Should we use sunscreen more often? Is our moisturizer too heavy? Are vitamins more essential than before? As our skin returns to the sun after months of winter, as do the practices we’re transitioning into. Spring cleaning your skin care routine is just like changing your wardrobe, and for esthetician Crystal Greene, it starts with a facial.
“I started receiving facials in my early 20s,” she tells ESSENCE. “I always enjoyed the self-care aspect and the space it allowed for me to decompress.” But it wasn’t until her 30s she transitioned from on the table, to behind. First, in a tiny co-working space in Soho, then to a proper studio, Greene opened her private practice to turn facials into an art form.
“I’ve never been drawn to treatment rooms that are all-white in design,” she says, pulling art deco with burl wood furniture, contemporary pieces, and earthy, natural-lit tones to her studio. Setting the scene for spring facials, “everything I do in my work is intentional, from the design of my space to the treatments that I offer.”
As for her top springtime skin tips? From light formulas and sun protection to antioxidants, sculpting facials and skin-enhancing tools, this season’s skincare practices are centered around one thing: Renewal. “I deeply respect and appreciate the greater dialogue around longevity and its relationship to the pillars of wellness and beauty.”
Below, Greene shares more of her tips and tricks for walking into spring with your best skin yet.
Balancing science and touch
Balancing science and touch, modalities like LED, ultrasound, and micro-current treatments have been integral to her practice this season—but never more than her hands. Known for her sculpting facial massage, which she describes as a “transcendent experience” by way of rhythmic massage techniques, Greene’s hands are rendered her most powerful tool.
“I love the feeling, connection, and manipulation of how the hands can vastly improve the facial contours and release tension and relax the nervous system,” she says, which is necessary to reset your skin this spring. “There is no question that we need skincare to support the skin and its functions,” she says. “But how we support all aspects of our wellbeing—from stress management to diet to exercise—are foundational in living a vital and healthy life.”
Switch your skincare like you would your wardrobe
As the time of year for rebirth and longevity, using products like Estée Lauder’s Re-Nutriv line, a collection of age-reversal products, her results-driven practice landed her a role as the line’s global skincare ambassador. As a brand leading innovation for longer skin life, Greene reveals the skincare practices to transition into as the season blooms and onwards.
“We switch our wardrobe from one season to the next, consider the same with your skincare routine—switching from rich moisturizers to lighter formulas,” she says, which may include serums, essences, and oils. “There is more humidity in the air, especially during the summer, the skin may secrete more oil, therefore heavier moisturizers may not be necessary.”
Use more sunscreen
For Black women, supporting our skin tone with more sunscreen (the number one most important skincare ingredient) means less aging and hyperpigmentation—even if sunburn isn’t your concern. Meanwhile, antioxidants can boost the benefits your sunscreen is protecting. “Antioxidant ingredients in skincare support collagen and elastin, and reduce free radicals caused by environmental elements like UV rays, pollution and toxins,” she says.
