tips for your autumn skincare routine

Moving through seasonal changes can impact our skin's needs. You don't need to reinvent your skincare routine, but it most likely needs a little tweaking to avoid Autumn's ability to steal your glow. "The key rule is to keep things simple", says Dr Eusebio-Alpapara, there is no need for that 20 step routine, all you need is a few switch-ups to ensure Autumn doesn't leave your skin lusterless and dry.

 

Does autumn weather affect your skin differently from summer weather?

There's nothing we can do to control the weather, it has an impact on everything, including our skin. Each season has its ambient temperature, humidity and amount of UV rays which affect our skin's hydration levels, skin's barrier, melanin and oils production. Autumn, like spring, is an intermediate season, so moving from your summer skincare routine in preparation for the colder months should be done in autumn.

During the summer months, our oil glands produce more sebum than the cooler weather - this is why our pores can appear larger. Our skin can also becomes lighter with fewer dark spots and pigmentation due to decrease sun exposure, another bonus - collagen production can also slightly improve during the cooler months, some studies even show that low sun exposure decreases wrinkle appearance. With all those YAY benefits we need to also be mindful that the cold weather can cause our skin to become more prone to redness from irritation from the cold.

Skin hydration also decreases as temperature drops. One of the reasons why summer skin seems to retain hydration or moisture is because of sweat. Sweat adds more moisture and plays a role in maintaining the skin barrier.

What are the most common skin concerns dermatologists see in autumn, and how do we treat them?

Dry skin

As the autumn months approach, your surroundings become colder and less humid. Because of this, you'll experience skin dryness in the fall. Dr Eusebio-Alpapara suggests including hydrating products in your skincare regimen - products that promote moisture retention and hydration, this will help skin maintain that summer glow.

Using a thicker moisturiser is essential for those who experience dry skin as they help repair the skin barrier and retain hydration which is vital. Products that occlude or trap moisture should be a part of the skincare routine. Oils like argan, hemp, grape seed, and jojoba are good occlusives that can block water loss from the skin.

Dry skin: adapt your skincare products for autumn

Hydrating is a must! Use a thicker moisturiser and when it comes to cleansing, stick with a gentle cleanser. Using oils with a high comedogenic rating like coconut help with hydrating the skin.

We recommend:

 
Hydrate Hero Thirsty Skin Serum  view

Rose Body Oil  view

View all hydrating skin products

 

Sensitive skin

Decreasing temperatures leads to moisture loss and dryness, making the skin more irritated. Your skin can easily sting become red and itchy even with your usual summer skincare routine. Some of you may notice their eczema flaring. Dr Eusebio-Alpapara says that if you have dry and eczema-prone skin, make sure you stock up on your favourite moisturiser to prevent eczema flares.

People with sensitive skin may have rosacea. It can be mistaken as simple persistent blushing or flushing that sometimes develops bumps and visible vessels on the face. Cold weather can aggravate rosacea.

Sensitive skin: adapt your skincare products for autumn

If prone to irritation, especially rosacea, do not use harsh skincare products. Be gentle on the skin and avoid rubbing it. Sensitive skin has a damaged skin barrier and using so always use a good moisturiser to help repair it.

We recommend:

Face Cleanser + Body Oil view

Nudist Repair Balm view

View all products for redness irritated skin

 

Oily and pimple prone skin

As the weather cools you might notice that your acne skin care regimen which includes toners and serums are starting to make your skin sting. Dr Eusebio-Alpapara recommends considering using that moisturiser you ditched last summer. Your skin won't be that sticky in the fall.

Adapt your skincare products:

Oil/Acne-Prone skin types

Start by using a light moisturiser and decrease the frequency of skin products with hydroxy acids like glycolic, lactic and salicylic acids, or apply as a spot treatment and not on the whole face.

Combination skin

Continue using a two-pronged skincare routine. For cleansing, use a gentle cleanser then a toner or serum that can remove excess oil on the T-zone, then follow and lightweight moisturiser.

We recommend:

Hemp Face Oil view

Cleanse Dust Enzyme Face Cleanser view

 

Sun-damaged or photoaged skin

Sun-damaged skin from too much sunbathing can appear during Autumn.
This can appear in the form of skin darkening, sunspots, wrinkles, spider veins, and dry, dull and rough skin. To avoid this Dr Eusebio-Alpapara highly recommends using sunscreen every day, no matter what season. But in the summer be vigilant with your SPF and make sure you reapply regularly if you are exposed to UV for prolonged periods.

Photoaged skin: adapt your skin products for autumn

Continue using anti-aging products, like serums rich in vitamin c. These will help lighten unwanted dark spots - hello beautiful skin! You can also exfoliate gently to help slough off damaged skin cells every two weeks.

We recommend:

Lighten Up Brightening Face Serum view

Prickly Pear Face + Hair Oil view

View our skin brightening products

 

Tips for Autumn skincare.

Dr Eusebio-Alpapara recommends the tips below for your skincare routine, however, it's important to remember that your daily skincare routines should still depend on your skin type, and the target specific skin concerns to maintain that healthy skin.

• Cleanse

  Shift to foaming to non-foaming gentle cleansers. Gently use an oil cleanser to remove make-up and dirt, first, then a non-foaming cleanser.
  
  

• Exfoliate

  You may still want to remove dead skin cells through gentle exfoliation. But do it with caution, especially on sensitive and dry skin. Overdoing it may lead to further damage.
  
  

• Tone

  Shift from alcohol-based to glycerin-based toners since alcohol might be too irritating and dry out your skin. Glycerine is a humectant that can suck moisture into the skin. Including this in your skincare routine further cleans and hydrates the skin.
  
  

• Hydrate

  Shift from a light moisturiser to a thicker moisturiser to retain skin hydration. If you have dry skin, you may use oils with a high comedogenic rating (CR) like coconut, olive, and almond oil. For oily and acne-prone skin, use oils with a lower comedogenic rating like hempseed, safflower and grape seed oil. Use a skin booster or a product like a vitamin c-rich serum to address sun-damaged skin. Butters like Cocoa and Cupuacu can be suitable for the body.
  
  

• Medicate

  Treat specific conditions. For pimple breakouts, shift from whole face application to spot treatment. Since the skin starts to become dry, putting products with alpha-hydroxy acids and salycilic acid on the entire face may cause dryness and irritated skin. Consult your trusted dermatologists for the best tips for sensitive skin conditions like acne, rosacea and contact dermatitis.
  
  

• Protect your skin

  Use sunscreen with at least an SPF 30.

 

Kathleen May Eusebio-Alpapara is a board certified dermatologist who practices both medical and cosmetic dermatology at VE Eusebio Skin Centre.