September 2022, Skin

Skincare Switch Up

September 1, 2022 | by Aurora Solis

Adjusting your routine for cooler weather

You may be lucky enough to still be enjoying a radiant, Summer-bronzed glow, and a humidity-induced dewy appearance. Unfortunately, for much of the world, Summer doesn’t last forever, bringing about shorter days, cooler weather, and paler, drier skin.

Instead of letting nature’s seasonal cycles keep your skin from looking its best, work with it, switching up your skin care routine to combat the incoming colder temperatures.

Start From Within

One of the most effective ways to maintain your glow is to stay hydrated and eat your fruits and veggies. Estheticians agree that skin health is partly reliant on your diet, with a more youthful, hydrated, and radiant appearance coming from sufficient water intake and nutrients.

Fall and Winter months may not be as hot and muggy as the summer, but your body still needs hydration. Drink at least 64 ounces of water a day and add nutrient-rich foods like avocado and walnuts to your diet to keep skin supple and glowing.

“During the cooler months, hydration is key, which is why overnight masks are a lifesaver.”

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Step 1: Go for Mild Cleansers

Wind can be cold and harsh, causing the skin to dry out and flake. Instead of skipping your cleanser, switch to a hydrating formula. Hyaluronic acid and ceramides are two superstar moisture-rich ingredients to keep an eye out for, found in many cleansers on the market from drugstore to high end.

Step 2: Choose a Hydrating Toner

After cleansing, it’s time to tone – restoring skin’s pH and keeping it from drying out or producing excess oil. Some toners have ingredients that can strip skin of moisture, especially those made for oily skin. Instead, choose a gentle, balanced, hydrating toner with complexion-boosting ingredients, like jasmine water and prebiotics that work together to keep skin’s flora balanced.

Step 3: Double Up on Moisturizer

Thirsty, dull skin craves a dose of extra hydration. To give skin its fix, apply moisturizer at least twice a day, increasing the frequency the drier skin gets. Look for ingredients like ceramides, hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and essential oils like jojoba and avocado. Moisture-gripping lipids, plumping amino acids, and powerful repairing peptides are all skin saviors.

Treat Your Skin

This is the time of year for nature rest and rejuvenate. While most of us can’t hit pause for too long, it’s recommended to take some time to treat our skin (and ourselves!). Here are some cool-weather essentials to keep skin hydrated and glowing:

Exfoliating

Sloughing off dead skin cells helps reveal new, fresh skin. It’s a necessity, though overdoing it could lead to irritation. Start by exfoliating once a week, increasing gradually up to three times per week. To keep new skin from flaking or drying, be sure to moisturize after exfoliating skin.

Moisturizing Masks

Masks have come a long way, with so many juicy formulas to choose from. During the cooler months, hydration is key, which is why overnight masks are a lifesaver. It’s recommended to treat skin with a mask at least twice a week, though extra-dry skin can be masked up each night to wake up refreshed.

Peels

This is great time to add chemical peels to your skincare routine. Adding a peel at least once a month (during a time when we tend to have less sun exposure) can remove top layers of skin to reveal fresh skin that you can hydrate to keep looking its best and most dewy.

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