After months of exposing your skin to harsh winter weather that's both cold and dry, dead cells accumulate on the surface. That's why it's a good idea to enlist the help of an exfoliant to unveil youthful, bright skin cells that lie underneath. "The spring is a great time to exfoliate the skin with either a physical or chemical exfoliating wash with alpha hydroxy acids, salicylic acid, etc.," says Melissa Kanchanapoomi Levin, MD, board-certified NYC dermatologist and clinical instructor at NYU Langone and Mount Sinai. "I love Cetaphil Extra Gentle Daily Scrub for a physical exfoliating scrub since it uses micro-fine particles from bamboo extract to gently buff the skin." Aim to exfoliate once a week during the summer to keep your skin glowing.

You don't want to apply a skin care product that's well past its expiration date. All products, from cleansers and creams to toners and masks, should come with expiration dates — check them before dusting them off for the season. Imahiyerobo-Ip suggests tossing anything that's past its expiration date or over six months old and giving your makeup brushes a deep clean. "Products with SPF will lose their effectiveness over time, so this is a good time to replace these products as well," she adds.

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Antioxidants give skin an extra edge in fighting off free radicals brought on by sun damage. When you're choosing serums and moisturizers for your beauty arsenal, Levin recommends using a sunscreen with antioxidants or, at the very least, applying an antioxidant serum before the application of sunscreen. For sensitive skin, rosacea and normal-to-dry skin patients, she recommends Isdin Isdinceutics Flavo-C Serum or SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic and for acne-prone skin, she recommends SkinCeuticals Phloretin CF.

Remember that your skin is your body's largest organ, even though it is on the outside of your body. So, the food that you fill your body with will inevitably show its face on the outside. That's why Andrea DeSimone, New York-based aesthetician who specializes in organic skin care treatments, recommends maintaining an anti-inflammatory diet, especially as summer approaches. "Eat lots of leafy greens, onions and garlic, foods spiced with ginger or turmeric, wild caught salmon and tart cherries, to name a few," she says. "This will help arm your skin for increased sun exposure."

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