We are all creatures of habit. It’s easy. It’s comfortable. BUT, sometimes it’s best to switch things up a bit – and your skincare routine is one of those things – especially in this transition from hot, humid weather to cooler, drier days.
So, why is it important to change your skin care routine now?
The biggest reason: humidity - water in the air affects the hydration of your skin. Humid air (think Summer) can soften skin and make it easy to maintain fullness, but drier air (think Now) can dehydrate the skin, making more likely to show fine lines and wrinkles. 😭
Also, fall weather is all over the place: hot & humid one day days and cool & dry the next. With all this up and down, our skin has to adapt, so our skin care routine has to change along with it.
To help maintain your best look as you go through fall, try these 7 Tips:
1. Change your cleanser
This is probably the most important thing you can do for your skin. Sweat and activity in the summertime often call for a more clarifying cleanser (typically see through), while fall and winter hibernation demand that you take a gentler approach. Try switching to a creamier, more moisturizing formula – it will not strip your skin of necessary oils.
Regardless of season, using an Oil Cleanser before your regular face wash is game-changing when it comes removing dirt, oil, and make-up.
2. Change your toner
This follows the same logic as changing your cleanser—you want something with a little more gentle. Something that gives skin that extra dose of hydration to help it resist moisture loss throughout the day.
Avoid alcohol-based toners, they are too drying to the skin. Use something that calms and soothes skin after cleansing. Again, take clues from your skin. How does it feel when you’ve finished applying?
3. Change your moisturizer
Because we tend to sweat more in the summer, we generally use a lighter moisturizer that doesn’t feel like a slimy, sticky coating on our face. 🥵 In the fall, with its colder windy days, blasting heaters, and less water in the air—we need something more moisturizing (not necessarily heavy).
If you have oily skin, you may be fine staying with your summer moisturizer during the day, but switch to something creamier at night to help keep your skin from developing dry patches.
4. Exfoliate
We always recommend exfoliating because it is the best way to minimize the appearance of dark spots and smooth out your skin tone, but now is a really great time to pay attention to your exfoliation routine.
Since we’re entering into a time of year where the skin is creating less oil and can be irritated by the environmental factors—wind, rain, the changing temperature—you want to pay close attention to when your skin is looking a little dull and in need of a scrub.
…but do it gently
Some people can exfoliate a couple of times a week in the summertime, but over exfoliating in the cooler, drier part of the year can be too much. Our Fresh Start Exfoliating Face Wash is ideal for this, as it’s gentle enough to use regularly. (I know it’s in the men’s line, but it’s not like guys don’t use “our” stuff.)
5. Oh, those pores!
Because we sweat more in the summertime, our pores tend to enlarge. That means that when we now look in the mirror, we not exactly thrill with what we see - Time to bring those pores back into line!
The key is to keep them clean so that your body’s natural cycle can do the rest. Our Mean Green Mask (or the Men’s Mean Green Mask) is what you need! The clays absorb excess oil, pulling all the gunk out of the pores as you sit back and relax. When you rinse, you’ll notice a difference right away.
Try it twice a week for a few weeks until you notice a difference in your pores, and then you can back off to just once a week. We like to exfoliate before we do the mask, just to make sure we’re working with the new skin. Makes all the difference.
6. Break out the hydrating masks
The transition from summer to fall to winter can be brutal on your skin’s moisture level. That means that even if you change your moisturizer, it may not be enough, especially when the winds are crazy and the heat is on.
To the rescue - a good moisturizing mask. There are many good ones out there, but of course we are partial to our Honey Mask (love that mask!). Honey is a natural humectant that will leave your skin feeling smooth and deeply nourished.
7. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!
Healthy skin comes from the inside out, too. Not just what we put on the outside. We can (and should) drink glass after glass of water. Sounds boring – but it works!
(A study found that drinking 2.25 liters (9.5 cups) of water every day for four weeks altered skin density and thickness. A second study from the University of Missouri-Columbia showed that drinking 500 milliliters of water (about two cups) increased blood flow to the skin. Source: https://forefrontdermatology.com/role-water-plays-skin-health)
Takeaways:
- Notice how your skin reacts to the change in weather
- Notice how your skin looks throughout the day
- Adjust your skin care routine to match what you need
Remember that anytime you add a product or change your routine, your skin will need time to adjust. Give your new routine a chance to work - at least a couple weeks. Give your skin the time it needs to level out before you make your next change.
