After long, dark winter days, the first rays of sunshine and warmer temperatures finally feel like a breath of fresh air. Spring is a season of renewal — and just like nature, our skin is ready for a fresh start too.

Every season brings its own challenges for our skin, and spring is no exception. As we say goodbye to the heavy, rich creams that protected us from frost, snow, and biting cold winds, it’s time to embrace a lighter routine — one that still keeps hydration at its core, but feels weightless and refreshing on the skin.

And then there’s the sun. If you’ve been a little relaxed about SPF during the winter months (no judgment — we’ve all been there!), spring is the moment to bring it back into your daily routine, no questions asked. The days are getting longer, the sun is shining more intensely, and as tempting as it is to turn your face toward those warm rays after months of grey skies, your skin needs protection now more than ever. In fact, after winter, our skin can be even more reactive and sensitive to UV exposure, which makes sunscreen an absolute non-negotiable.

So, with that in mind, I’m sharing my favourite skincare products that are helping me transition into spring. I have sensitive, combination skin with a tendency to develop acne.

Beauty of Joseon Green Plum Refreshing Toner – gentle exfoliation

During the winter months, I tend to skip exfoliation altogether — my skin gets quite sensitive and prone to redness, so I prefer to keep things gentle. But as spring arrives and temperatures become milder, my skin settles down and I start noticing the first signs of congestion creeping in. That’s when I gradually reintroduce exfoliating products into my routine, to help slough away dead skin cells and keep my pores clear and fresh.

The first thing I reach for is the Beauty of Joseon Green Plum Refreshing Toner — gentle enough after the sensitive winter skin phase, but effective enough to tackle that post-winter congestion.

✨ Exfoliants (AHA + BHA)

• Glycolic Acid (AHA) — exfoliates the surface of the skin, improves texture and radiance
• Salicylic Acid (BHA) — oil-soluble, penetrates deeper into pores, great for congestion and blemishes

💧 Hydration

• Glycerin — a classic humectant, draws moisture into the skin
• Sodium PCA — naturally found in skin, excellent moisture-retaining ingredient
• Fructose & Glucose — natural sugars that act as humectants
• Butylene Glycol — lightweight hydration and helps other ingredients absorb better
• Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Water — my favourite ingredient for hydration and softening
• Prunus Mume Fruit Water — Japanese plum water, hydrating and soothing

🌿Calming & Soothing

• Portulaca Oleracea Extract — known for its calming and anti-inflammatory properties
• Panax Ginseng Root Extract — antioxidant, helps with skin vitality
• Melia Azadirachta Leaf & Flower Extract — neem plant, soothing and purifying
• Phaseolus Radiatus Seed Extract — mung bean extract, soothing and brightening
• Tocopherol (Vitamin E) — antioxidant and calming

A beautifully balanced toner that exfoliates and clears without stripping — the perfect way to ease your skin back into an active routine after winter.

ANUA Niacinamide + Azelaic Acid Serum – target dullness and uneven texture

Azelaic acid is one of my all-time favourite skincare ingredients — and for good reason. It calms skin reactivity, works as a powerful anti-inflammatory, helps fade post-acne hyperpigmentation, and evens out skin tone after inflammatory processes. It also has mild exfoliating properties, is gentle enough for sensitive skin, and is even considered safe during pregnancy. So when this serum appeared on my radar — combining azelaic acid with niacinamide and a gentler form of salicylic acid — I didn’t hesitate for a second.

I have to be honest though — my feelings about it were mixed at first. During summer months, it felt a little too rich and heavy on my acne-prone skin. However, in cooler weather it performs absolutely perfectly. It strikes a wonderful balance between acne prevention, hydration, calming and skin barrier support — which makes it an ideal product for the spring season.

⭐ Key Actives

• Azelaic Acid — multi-tasking hero: anti-inflammatory, helps fade post-acne pigmentation, evens skin tone, gentle exfoliant, suitable even for sensitive and reactive skin
• Niacinamide — brightening, pore-minimising, regulates sebum production and strengthens the skin barrier
• Betaine Salicylate (BHA) — a gentler alternative to salicylic acid, exfoliates and clears pores without irritation
• Zinc PCA — controls excess oil and helps with blemish-prone skin

💧 Hydration

• Sodium Hyaluronate — deep, long-lasting hydration
• Panthenol (Vitamin B5) — deeply hydrating and soothing
• Glycerin — classic humectant, draws moisture into the skin
• Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice — hydrating and refreshing
• Butylene Glycol — lightweight hydration booster
• Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water — green tea water, hydrating and antioxidant

🛡️ Skin Barrier

• Ceramide NP — repairs and maintains the skin barrier
• Squalane — lightweight barrier-strengthening oil
• Beta-Glucan — deeply soothing and helps repair the skin barrier
• Biosaccharide Gum-1 — prebiotic ingredient, supports skin microbiome and barrier

🌿 Calming & Soothing

• Centella Asiatica Extract + Leaf + Root Extract — powerful calming complex, great for irritated or reactive skin
• Madecassoside, Asiaticoside, Asiatic Acid, Madecassic Acid — pure active Centella molecules, even more potent for soothing and healing
• Allantoin — calming and skin-smoothing
• Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate — licorice-derived, anti-inflammatory and calming
• Melia Azadirachta Leaf & Flower Extract — neem, soothing and purifying

A true multitasker that earns its place in any spring routine — especially for anyone dealing with post-winter congestion, sensitivity and uneven skin tone.

Skin1004 Probio-Cica Ampoule & Cream – repair and protect the barrier

Even as spring arrives, caring for our skin barrier should remain a priority. My go-to products for keeping my skin calm, hydrated and blemish-free are the cream and ampoule from the Skin1004 Centella line.

The star of both formulas is of course Centella Asiatica — a powerful botanical known for its exceptional soothing and healing properties. What makes these products truly special, however, is the use of fermented Centella extract. Through the fermentation process, the Centella molecules are broken down into smaller, more bioavailable forms, allowing them to penetrate deeper into the skin and work more effectively. This also adds probiotic-like benefits that help support a healthy skin microbiome.

Beyond Centella, both products are packed with carefully chosen ingredients across several key categories:

⭐ Key Actives

• Niacinamide — brightening, pore-minimising and helps regulate sebum
• Madecassic Acid, Asiaticoside, Asiatic Acid — pure active Centella molecules, potent for soothing and healing
• Adenosine — anti-aging, supports firmness and reduces fine lines

🛡️ Skin Barrier

• Ceramide NP — repairs and maintains the skin barrier
• Phytosphingosine — supports ceramide production and barrier repair
• Phytosterols — strengthens and protects the barrier
• Hydrogenated Lecithin — supports barrier function

💧 Hydration

• Sodium Hyaluronate — deep, long-lasting hydration
• Polyglutamic Acid — holds moisture even more effectively than hyaluronic acid
• Glycerin & Butylene Glycol — lightweight humectants that keep skin supple

🌿 Calming & Soothing

• Allantoin — calming and skin-smoothing
• Panthenol (Vitamin B5) — soothing, softening and hydrating
• Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil — nourishing and calming emollient

Together, they create a calming, nourishing duo that my skin absolutely loves this time of year.

Skin1004 Probio-Cica Eye Cream – for my eye area

For a long time, I was quite skeptical about eye creams. The skin around my eyes is particularly sensitive, and I had often experienced irritation from various eye creams I had tried. For a while, I simply relied on plain Vaseline — which does a decent job of preventing moisture loss, but left me feeling like my eye area wasn’t truly hydrated. On top of that, dark circles were also a concern I couldn’t seem to address.

After my wonderful experience with the Skin1004 Centella cream and serum, I decided to give their eye cream a chance too — and I was more than pleasantly surprised! This cream causes absolutely no irritation, keeps my eye area beautifully hydrated, visibly smooths fine lines, and — best of all — I genuinely feel it has been helping to reduce my dark circles too. For me, this is currently my number one eye cream, no question about it.

So what makes it so effective? Just like the rest of the Skin1004 Centella line, it features the fermented Centella Asiatica extract at its core. But the eye cream also brings some truly special ingredients to the table:

⭐ Key Actives

• Bakuchiol — a natural, plant-based alternative to retinol, gentle yet effective for fine lines and firmness around the delicate eye area
• Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 — a peptide that helps relax facial muscle tension, visibly reducing expression lines
• Niacinamide — brightening and helps with the appearance of dark circles

💧 Hydration

• Sodium Hyaluronate — deep hydration
• Hydrolysed Hyaluronic Acid — even smaller hyaluronic acid fragments that penetrate deeper into the skin
• Glycerin & Betaine — lightweight humectants for lasting moisture
• Panthenol (Vitamin B5) — soothing and deeply hydrating

🛡️ Skin Barrier & Firming

• Ceramide NP — repairs and maintains the skin barrier
• Phytosphingosine & Phytosterols — support barrier repair and strength
• Hydrolysed Extensin — plant-derived protein that supports skin elasticity and firmness
• Squalane & Shea Butter — nourishing and protective emollients

🌿 Calming & Soothing

• Madecassic Acid, Asiaticoside, Asiatic Acid — pure Centella molecules for soothing and healing
• Adenosine — anti-aging and firming
• Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil — nourishing and calming
• Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Extract — antioxidant and nourishing

A truly impressive formula for such a sensitive area — and it shows in the results!

SKIN1004 – Madagascar Centella Air-Fit Suncream Plus SPF50+/PA++++ – my sun skin protection

As someone with very fair skin that burns rather than tans, sun protection is absolutely non-negotiable for me. I also tend to develop freckles easily, and since I regularly use active ingredients in my routine — such as retinoids and AHA/BHA acids — avoiding pigmentation spots is a real priority. I have tried countless sunscreens over the years, but the Skin1004 Madagascar Centella Air-Fit Suncream Plus SPF50+/PA++++ is by far my favourite so far.

This is a mineral (physical) sunscreen, which suits my sensitive, combination and blemish-prone skin much better than chemical filter sunscreens. It has a lovely light beige tint that beautifully evens out my skin tone and helps camouflage post-acne hyperpigmentation — a little bonus I truly appreciate! It also has a delicate, subtle floral scent that makes applying it feel like a little moment of luxury. I can even use it around my eye area without any burning or irritation whatsoever, which is a huge win for me. It doesn’t feel heavy on the skin, though it doesn’t offer intense hydration either — but that’s perfectly fine, as I take care of hydration with the other products in my routine.

Now let’s look at what’s inside:

☀️ UV Filters (Mineral/Physical)

• Zinc Oxide — broad spectrum UVA/UVB mineral filter, gentle and non-irritating, ideal for sensitive skin
• Titanium Dioxide — mineral UVB filter, lightweight and skin-friendly
• Butyloctyl Salicylate — helps improve the texture and spreadability of mineral filters
• Benzotriazolyl Dodecyl p-Cresol — photostabiliser that helps maintain SPF efficacy

⭐ Key Actives

• Centella Asiatica Extract (35.8%) — an impressively high concentration, powerfully soothing and calming
• Madecassoside — pure Centella molecule, potent for soothing and healing
• Niacinamide — brightening, helps with hyperpigmentation and pore care

🌿 Calming & Antioxidant Botanicals

• Coptis Chinensis Root Extract — anti-inflammatory and antioxidant
• Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract — skullroot, powerful antioxidant and soothing
• Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract — brightening and anti-inflammatory
• Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract — green tea, rich in antioxidants
• Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract — chamomile, deeply calming and soothing
• Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract — antioxidant and purifying
• Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract — contains Resveratrol, a powerful antioxidant
• Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Extract — antioxidant and nourishing

💧 Hydration

• Sodium Hyaluronate — deep hydration
• Betaine — lightweight humectant
• Butylene Glycol & Propanediol — hydration boosters
• Caprylic/Capric Glycerides — lightweight emollient

🌸 Fragrance Components (natural)

• Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil — geranium, the source of that lovely floral scent
• Rosa Damascena Flower Oil — rose oil
• Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil — bergamot
• Citronellol, Geraniol, Linalool — natural fragrance molecules derived from the above oils

Note: If your skin is extremely sensitive, it is worth patch testing first as natural fragrance components can occasionally cause reactions in very reactive skin types.

A beautifully formulated mineral SPF that goes far beyond just sun protection — packed with antioxidants and soothing botanicals that make it a true multitasker for spring and beyond.🌼

And there you have it — my favourite products for the spring season, carefully chosen to balance hydration, acne prevention, and skin barrier support all in one routine. Each of them has earned its place on my shelf, and together they make my skin feel its best as the warmer months arrive.

As a little girl, spring was never really my favourite season — I always felt a little sad watching the snow melt away. But the older I get, the more I have come to embrace it for what it truly is: a season of new beginnings. Nature wakes up, the days grow longer, and there is something quietly hopeful about that first warm ray of sunshine on your face. And perhaps that is exactly why I love the idea of a spring skincare refresh so much — it feels like a small but meaningful ritual of renewal, not just for your skin, but for your mindset too.

I hope this little guide inspires you to reassess your own routine and find products that make your skin — and your mornings — feel just a little bit more joyful. As always, remember that skincare is deeply personal, so what works for me may not work for everyone. But the fundamentals remain the same: hydration, protection, and a little extra care go a long way. 🦋

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