Summer is over but there’s no need to despair! Autumn has a lot going for it (Pumpkin spice everything, Halloween, amazing colour palettes and chic knitwear). However dry and flaky skin doesn’t have to be the backlash! In today’s post, we’ve put together a few fuss-free Autumn skincare tips. Follow these for glowing and smooth skin throughout the cold months. So sit back, sip a Turmeric latte and enjoy!

The Autumn Skincare Routine

Having a personalised skincare routine should come as second nature to you if you’ve been with us for a while! If not, check out our guide to figuring out your skin type and skincare routines pages. It will then all start to make sense! Of course the basics of cleansing, moisturising, protecting plus some targeted treatments remain as ever. However, there are a few important tweaks to consider for Autumn. The first is that your skin is likely to become drier due to a mixture of the cold weather and indoor heating. Hence you need to be more zealous about increasing moisture in your skin. Secondly, Autumnal skin can have a tendency to look patchy and rough. This is firstly due to tans disappearing as the last evidence of Summer and also due to dry skin causing flakiness.  So obviously exfoliation will be key to smooth, soft and glowing skin!

Boost Hydration in Your Cleansing Step

You should avoid drying cleansers in general anyway however for Autumn, it may be worth switching an even more moisturising cleanser. Opt a conditioning gel cleanser like Glossier’s Milky Jelly Cleanser to thoroughly clean and hydrate skin at the same time.

Exfoliate Like a Pro

Regular exfoliation will smooth your skin, even tone skin tone and give you a healthy glow. Not all exfoliators are equal though! Since skin may be drier and more fragile in Autumn, we would recommend opting for acid or enzyme exfoliants over physical ones which will resurface the skin without causing micro-tearing or injury.

In Autumn, we recommend a daily gentle exfoliating toner such as Pixi Glow Tonic if you have dry or ageing skin or Glossier Solution for oily or acne prone skin. On a weekly basis try using an exfoliating face mask like Ren’s Glycol Lactic Radiance Renewal Mask which contains a cocktail of four AHAs (Alpha Hydroxy Acids) to resurface skin and make it more radiant. Another excellent choice is Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Sukari Babyfacial which has a combination of AHA/BHA that will give you a mini peel feel at home and is ideal for wrinkles, discolouration, oily or congested skin and acne-prone skin.

Switch to a Richer Moisturiser

So here’s the thing, skin is a highly specialised organ. One of its key functions is that it acts as a barrier to the outside world. So whilst we exfoliate to smooth the skin, we should also build up and nourish it as a protective layer. To prepare for winter, you can start by incorporating a richer moisturiser as part of your daily Autumn skincare routine. For very dry skin, try the Weleda Skin Food Original Ultra-Rich Cream for very dry skin or Weleda Hydrating Day Cream for more oily skin.

Vitamin Skin Boosters

If they’re not already, Vitamins A and C should be regulars in your skincare routine either as serums or in your daily moisturiser. They will both help brighten dull skin as well as help smooth lines and wrinkles (Vitamin A) and provide powerful antioxidant effects (Vitamin C).

Don’t Forget the Sun Protection

Just because the weather looks gloomier, it doesn’t mean that the risk of sun damage goes away. So keep going with your daily sunscreen and like the moisturiser try something thicker and more hydrating like Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen or Avène SPF 50+ Mineral Light Hydrating Sunscreen Lotion.

Targeted treatments

The change in weather and associated lifestyle adjustments – Autumn is often when schools and Universities start, jobs pick up in intensity and the idea of Summer as a distant memory. Hence skin may be more prone to outbreaks, dryness or flaking as well as increased sensitisation. As such its important to add a few targetted treatments toe especially help with these isolated problems. We recommend doing that as part of a weekly skincare ritual. This can be a one-hour treatment once a week that involves a resurfacing treatment and nourishing masking step.

Chemical exfoliants like the Ren Glycol Lactic Radiance Renewal Mask or Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Sukari Babyfacial are higher strength than your daily exfoliating toner. Opt for AHA-containing products if your main concern is wrinkles and scarring, BHA containing products if your issue is with acne or outbreaks and Retinol containing products if the issue is discolouration. Enzyme exfoliants like the Ella Baché Revealing Fruit Enzyme Exfoliant are great for addressing multiple skin problems like outbreaks, dullness and uneven tone but using a gentler method.

Masking is a great way to indulge the skin by boosting hydration and further addressing any specific skin problems. Bioactive clay masks like Sand and Sky Australian Pink Clay and GLAMGLOW Supermud® Clearing Treatment are excellent for problems related to congestion, blocked pores and outbreaks. To restore moisture, opt for hydrating facemasks containing peptides, ceramides and hyaluronic acid like Origins Hello, Calm Relaxing & Hydrating Face Mask With Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil.

Rest of the Body

First of all, chapped lips do not have to become a fact of life this Autumn. Use a lip exfoliator like the e.l.f lip scrub exfoliator twice a week to help keep them smooth and supple. Always have to hand a lip moisturiser such as Ultra Conditioning Lip Balm from Burt’s Bees in order to keep dry cracked lips at bay and provide a great base for your lipstick!

The skin on the rest of your body should also get a little more TLC in the Autumn. Use a daily exfoliating wash like St Ives Smooth & Glow Apricot Exfoliating Body wash to keep dry skin at bay. Combine with a rich body moisturiser like St Ives Acai, Blueberry & Chia Seed Oil Lotion every day. Once a week, treat the skin on your body to a dry brushing to again smooth skin and boost circulation. Follow with a body scrub like the Grounded Grapefruit Coffee Scrub. This contains brown sugar, sea salt, Vitamin C, Vitamin E and Sweet Almond Oil which will brighten and moisturise dry skin. Finish off with a rich moisturiser like Dermalogica Ultrarich Body Cream which contains Hyaluronic acid, Vitamin B5 and Vitamin E.

So there’s really no excuse for terrible skin this Autumn. With a few simple adjustments, you can boost your skincare routine to help counteract dull, dry or problematic skin this fall. We’re creating a separate blog post on hand and foot care for the colder months so watch this space!! If you’ve tried any of these recommendations or have any fab tips to share please leave a comment below.