The seasons are a-changing. Take it in your stride with our beauty editor’s guide to transitional skincare to see you from summer, through autumn, and beyond.
Including skin nourishing moisturisers to help treat dryness as the weather gets colder; post-summer treatments for pigmentation; and the products you need to know to look after your lips this season – these are the skincare swaps we recommend making at this time of year.
Supercharge hydration
The transition from summer to autumn (and eventually to winter) can have a significant impact on the hydration of your skin. The air becomes drier due to lower humidity, and we also start to turn on our heating, causing moisture to evaporate more quickly from your skin’s surface. When outside, the colder air also constricts blood vessels, reducing circulation; being out and about in harsh winds can physically strip natural oils from your face. This all leads to dehydration and flaky, dry complexions.
What to do:
Use richer creams that contain ingredients like plant oils, butters and ceramides to ‘lock in’ moisture – these can be a pampering treat for winter-worn skin. Try Tatcha’s The Dewy Skin Cream (one of Space NK’s best-sellers), layered over your favourite hydrating serum: one containing hyaluronic acid, such as 111Skin’s Hyaluronic Acid Aqua Booster, is a good choice.
If you have very oily skin (or hate the feel of a thicker cream), try layering multiple hydrating products instead, before locking in moisture with an oil-free formula like Kate Somerville’s Oil Free Moisturiser. Then, for all skin types, a weekly hydrating mask can give your skin the additional boost of moisture it needs and will also bring some much needed self-care to darker evenings. Try Kiehl’s Avocado Nourishing Hydration Mask.
Treat dark spots
The effects of sun damage can be a major concern after the summer, especially if you have been to sunny climes where the sun’s rays sometimes cause signs you can see – such as hyperpigmentation (aka dark spots) – and those you can’t, such as skin cancer. (Check out our guide to mole mapping to be skin cancer aware). Hyperpigmentation is caused when UV radiation from the sun overstimulates the pigment-producing cells in your skin, leading to uneven patches of pigmentation, known as sun spots. These can be very stubborn to get rid off, especially as your skin’s natural regeneration process slows, for example with age.
What to do:
The autumn/winter transition is the perfect time to tackle hyperpigmentation, as treatments for it can cause slight sun sensitivity (so you want to decrease your sun exposure as much as possible). Our comprehensive guide to treating hyperpigmentation provides the ultimate cheat sheet for dealing with dark spots, but the main things to concentrate on are encouraging the sloughing off of dead, dull skin cells, through gentle exfoliants and retinoids. Brightening ingredients such as vitamin C (a powerful antioxidant), kojic acid, and niacinamide are helpful too. At-home skincare products proven to work include Skinceuticals’ C E Ferulic, Revision Skincare’s C+ Correcting Complex and Topicals’ Faded Serum.
For stubborn hyperpigmentation, it might be time to speak to an aesthetic doctor or dermatologist who can recommend the right chemical peel, targeted laser treatment, or prescription-strength skincare, such as hydroquinone, to shift the uneven tone for you. And finally, remember, even in autumn and winter, UV rays can damage your skin so continue using broad-spectrum SPF daily.
Soothe your barrier
That flushed look your cheeks get during the autumn and winter? It’s not just due to the cold. It can also be a sign of irritation, caused by the skin’s natural moisture barrier becoming impaired. This can mean that pollution and other irritants are more able to penetrate your skin – leading to redness, flakiness, breakouts and dullness. All of which contribute to that tired, slightly drained look that our complexions can get during the autumn and winter. Add the irritation that weepy eyes from the wind and cold can cause, and your whole face starts to feel uncomfortable.
What to do:
If you notice that your skin is getting a little red and sore, the first step is to eliminate any products that might be stripping moisture from your skin – such as harsh cleansers – while also reducing the amount you use actives that can cause dryness, such as retinoids and exfoliating acids. (You can add these back in once the inflammation has calmed down).
Instead, stick to reparative products with hero ingredients such as ceramides, colloidal oatmeal, aloe vera and hyaluronic acid. These are great for sensitive skin; they bring down redness and restore your skin’s natural moisture barrier, meaning your complexion stays calm and hydrated for longer. You can’t go wrong with eczema-safe skincare such as Aveeno’s Face Calm and Restore Rehydrating Night Cream, or indulgently nourishing formulas such as Drunk Elephant’s Bora Barrier Repair Cream and Skin Rock’s The Moisturiser Fragrance Free. For sore eyes, try CeraVe’s Eye Repair Cream.
Look after your lips and hands
It’s not just your face that can feel and reflect the elements: your lips and hands often do too. The skin in these areas tends to be thinner than the rest of your body, so is particularly prone to dryness, chapping and flakiness if you don’t lock in moisture properly. The transitional period between seasons is the perfect time to start protecting these sensitive areas, making sure that they are suitably moisturised and plumped before the really cold conditions hit.
What to do:
Using hand creams and lip balms is all about building a habit, so choose formulas that you actually enjoy using, whether that’s scented or unscented. You also want both types of formulas to be creamy enough to moisturise throughout the day (so you don’t constantly have to reapply), without becoming annoyingly sticky or tacky on the skin.
Look to occlusive ingredients such as shea butter, lanolin and beeswax to deeply hydrate, as well as softening emollients such as coconut oil and avocado oil. There are some great iconic products in this category we’d suggest you try, including L’Occitane’s Hand & Nail Care, which will quickly nourish dry hands, and Laneige’s Lip Sleeping Mask. Other top recommendations include Biossance’s Squalane Lip Balm and Nursem’s Caring Hand Cream. A good trick is to apply a thick layer of your hand cream or lip balm before you go to bed, to deeply nourish your skin overnight. Then, you’ll wake up feeling pampered in the morning.
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