How to Reinvent Your Skincare Routine for Fall
Posted by Ellie Swain on Oct 30th 2020
The days are getting shorter, temperatures are plummeting, and the air is becoming crisp and dry. Yep, it’s definitely time for fall.
With the change in the season, many of us welcome cozy sweaters, pumpkin-spiced everything, and the fun surrounding Halloween. But many of us also forget and neglect an important change we need to make elsewhere – our skincare routine.
While it’s easy to carry on with the same skincare routine we followed in the summer, in the fall our skin has different needs. A long, hot summer would have likely bestowed its mark upon our face, leaving pigmentation from endless tanning on the beach. And let’s not forget the inflammation caused by one too many tequila sunrises sipped from the cocktail bars. Oops!
Understandably, the sudden change in temperature and our behavior can drastically impact the way our skin looks, feels and performs.
Ready to update your skincare routine for fall? Here’s our guide on how to deal with the seasonal transition.
Exfoliate
Many people believe that exfoliating can increase dryness – which is something we certainly don’t want after a long hot summer! However, it’s the best way to treat parched, flaky skin in the cooler autumn months.
Avoid physical scrubs and instead choose chemical liquid exfoliants. Scrubs can create tiny tears in the skin that can increase inflammation and further damage the skin barrier – not ideal.
Liquid exfoliants like lactic acid, for example, are a great choice as they hydrate the skin as well as exfoliating it.
Dermalogica’s Skin Resurfacing Cleanser is a dual-action exfoliant cleanser that utilizes lactic acid to retexturize aging skin and help accelerate cell turnover.
Moisturize
As we’ve established, your skin may be seriously dehydrated following summer. So, to prepare for a nail-bitingly cold winter, fall is the perfect transition period to properly supplement the moisture lost during the summer months.
If your skin feels particularly dry and thirsty, now’s the time to invest in a cream or serum designed to prevent moisture loss. Look for products that feature ingredients such as hyaluronic acid which is renowned for its super hydrating properties.
We love PCA’s Skin Hyaluronic Acid Boosting Serum which is applied morning and night and offers maximum hydration and plumping for thirsty skin.
For those with oily skin, a heavy cream may feel like too much. However, you can still reap the benefits of using additional moisture in the fall.
Simply look for a lighter, oil-free option. That way you can keep skin supple and hydrated without clogging up skin with products that contribute to oiliness.
Look After Lips
The combination of hours spent outside in the sun with the onset of chilly cold weather can mean a disaster for your lips. Often in fall, we’re left with dry, cracked, and chapped lips in full need of some major TLC.
So, choosing the right lip balm is key for smooth and supple lips this fall. As lips lack the waterproofing outer layer that skin offers, they’re more prone to moisture loss. So, for the best results seek ingredients in lip balms such as beeswax, shea butter, and petrolatum to protect your lips from the harsh winds of autumn.
Elta MD UV Lip Balm Broad-Spectrum has 5.0% transparent zinc oxide and SPF 31 protection that gives your lips a barrier from the sun's damaging rays and weather while leaving your lips nourished and hydrated.
Help Hands
While we’re usually more aware of keeping our face and lips moisturized, our hands often get neglected in the colder months.
Constantly exposed and busy, the cold weather easily ravages the delicate skin on our hands, leaving them dry and flaky. It’s not a good look, especially when we want to paint our talons in a new autumnal hue.
To make sure our hands don’t get overlooked, be sure to choose a rich, buttery hand cream to keep them soft and smooth.
Topix’s Intensive Hand Cream is super hydrating and locks in moisturize without leaving the hands greasy and slimy.
Keep Sunscreen Applied
One easy beauty mistake to make is only applying sunscreen during the hot summer months. Our skin can be damaged by UV rays all year round – including during the fall and winter months. So, when it comes to updating our skincare routines sunscreen is the one product you need never swap out.
Opt for a mineral-based SPF which is light, breathable, and easy to use. It sits well under makeup, so you won’t feel like you’re wearing a thick and overpowering sunscreen.
Curious as to what other skincare myths are out there? Here are the skincare myths we need to stop believing.