2024 Fall Skincare Guide: Essential Skincare Tips for Cooler Weather
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Fall is arguably one of the best times of the year - the sweaters, holidays, coziness, you name it 🧣🍁. However, along with all this goodness also comes a transition from warm, humid weather to cooler, drier days that could affect your skin’s hydration and overall health. That means that it's a good time to refresh your skincare routine to adapt to the season’s unique conditions.
In this comprehensive Fall skincare guide, I’ll go over:
How does the transition to Fall’s cooler weather affect your skin?
5 Essential tips to help your skin stay healthy and glowing through the Fall season
Specific changes to make to your skincare routine to accommodate the cooler weather
So if you’re ready to optimize your skincare routine for the transition to the autumn months, let’s dive in!
How Does the Transition to Cooler Fall Weather Affect Your Skin?
Fall is inevitably accompanied by changes in temperature, humidity, and environmental conditions. And since our skin is directly exposed to the outside world, it experiences the brunt of these changes. Below are a few of the ways your skin might be affected:
Increased dryness
As humidity levels drop in the fall, and indoor heating becomes a thing, the air both indoors and outdoors becomes drier and your skin may lose moisture more quickly, leading to dryness and dehydration. This lack of hydration may also cause your skin to feel tight and less supple.
Weakened Skin Barrier
Cold air can increase transepidermal water loss (TEWL), where moisture escapes from the skin’s surface. Also, frequent transitions between the cold outdoors to heated indoors may cause stress on your skin as it works to adapt to the fluctuations. Given these non-ideal conditions, your skin barrier may not be in its peak condition and it becomes less effective at protecting against irritants and pathogens.
Increased Sensitivity
The weakened skin barrier that often accompanies the colder months can make your skin more sensitive. The skin barrier is your protective layer, and your body's first line of defense. So when it is compromised, you are more susceptible to the impact of external conditions.
Fall also brings about increased allergens, such as mold and pollen, which can lead to flare-ups of conditions like eczema or psoriasis that may further increase skin sensitivity and reactivity.
Redness and Irritation
In causing a stressed skin barrier and increased sensitivity, exposure to cold weather and changes in humidity can cause skin irritation, redness, and exacerbation of atopic skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, or rosacea. Windy days may also further irritate the skin with windburn, similar to sunburn.
Slower Cell Turnover
As the cold may cause your skin to be stressed (i.e., weakened skin barrier, increased sensitivity, …), it is not be able to undergo its normal processes as efficiently or effectively. A result of this is slower cell turnover, which, combined with the skin dryness, can lead to a buildup of dead skin cells. This, in turn, may lead to a duller complexion, rougher skin texture, and potential flakiness.
By understanding how cold weather may affect your skin, you can make informed adjustments to your skincare routine, ensuring that your skin remains healthy, hydrated, and balanced as the seasons change.
One great option to help keep your skin hydrated in the cold months is to add a body serum into your skincare routine! For some good options, check out: 5 Best Body Serums for Smooth Skin
5 Essential Skincare Tips for Your Fall Routine
Now that you know how Fall weather can impact your skin, here are five tips for effective Fall skincare:
Start Fresh
The summer causes changes to your skin, such as increase in thickness due to warmer weather, clogged pores from sweat and oily sunscreens, and buildup due to repeated application of sunscreen and other products that may not always get properly removed at the end of the day. As such, it’s important to get rid of this residue and create a clean slate for your Fall skincare.
This can be done by using exfoliating products or dermaplaning to remove buildup from the summer months. Doing so can uncover fresher skin that is able to better absorb all the hydrating and nourishing ingredients from your skincare products.
Adjust Your Skincare Routine
As colder weather sets in, your skin barrier takes a hit and your skin becomes more easily susceptible to moisture loss and skin irritation. It becomes key to adjust your skincare routine to meet these changing conditions head on and protect your skin with gentler, more nourishing ingredients. Read on to the next section for specific changes you can make to your skincare routine.
Add Your Own Moisture to the Air
Between the cold, dry air outside and indoor heating that becomes more prominent during cold months, your skin is constantly exposed to dehydrating conditions. Adding moisture to the air with a humidifier can create a more comfortable indoor environment for your skin and help prevent it from becoming too dry. OR if you don’t want to purchase a humidifier, you can place an uncovered container of water in your room to provide a source of moisture for the air. (My parents used to do this when I was growing up!)
Continue Using Sunscreen
It may be tempting to believe that because autumn days are more cloudy and gray, your skin is safe from sun damage. However, this is not the case. UV rays can still penetrate the clouds and cause skin damage and premature aging. As such, maintaining your daily sunscreen routine is crucial for continued skin health and protection from harmful UV radiation. Remember to apply a sunscreen with at least SPF 30 daily, and reapply every two hours if you’re spending extended time outdoors.
For some subscreens that are comfortable for everyday wear and great for sensitive skin, check out: 5 Lightweight Sunscreens for Sensitive Skin
Don’t Neglect Your Lips
While people tend to focus care towards the skin on their face and body, it’s important not to neglect your lips. As they have some of the thinnest skin on your body, they’re also most sensitive and particularly susceptible to moisture loss due to cold weather. Using a hydrating lip mask regularly or lip balm can help ensure that they don’t get too chapped or irritated.
These tips can help you adapt your skincare routine to the changing season and keep your skin looking and feeling its best.
Adding a toner specifically designed to promote and maintain moisture in your skin can be an excellent add to your skincare routine during winter months. Check some out here: 5 Moisturizing Toners for Dehydrated Skin
Specific Changes to Make to Your Skincare Routine
Here are a few ways you can adjust your routine to provide the extra hydration, protection, and gentle care that your skin needs to stay healthy and balanced throughout the colder months.
Switch to a Gentle, Hydrating Cleanser
The name of the game during cooler months is to maintain your skin’s moisture as much as possible. Switching to a gentler, more hydrating cleanser can help avoid stripping your skin of its natural oils.
🍂Gentle Cleanser Product Recs:Incorporate a Hydrating Serum
Adding a hydrating serum to your routine can give your skin an extra boost of moisture and help it resist moisture loss – something that will be crucial during cooler months. Choose serums with ingredients such as:
Glycerin: Draws moisture into the skin and helps it stay hydrated.
Hyaluronic Acid: Enhances moisture retention and plumps the skin.
Ceramides: Exist between your skin cells to help form the skin barrier, which keeps hydration in and potential irritants out.
🍂 Hydrating Serum Product Recs:Incorporate Vitamin C
Spending time outdoors during the summer months likely leads to photo-damage. As the weather shifts, it's a good time to help repair your skin and reduce the effects of this damage. Incorporating vitamin C into your skincare routine can help with this, all the while brightening the skin and strengthening the skin barrier.
🍂 Vitamin C Product Recs:Adjust Your Exfoliation Routine
Exfoliation helps remove dead skin cells that can accumulate due to drier conditions and promotes cell turnover - a process that can get hindered by the cold weather. However, as your skin may be more sensitive in the Fall, you may want to adjust your exfoliation practices:
Use Gentle Exfoliants: Opt for mild exfoliants with ingredients like lactic acid or fruit enzymes, which are less likely to irritate.
Decrease Frequency: Reduce the frequency to once or twice a week if you notice increased sensitivity or dryness.
🍂 Gentle Exfoliation Product Recs:
Switch to a Richer Moisturize
With cooler weather and lower humidity, your skin will need extra hydration and skin barrier support. This will help balance moisture levels, help maintain the skin’s elasticity, and reduce the appearance of wrinkles that may result from dehydrated skin. Opt for a richer, more emollient moisturizer to combat dryness and maintain a healthy moisture barrier. Look for ingredients like:
Hyaluronic Acid: Attracts and retains moisture in the skin.
Squalane: Provides deep hydration and helps lock in moisture.
Ceramides: Help restore and strengthen the skin barrier.
🍂 Moisturizer Product Recs:
Add a Face Oil
If your skin is particularly dry, as it tends to be in cooler weather, adding a face oil can provide extra hydration and help lock in moisture. It can be added as the last step in your skincare routine at night, or before your sunscreen step in the morning. (You can also try mixing the oil in with your moisturizer for easier application.)
🍂 Nourishing Facial Oil Product Recs:
Adapting your skincare routine to your environment can make all the difference in maintaining a radiant complexion. If you embrace the tips in this post, you can be sure to keep your skin nourished and glowing through the transition to Fall and cooler weather 🍂. Bring on sweater weather!