’ve been bundled up under layers for months. Your body skin has been dealing with the same dryness, the same lack of air,and the same central heating. And now that you’re heading towards lighter clothing and possibly eventually some sun exposure, it’s worth giving it some attention.

If you’ve been using body lotion consistently through winter, great. If not, now is the time to build the habit. Apply it right after the shower while your skin is still slightly damp. This is the most effective time. Moisture becomes trapped rather than evaporating.

Body exfoliation is worth adding in once a week ,too. Just like the skin on your face, the skin on your body accumulates dead cells through winter. A gentle body scrub or dry brushing before your shower helps shift that build-up. After months of being hidden away, it’s nice to give it a proper refresh.

As the weeks go on and you spend more time outside with exposed skin, consider applying sunscreen to your body, too. It’s easy to remember your face and forget your arms, chest, and hands. Hands, in particular, age quickly with UV exposure and are often the most overlooked area. Applying a broad-spectrum SPF 30 to the backs of your hands as part of your morning routine takes about 10 seconds and makes a real difference over time.

The March Mindset: Renewal Over Perfection

I think the key takeaway I’m taking into March is that skincare is a long game. January was about surviving dry skin. February was about recovering some glow. March is about properly resetting and positioning yourself for the rest of the year.

None of this has to be dramatic or expensive. Lighter products, a bit more exfoliation, proper SPF, and washing your face after you’ve been outside. Those are genuinely the big changes for this month. The rest is just staying curious and paying attention to how your skin is actually responding.

I’m starting to actually enjoy working this out. Which, honestly, I did not expect when I started down this rabbit hole back in January. If you’re following along month by month, thank you. Let me know what’s been working for you, too.

Disclaimer: I’m not a dermatologist or skincare professional. If you have persistent skin concerns, conditions like rosacea or eczema, or significant reactions to seasonal allergies, a qualified dermatologist is always the right person to speak to.