For those of us who value living by the seasons and moving with the natural rhythms of the earth, we'll soon be welcoming nature's new year, Spring.
As the days gently lengthen, they bring with them fresh green shoots, birdsong, and signs of life emerging all around us. It’s time to awaken and renew.
Our skin's needs can change with the seasons, but what we love about Spring is that it brings such an abundance of opportunity to care for your skin beyond just topical skincare. The warmers days and fresh new plants give us a chance to add a new holistic dimension to our skincare routine to support the care that you already give it with your products.
1. Fresh Air
What does your skin need after a long dark winter? Sunshine for one, did you know that Vitamin D plays an integral role in good skin health? A 2018 study into 'Vitamin D and the pathophysiology of inflammatory skin diseases' found that "Vitamin D deficiency is associated with the risk of psoriasis and atopic dermatitis, and several clinical/observational studies have suggested the beneficial effect of Vitamin D in the therapy of these 2 anti-inflammatory skin disorders." Some fresh air and a little sunshine will do wonders for your skin and overall health, why not start weaving a short walk into your daily routine now that Spring has sprung?
2. Forage and Feed
Even better, take your basket and enjoy some Spring foraging. Spring is one of our absolute favourite times to forage, and there is plenty to gather that will aid the body with a much needed spring cleanse after a long winter.
When I first began on my journey into herbalism I was amazed that so many of the weeds that had been a part of the everyday of my childhood possessed such medicinal powers. Cleavers (Galium aparine) is one of them. You may know it as catchweed, sticky buds, or goosegrass, here in the North East, we knew it as stickle jacks.
This prolific and playful weed is actually a wonderful lymphatic cleansing herb and is packed with nutrients, making it the perfect internal spring cleanse or when recovering from illness. We'll be exploring this plant when we host our Spring Self Care Evening on 4 April. This is NEVE's first event of 2025 and the perfect way to embrace a holistic approach to a Spring cleanse for skin and body.
Other Spring herbs to forage include nettle (Urtica dioca) and wild garlic (Allium ursinum). The seasons may be turning a corner but it’s absolutely still soup weather. This nettle and wild garlic soup is super tasty and nutritious. Make sure you take your garden gloves when you forage for nettles. If you can’t find any wild garlic, replace with a couple of garlic cloves.
1 leek
1 carrot
1 large potato
1 celery stalk
Roughly 400g nettle
roughly 10 wild garlic leaves
Add a little butter to your pan and cook the celery, carrot and leak until softened. Add the potato and cover with 1 litre of vegetable stock. Add your nettles, followed by the wild garlic leaves and leave to simmer until softened. Blend with a hand blender to a soothe consistency and enjoy.
3. Revive your routine
Nettle is a wonderful nutrient and vitamin boost, it is rich in iron and vitamin C. We include nettle in the Alchemy 7 Comfort Balm and the Luna Drops for its nutrient boost. If you need a little pick me up at the end of a long winter, the Luna Drops is a multi-vitamin, regenerating night serum that increases radiance while hydrating and plumping the skin. It is a welcome vitality boost to any pro-age skincare routine.
Team this up with the Glow Mask, our aromatic powdered mask. The Glow Mask has a powerful cleansing action thanks to the mineral rich rhassoul clay it contains. The mask also contains prebiotic inulin, which acts as a food for the skin’s microbiome, a complex network of bacteria that lives on our skin and is vital to good skin health. Finally, the Glow Mask’s Vitamin C contain will have a welcome brightening action on the skin after the long winter.
Good skin health truly is a holistic endevour and we hope these simple ways to boost skin's vitality, both inside and out, will give you a welcome glow and spring in your step as the new season arrives.
If you would like to find out more about Spring cleansing your skin, join us an evening of skincare both inside and out on 4 April at Earth Balance Wellness Studios. We'll be exploring herbs for the skin, oil cleansing, facial massage to support lymphatic drainage and simple reflexology techniques. It will be a wonderful evening, that includes a free NEVE Wellness Ritual Set and refreshments.
*You can find the study we referenced here.
