The Do's and Don'ts of Autumn Skincare
It’s the most wonderful time of the year… don’t worry I am not getting carried away and planning Christmas in September, I am talking about Autumn! Autumn is the time for cosy blankets, crisp and chilly walks and pumpkin spiced lattes!
But, Autumn is also the dreaded time of year for your skin, you can feel the moisture leave your skin and seasonal breakouts settle in. With one flick of the central heating switch, you know the chaos to your skin will be not far behind. Do not fear, we have rounded up our best tips to help you upgrade your skincare routine and overcome the autumn skincare battles.
Autumn can be a challenging time for those prone to dry skin
The Do's of Autumn Skincare:
Apply extra moisturiser
For a quick win this autumn, swapping your light summer moisturiser out for something richer will make a dramatic improvement to your dry autumn skin. We love convenience and this Medik8 day cream, not only combining your moisturiser with SPF, but with the added bonus of DNA repair enzymes - helping to keep your skin looking youthful and preventing future signs of ageing.
If you’re not willing to part ways with your current light daytime lotion, then consider an intensely moisturising night cream instead. It’s the perfect time for heavier creams as you’ll give your skin plenty of time to absorb all that moisturising goodness.
Exfoliate regularly
Thanks to the bitter winds of autumn making your skin appear dull with a build up of dead skin cells, exfoliators are about to be your new best friend. The build up on your skin can also prevent moisture from being absorbed so you definitely don’t want to skip this important step! We are currently reaching for this natural exfoliator that contains salicylic acid and mandelic acid to help clean and tighten pores.
Remember your lips
Cold weather always means chapped lips! Yet, we forget this every year and neglect our lips leaving them looking flaky and sore. Make sure you avoid petroleum jelly this autumn, as this ingredient is actually incompatible with your skin and can prevent your skin from being able to breathe. Created with a squalane base, this Medik8 lip balm instantly melts into an oil when it touches your lips to provide long-lasting hydration, unlike petroleum based lip balms.
Introduce retinol if you haven't already
Vitamin A is well known for being a holy-grail ingredient when it comes to skincare. This super nutrient can help generate cells, smooth the appliance of skin, reduce fine lines and wrinkles, calm breakouts and unclog pores! Need we say more? If you want to gradually introduce this miracle ingredient into your skincare, we recommend mixing a few drops of retinol serum into your nighttime moisturiser once a week and gradually increase.
Eyes helps the regeneration of cells and tissues of the dermis, this results in:
Improved skin elasticity
Restoration of damaged skin
Skin is rejuvenated
Reduction in fine lines and wrinkles
Reduce the appearance of dark circles under the eyes
Restores volume under the eyes
A thicker moisturiser will help combat dry skin this Autumn
The Don'ts of Autumn Skincare:
Reduce your SPF
Just because the sun may have dimmed, the UV rays can still reach your skin and damage cells. Don’t be fooled into packing away the SPF, make sure you’re still regularly applying throughout the day to prevent skin damage and premature ageing. Especially, if you’re using retinol based products.
In need of a new SPF? We've previously rounded up our favourite SPF's over on our blog. Plus, do not forget your precious eyes! With more overcast skies you won't be reaching for your sunglasses as much, so now is the time to consider adding an SPF eye cream into your skincare regime. We recommend the Medik8 Advanced Day Eye Protect™ SPF50
Have lots of boiling hot showers/baths
Besides from saving yourself money on your gas bill, you’ll also want to avoid long hot showers and baths for your skins sake. The hotter the water, the more it will dry your skin and strip your natural oils - opt for luke warm water instead.
Suddenly change everything up completely
You may be experiencing seasonal break-outs, or have noticed an increase in hyperpigmentation from the summer, but do not let this scare you into dramatically changing your entire skincare regime. More aggressive skincare does not always mean more effective, and sometimes can even result in desensitising your skin.
For complete confidence and expert advice we recommend booking a consultation with one of our team, we can discuss your skincare concerns and help create a plan to tackle these together. However, if you must struggle alone, try to only change one small thing at a time to allow your skin to get accustomed to your new skincare routine.
Get in touch for your free skincare consultation with the Beauty Within team.
