Tailoring Your Skincare Routine For Fall

When the air cools down and the leaves begin to change, we all know it’s time to hang up our jean shorts and flip flops and unpack those boots and flannels. The wardrobe transition to fall is easy, but when it comes to our skincare routine, the adjustment can be a little trickier. But just like trading in your tank tops for cozy sweaters, your skincare routine needs to change with the season.

Drier air, cooler temperatures and cranking up the heat in your car and home can all wreak their havoc on skin’s sensitive balance. But there are ways to keep your skin in fighting shape when fall throws down the skincare gauntlet. Here are a few ways to make sure your skin stays its best as the days get shorter and pumpkin spice fills the air.

Use A Mild Cleanser

Want to avoid ending up like a withered leaf dangling from the branch of an autumn tree? The last thing you want to do is strip skin of its natural oils by using a harsh cleanser. Even some cleansers marketed for sensitive skin can throw off your delicate dermal pH balance.

To keep your skin safe from the effects of harsh soap, use a gentle cleanser to wash the day away. Using a mild cleanser without astringent or pH damaging ingredients can enable your face and body wash to not just clean, but also moisturize and restore your skin. Cleanser that isn’t compromised by harsh ingredients can deliver dry skin saviors like occlusives and humectants.

Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize

Mild to moderate dry skin is more common in the fall and winter, when environmental air temperature and humidity both take a dip. According to a study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, even just being born in the fall can increase your risk of developing dry, flaky, itchy skin. Autumn babies were more prone to having dry skin in early infancy and more likely to develop atopic dermatitis, an inflammation of the skin, as school children.

Since the cooler, arid weather won’t be doing you any favors this season, you’re in charge of making sure your skin is moisturized and healthy. Even a few hours of exposure in a low humidity environment can lead to changes in skin hydration and, eventually, fine lines and wrinkles. So use a gentle moisturizing lotion or hydrating cream to keep your skin soft in the moment and stave off signs of aging in the future

Don’t Focus On Your Skin Type

Are you combination? Oily? Dry except in your T zone where your skin is as rich in oil as the Beverly Hillbillies? While these are all important things to consider when you’re scoping out potential products, it’s important to note that there’s no real method for determining skin type. And while combination skin is the most common, it’s also the hardest to suss out.

Don’t use arbitrary skin type assignments to determine your skincare routine. It will do you more good to be mindful of what your skin needs in the moment. Your face produces the most sebum in summer, which means you need less added moisture, but when the seasons flip, pay attention to how your skin reacts. Perhaps in the summer you can get away with a light moisturizing lotion, but the fall and winter require a heavier cream. Don’t skimp on what your skin needs just because you don’t think it’s a match for your supposed type.

Exfoliate

Even a deep devotion to your moisturizing routine might not completely prevent dry skin associated with fall’s drop in humidity. In summer months, skin needs to be exfoliated to slough off dead skin and make way for new growth. Products containing salicylic acid, citric acid or natural fruit enzymes can exfoliate the skin chemically, while gritty scrubs can rid the skin of dead cells mechanically. Follow up with a moisturizer to keep skin supple and be careful not to overdo exfoliation – too much can irritate the skin and make matters worse.

Don’t Ignore The Sun

Just because the sun’s not out in full force like it has been all summer doesn’t mean those damaging UV rays can’t make their way into your skin. The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends staying in the shade, covering up from direct sunlight with clothing and, of course, using broad spectrum sunscreen, even in the fall. Autumn days might be shorter, but the sun is still shining bright and damage from UV rays doesn’t discriminate based on the season.  

Tailor your skincare routine for fall with the moisturizing fulvic acid in Fulom’s skincare products and the crisp dry air won’t be able to touch your soft, fresh skin. And with dry, flaky skin off your mind, you’ll be able to focus on the more important parts of the season, like pumpkin spice everything.