How to Adjust Your Skin Care for Fall Weather

Posted on by pureadina.com

Every season I recommend taking a skin evaluation and adjusting your skin care routine accordingly. Just as we change our wardrobe according to the weather, our skin care products are the wardrobe for our skin, so they need to change as well.

Fall weather brings dry and cool days, leaving our skin susceptible to dehydration and dryness. Summer days of heat and humidity enable us to go with lighter moisturizers since the skin produces more oil in the summer and the humidity in the atmosphere keeps the skin moist. Once Fall comes, skin requires a bit more TLC to make up for the moisture loss in the atmosphere and the drop in temperature.

Here’s What to Focus On

Humectants

Humectants in skin care products helps the skin retain or preserve moisture. They are found in serums, creams and masks. Some examples of humectants in skin care are: hyaluronic acid, glycerine, beet sugar and propanediol. These ingredients help the skin cells plump up with moisture and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Humectants play a critical role in helping to maintain the skin’s moisture barrier. An unhealthy moisture barrier makes the skin susceptible to acne, rosacea, eczema, as well as aging. It is the break down of the skin’s natural moisture barrier that is at the heart of all unhealthy skin as well as aging skin.

Clean humectants to look for in products are:

  • Honey
  • Vegetable Glycerine
  • Glycine Betaine (Beet Sugar)
  • Hyaluronic Acid
  • Propanediol
  • Snow Mushroom Extract
  • Sodium Lactate

You can find humectants in these products by Adina Pure Skin Care:

Youthful Glow Serum, Restorative Mist, HydraFirm Mask, Nourishing Mist, Infinity Serum, Radiance Restore Serum, Nourishing Lotion, Rose Glow Intensive Moisturizer, Skin Vitality Cream, Pure Radiance Oil Free Lotion, Skin Purifying Lotion, Skin Revival Serum, Revive Eye Serum and Skin Restorative Cream

Moisturizing

In a drier climate, adding a moisturizing cream or oil on top of humectants will help lock in moisture. If you skip this step, and use a skin care serum containing a humectant, then moisture can actually be drawn out of your skin leaving you more dehydrated than you were without using one.

Using a heavier moisturizer that contains humectants, oils, butters and ceramides will help to lock in moisture on your skin leaving it soft and supple. Oily skin can still use a lighter moisturizer, but people that are prone to dry skin will want to use a heavier moisturizer.

Don’t Over Exfoliate

After potentially aquiring sun damage from the summer, it can be a natural inclination to exfoliate your skin. I encourage this, but one must be mindful to not over exfoliate, as over exfoliation can create damage to the barrier, dryness and dehydration to the skin.

  • I recommend using a lotion the contains AHA’s two to three times a week max. Keep the percentage to 10% AHA’s or lower.
  • Enzyme exfoliants should be used no more than twice per week.
  • Manual exfoliants (scrubs) use 1-2x a week.
  • Do not use all of these types of exfoliants in the same week.
  • Most skins need only to exfoliate once or twice a week.

Use Warm, Not Hot Water to Wash Your Skin

Hot water dries out the skin. Keep your face washing temperature, baths and showers to a warm temperature.

Use a Moisturizer on Your Skin Directly After You Dry It

The longer your skin goes without a moisturizer after cleansing, the more dry and dehydrated it becomes. Aim to put a moisturizer on your skin no more than 30 seconds after its dried for the face and 1-2 minutes for the body. The more damp the skin is before moisturizing, the better the moisturizer works to seal hydration into your skin.

Use a Weekly Hydrating Mask

Using a hydrating mask on your skin 1-2x a week after exfoliation will help infuse your skin with moisture. Masks contain a higher percentage of active ingredients. Using one that contains humectants, such as HydraFirm Mask, will help plump up the skin cells with moisture.

Start Using Retinol

I generally don’t recommend using retinol in the summer as it can make your skin more susceptible to sunburn. However, the Fall season is a great time to add a retinol lotion into your skin care routine. Retinol is a fat soluble form of vitamin A which helps to increase collagen and elastin, decrease wrinkles and fade sun spots. Depending on the strength of the retinol, it can be used 1-4x a week at night. Do not use at the same time as AHA’s, or enzymes. You can use a retinol lotion after a manual exfoliant. Renewal Lotion is a gentle and effective retinol lotion that contains antioxidants and vitamins to work in synergy with retinol.

Place a Humidifier in the Bedroom

Once the temperatures drop and the air becomes drier, place a humidifier in the bedroom to help your skin and sinuses from drying out.

Add in EFA’s to your Diet

Essential Fatty Acids from supplements such as Fish Oil, Flax, or Borage Oil contain Omega Fatty Acids that help to moisturize the skin from the inside out. My favorite supplement for this is Osmosis Recovery. It is a game changer in healing the gut, fat pad restoration and moisturizing your skin from the inside.

In Summary

Taking care of your skin both from the inside out and outside in, will help in preventing signs of aging as well as improve the longterm heath of your skin. Anytime there is flaking of the skin, a tight feeling or if the skin is becoming more sensitive, it’s imperative to restore the health of the skin barrier.

  • Use humectants in facial serums and moisturizers both morning and night.
  • Use a moisturizer twice a day.
  • Do not over exfoliate.
  • Use a hydrating mask weekly.
  • Take care of the internal health of the body.