Many of use the same products and makeup in the fall as we do the rest of the year, but the changes in weather, impact the overall health and behavior of our skin. When the weather changes, not adapting to it and not making a couple of small, little tweaks talked about in this post, could lead to some skin problems – from excessive dryness for some to excessive oil production for others.
Here are some tips on how you should update your routine and protect the health of your skin:
Switch up your cleanser.
The cooler and dryer the air gets, the more your skin will crave a cream-based cleanser, because it’s gentler and more appropriate for dry weather.
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Increase hydration with a toner.
Many people think toners are either not necessary, or they serve solely as astringents; but toners are diverse and multifunctional and if you’re not using one already, fall is a great time to start.
This is the time of year when your skin will need extra hydration and using a hydrating (alcohol-free) toner after cleansing (and before serum/moisturizer), is a great way to give skin that extra jolt.
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Switch to a thicker moisturizer.
In cooler temperatures and seasonal adjustments, moisture is a MUST and now is the time to swap your light, summer-friendly moisturizer with its richer sibling.
Even those of us with acne-prone or oily skin will have to adjust our moisture intake. If you are prone to breakouts, use products labeled non-acnegenic or non-comedogenic. If you have oily skin, the key ingredients will be hydrating ones (i.e. Hyaluronic Acid, Glycerin, Urea, Seaweed, Sodium PCA, Butylene Glycol, etc.)
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Don’t start excessively exfoliating.
Contrary to conventional wisdom, you don’t need to start exfoliating more this time of year. When the skin starts getting stripped of water and moisture, we have to be more careful, more aware and treat it as we would sensitive skin. This time of year, before getting rid of pigmentation, all that excessive exfoliating will likely do is overly sensitize the skin.
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Protect your lips.
Start lathering on the lip balm, early on.
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Face mask more often.
On cooler days, it’s a great idea to use moisturizing masks more often. Especially ones that also contain beautiful ingredients such as Ceramides and Hyaluronic Acid. If you’re experiencing more dryness, consider switching to a cream mask over a sheet mask.
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Don’t ignore the eyes.
The skin around the eyes is more fragile, more prone to dryness and damage, and quicker to show signs of aging. Constant blinking, squinting and movement, adds stress to this area more so than the rest of the face.
And while some folks argue that eye creams are simply “overpriced moisturizers”, that’s not exactly true. Many eye creams are specifically formulated to adapt to this area and they tend to be thicker. The same way body lotion could read a similar ingredients list as a facial moisturizer (at label level), yet it would wreak havoc on our skin if we were to use that body lotion on the face. All skin is not created equal, and while ingredients may be the same, the process of mixing those ingredients may follow a different protocol, the percentages of the actives may be different as well, quite a few things could be different, which would change how that product is engaging with the skin altogether.
If you’re not using an eye product in the warm months, you may want to consider using one in fall/winter.
Our favorite thing to do this time of year, is to use the Eye Goals eye masks (chilled in the fridge for a few minutes if using first thing in the morning), squeeze leftover formula from the pouch and apply that to the brow bone, the 11s (those vertical lines between the eyebrows), lip lines and the rest on the neck and chest. Live your life for about 15 minutes (they're non-slip, so you can literally do whatever you want or need to), then remove them. Tap excess product gently into the skin, and follow with an eye cream. Especially for those of us with dry skin and/or dry eye area, this has been legendary.
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Don’t’ stop wearing sunscreen.
The symbolic end of summer isn’t the end of harmful UVAs and UVB rays.
They’re here year-round, even on cloudy and rainy days. Additionally, UVs are able to penetrate through clothing and windows as well, meaning that you should apply sunscreen even in November, and even if staying home.
And if you want to protect from UVAs and UVB rays, air pollution, AND blue light damage (from the smartphone TV, laptop, tablet, and whatever else you have around), try the 4-IN-1 Concealer SPF 30. It’s an eye cream in a tube, featuring powerful active ingredients formulated at their researched levels of performance + broad spectrum SPF 30 + pollution and blue light protection. It glides on like a gem, and it’s like nothing you’ve ever experienced before.
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Pay more attention to your hands.
Start applying moisturizer on more often. You can also rub leftover face cream onto the hands, then top off with hand cream or lotion.
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Don’t forget about your feet.
They’re often ignored, but they are the ones taking us around. A thick moisturizer (think Vaseline, Aquaphor, etc.) then putting on socks, can do the trick. It's a dreamy pairing. And if you want to pamper yourself, exfoliate and try a foot mask beforehand.
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Now more than ever, load up on skin-friendly foods.
Season superfoods are your friends, because most of them are packed with skin-loving antioxidants. Consider pomegranates, berries, pumpkin and other seasonal squashes.
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Invest in a humidifier.