Sweater season has arrived with it comes a medley of fall skincare tips from our team to help you level-up your routine for the cooler days ahead.
Why it is important to revisit your skincare routine seasonally.
The fall and winter season not only affects our energy levels, appetites, and attire—it impacts our skin too. In this post, we share the main ways you will see your skin changing followed by our fall skincare tips to help you adjust to and enjoy happy and healthy skin all season long.
How your skin changes with the season.
As the temperature drops, your skin begins to produce less sebum (the natural moisture produced by the sebaceous gland). With less sebum to moisturize the skin and harsher weather—think cold air, wind, and rain—your skin barrier can become weakened. Any ‘cracks’ in the skin barrier can lead to water loss and increased sensitivity. This is often why people experience eczema and psoriasis flare-ups in the fall and winter months. This additional dryness can lead to a build up of surface dead skin cells that:
- leaves your skin looking dull
- causes skin flaking
- clogs your pores
- prevents proper absorption of your topical products
With all of this in mind, there are some simple adjustments you can make in your routine to prevent these concerns.
Our fall skincare tips
As certified skin therapists with a combined experience of 35+ years we are well versed in helping our clients adapt their beauty routine in the fall and winter. Key things to consider include:
- Adding a hydrating and/or barrier boosting serum to your routine. This step is great for all skin types and a good quality product will alleviate dryness and flaking.
- Ensure you are exfoliating. If dead skin cells are left to accumulate on the skin’s surface, you will find your skin looking dull and feeling rough. Having some kind of exfoliation in your routine is a great idea year-round, but especially vital in the winter months. A nightly retinol treatment is another great option to activate sluggish cell turnover. We also recommend a gentle exfoliating powder to polish away surface texture.
- Use a treatment masque weekly. Masques are problem solvers that will give your skin a much needed boost of hydration and or nourishment in the cold winter months.
- Switch to a heavier moisturizer. We are fortunate to have a rich array of moisturizers to choose from, so there are many different options for increasing the moisture your skin is receiving in the fall and winter. For oily skin types, switching from an oil-free formula to something that is just slightly richer will make a world of difference. For normal to dry skin types, you will be surprised to find how much nourishment your skin can take in these cooler months. We realize it can be a bit intimidating to change your moisturizer, so we recommend consulting a certified skin therapist and trying samples to make sure the product works well for your skin before purchasing it.
Fall Skincare Tips: The habits we love
In addition to these routine changes, fall offers us an opportunity to pick up routines that may have dropped off in the busy summer months, and amplify our self-care for a more resilient immune system in flu season. Here’s an inside look at our certified skin therapists fall routines/habits.
Iuliia Belousova, Certified Skin Therapist and Dermalogica Expert
I often stop using retinol during hot summer days, so fall is usually a season when this products gets back into my routine for a regular use. I particularly love the Dyanamic Retinol Serum from Dermalogica for its gentle retinol delivery along with all the skin texture smoothing properties and positive effect on fine lines and wrinkles it provides.
You will also find me supping tumeric golden mylk. It’s one of my favourite fall drinks! Not only does it brings antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits to the cells and is a great immune booster, it is also such a comforting and simply delicious drink! ☺️
Kim Thomas, Certified Skin Therapist and Dermalogica Expert
As a busy Mom of a young toddler, time for self-care isn’t exactly what I’d like it to be, but in the fall I do make a point of making sure I have a weekly skincare ritual. With my dry skin, I find I have to make an extra effort to keep my skin feeling and looking great in the winter months. Here’s my fall skincare plan:
I am loving the latest at-home peel from Dermalogica. The Liquid Peelfoliant has a blend of hydroxy acids and enzymes that activates cell turnover for smooth and radiant skin.
Next I like to replenish the freshly resurfaced skin with a masque that gives moisture, antioxidants, and soothing ingredients like vitamin E and beta glucan. This is the one I have on weekly rotation in the fall.
Lastly I am upgrading my moisturizer – as mentioned above, the cold weather can impact your barrier function, making your skin flaky, tight, & easily irritated. I plan to combat the cold with an oxygen-rich moisturizer that helps renew my skin and turn back the signs of aging—because who doesn’t want that?
Kathryn Sawers, Certified Skin Therapist and Dermalogica Expert
Beyond all the topical skincare adjustments we’ve talked about in this post thus far, I like to take an inside-out approach to my skincare routine. In the fall and winter I find it quite helpful to increase my intake of amino acids. I recently started taking a collagen supplement that is combines magnesium and L-theanine to aid in better quality sleep. The formula I take contains both essential and non-essential amino acids including glycine which is known for its moisture retaining and skin regenerating benefits. There is evidence to support that taking a hydrolized collagen supplement can improve skin hydration and elasticity among other benefits, so it’s a habit I’m motivated to keep up. I also make sure to have a healthy dose of omega 3 and 6 fatty acids—by both supplement and dietary sources—to reduce inflammation and keep my skin moisturized.
Next on my fall routine agenda is re-introducing my NuFace microcurrent device. Yes—I admit that I have fallen off the habit—so fall is giving me the new year/fresh start energy I need to get back at it. In addition to giving my features a lifted/sculpted/’snatched’ look, the hydrating ionized gel I use to help transmit the microcurrent waves into my skin and muscle tissues is providing me with the extra skin flooding benefits that are so crucial in the fall and winter months.
Implementing fall skincare tips
We’ve provided a lot of information here to help you enjoy your best skin over the fall and winter. Hopefully you’re feeling inspired, but if you’re feeling unsure about what steps you need to take we are here to help! Comment below with your questions or book a consultation with us to get your personalized fall routine set up.
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