Products I Refuse To Use In The Spring As A Dermatologist | Dr. Shereene Idriss

Spring is one of the most misunderstood seasons when it comes to skincare because we're going from 60, holy grail, I love life, to -60, I effing hate you, and I have to wear 30 layers in order to survive. And our skin doesn't know what to do with that. And so if you're living that reality, you're not alone. In New York City yesterday was 70 degrees and it's about to flurry and snow tomorrow. So the world is confused and as are we all, including our skin. So who the hell am I? I'm Dr. Shereene Idriss, and today I'm going to talk about the 5 products that I refuse to use during this transition. As a dermatologist, obviously I'm going to give you alternatives and I'm going to explain to you why. But the reason I felt it was important to make this video is because in my practice, I see patients every week in New York City. I have noticed patients come in this time of year with increased congestion, worsening blackheads. Those brown spots that they once got control over in the winter now start to reemerge, and their redness and inflammation becomes self-inflicted because of extreme switches in their skincare routine. You say it is common during this season to get darker circles under my eyes. Yes. So as we transition seasons and we go from winter to spring, so do our allergies and we become puffy and red and discolored. And not just that, our fine lines look more pronounced. So this is a cream that I love around the eyes. It is by Beauty of Joseon. It has a retinol. So it's not only going to help with the look of fine lines, but it's also going to hydrate. But I love to also use an eye mask, not with this cream, but this eye mask by Summer Fridays is a hydrocolloid mask with caffeine. So it can help to depuff. And what makes it better is if you use it underneath, on top of a brightening serum. Yeah, so you can lock in the hydration and the brightening. The most important takeaway is that spring is about small switches, nothing extreme or dramatic, because you don't want to reset a system when a system is shifting. Okay, so number 1: cleansing balms and oils. Now, if you know me, you know that I usually avoid them because I tend to hate them, but that is not why I'm telling you not to use them. They're just not for me personally. Don't worry If you love them, good. But a lot of people tend to use them in the winter because they're not as stripping, they cushion, they seem hydrating, and they're much thicker on their skin. The problem is, in the winter, as the air is drier, we tend to rub more. And if we continue rubbing and using these products as the weather becomes less dry and more humid, then we are just increasing the potential risk of developing more congestion in our skin. And I know not all cleansing balms or oils are created equal, and it really does depend on the oil type that you have in your cleansing balm. But in general, this structure is much thicker. I've noticed an increased association with clogged pores and breakouts. So what I would recommend instead is, if you must double cleanse and use two different products, start with a micellar water. It's a beautiful, easy product. This one by Bioderma can easily take away makeup, and then follow it with a nice gel cleanser. I don't have the bandwidth to do that, and personally, I don't always have professional makeup, but I will take the Dr. Idriss Soft Wash, apply it, warm it up in my hands, and apply it to dry skin and allow it to melt my makeup while I open my eyes. And if I need a second pass, I will use it twice. It is as simple as that. I will link below other options as well for you guys to have your choice in the section below. Number 2, physical scrubs. I know that sounds like blasphemy to a lot of nerds, But a lot of people love physical scrubs still in 2026, and they tend to go even harsher in the winter because the sun is on their side in the winter. It's not as exposed, they're not as exposed to the sun, they're not as sensitive, and people tend to go ronger and stronger in the winter and feel more aggressive in terms of wanting to reset their skin, especially if it's really dry and their skin feels really rough. But This is definitely not the time. Cue my girls. Exactly. So the problem physical scrubs can cause: increased microtears, meaning you don't see the tears in your skin, which can lead to longer-term inflammation in your skin. And that can lead to worsening hyperpigmentation, even of the sunspots that you have, and create new dark spots, especially if you are prone to dark spots or let's say melasma. What should you use instead? This is when we switch to a chemical exfoliant. Now I know the word chemical scares some people out there, but everything including water is a chemical. And you can pick and choose the type of exfoliant not just based on your skin type, but on your sensitivity. Look at the different percentages. If you have dry, dry skin, I love glycolic acid. It is one of my favorite exfoliating AHAs, alpha hydroxy acids, that also help to hydrate the skin in the process. This, the one I created, the Flash Mask by Dr. Idriss, has lactic acid, so it's going to help to brighten your skin while you're exfoliating as well. If you are oily or acne-prone, I would go for something with salicylic acid because salicylic acid loves oil, and so it's going to go deeper into your pores to unclog you. And if you have sensitive skin, then mandelic acid is the weakest acid, so you can use it more regularly, or go for a polyhydroxy acid instead. You can use them in the spring 3 to 4 times a week. I would just be aware of how sunny it is getting in terms of the UV index, and as the UV index gets higher and higher, maybe pare it back down to 2 times a week. If you are super, super congested during this time, you can maybe swap, let's say, an oil-loving exfoliating acid like a salicylic acid with something that you can use on the regular on the off nights, like mandelic acid. Number 3, heavy occlusive moisturizers. Now I think this one goes without saying. Of course we love to moisturize more in the winter. Wind Winter moisturizers are often much thicker and much more occlusive, or if you're layering so many, you're probably layering all of those different occlusives on top of one another that it's probably going to also contribute to worsening of your congestion. If you have oily skin and you're going into spring and it's humid, it's not for you. You gotta quit it or use it less. And this is my own brand that I'm telling you, you gotta know when you use certain textures and when you kind of lay off of certain textures. So what would I switch to instead of something super thick, rich, and occlusive? I would go for something lighter weight, like a lighter weight gel moisturizer, something that still offers skin barrier support but that's not going to feel suffocating to your skin, and you feel like your skin can absorb it and it can actually hold on to it. The other reason why I would go lighter is because you now have the luxury of deciding how much hydration you want to layer. If you feel like the lightweight moisturizer is good but not good enough, then add a hydrating essence, a very lightweight one like the one by SK-II. Or if you need something a bit thicker, then add a hydrating serum underneath that gel moisturizer. It gives you that flexibility so that you can play with the time of year because spring does vary from March to May. Okay, number 4. This is one that we are all guilty of, including yours truly, but tinted moisturizers, ideally with SPF, because we tell ourselves, I'm using sunscreen every single day and I'm still protecting my skin in the winter. And we all know, if you've been following, that as long as the UV index is below 3, it's not like we need to wear sunscreen. But I say wear the damn sunscreen every day so we don't quit a good habit. That is where that comes from. I don't know how many of you guys are wearing a tinted moisturizer with SPF utilizing the 2 full finger rule. I'm not talking about like stingy fingers, I'm talking about juicy chunks for your whole face. Ideally you are, but chances are you're not. So if you're not paying attention from transitioning from winter to spring regarding your sunscreen, all the gains that you got in the winter, like the improvement of your brown spots the look of your sun damage, potentially your melasma, it's going to wake up much faster because now your skin is still damaged underneath the surface because sun damage is there forever, unfortunately. And if you're not protecting your skin adequately, it is more prone to reactivity and it will wake up faster and you're going to look like a Crypt Keeper overnight. And I say this with love because that's what happens to me, okay? I have melasma on the right side of my face, and I just know that if I am not being more diligent about how I protect my face during this transition, because the UV index starts to creep up pretty fast— you don't think it's strong, but all of a sudden it's at a 5 even though it still feels like it's 50 degrees outside— your sunspots wake up way faster than you anticipate. For me, an even skin tone is next to godliness, okay? I think it is the one thing you could truly achieve through skincare is evening out your skin tone, especially any sort of brown discoloration. So if you have been working towards that goal— why is it a goal? Because why do people wear foundation? Why do people wear BB creams? Because an even skin tone gives you a more youthful, rested appearance. Protect the moneymaker and protect the investment that you have put forward. Okay, I don't know if that was English. So we need to restart our game with a legit sunscreen. Anything below 30 is a no-go for me. So even though a tinted moisturizer like the Laura Mercier with an SPF of 20 is in the winter. It's a no-go for me in the spring. So anything above 30, I obviously love my own damn sunscreen because I wear the damn sunscreen now every single day in the spring, um, the Disco Block by Dr. Idriss, which is SPF 50. And if you are someone who's going to be showing your neck and chest, get an extra finger in there to make sure that you're covering your body surface area. And numero 5, right, in winter we are layering up, we are putting on all of our clothing, but as the temperatures go up and the clothing comes off, we realize we've neglected our skin. And so people tend to go really aggressive on body skincare, especially if they have chicken skin, aka strawberry skin, aka this called keratosis pilaris, which is all of these bumpiness on the arms and even the legs. So what do they usually treat that with? Either a tretinoin or exfoliating acid moisturizer like Amlactin. And the problem here is more so with the exfoliating acid If all of a sudden you are exfoliating your arms, right, and getting rid of the bond of the dead skin cells holding those dead— the bonds holding the dead skin cells together, and you go outside to Central Park and it's 80 degrees and you have not protected your skin, your skin is more sensitive to the sun. With a retinol, you're not more sensitive to the sun, but your skin is more prone to irritation from the sun. And so that's a little bit of the difference. So what I would swap to as the temperature goes up and as you start to wear little spaghetti strap tank tops, I would switch to a urea-based moisturizer because urea, unlike exfoliating acids, is not going to make you as sensitive to the sun. But regardless, if we are exposing, just make sure, especially if you are outside between the hours of 10 AM and 3 PM, you are protecting your arms that you are smoothening. Through one of these products. But I would still not give up on my arms or legs, and I will continue to use the urea-based moisturizer to achieve that smoothness and that loveliness that you crave. And there you have it. That is spring skincare in a bucket of 5 products that I would avoid as a dermatologist and what I would switch to. It is all about making small adjustments so that, that transition can be as seamless and as enjoyable as possible. And your always-on products, by the way, they're always on. You don't switch them. What you're switching is how you're hydrating, how you're washing, and how you're exfoliating. But you're still doing the same steps, just slightly differently. I hope this video was helpful. If you guys liked it, let me know in the comments, and let me know what skincare products you always change to when spring starts. And if you want more dermatologist breakdowns like this one today, make sure to subscribe. Below. I'll see you guys next week. Have a beautiful, peaceful, and loving Saturday.