Switching from a summer to an autumn skincare routine – where to begin

Your wardrobe isn’t the only thing that needs to transition for the new season this autumn! With the cold weather blowing in, it’s time to assess your skincare routine and change things up to help your skin look its best all year round!

Our summer skincare routines are full of light or gel-based moisturisers, hydrating cleansers and extra-strong SPFs – but in the autumn, our skin requires different ingredients. With the changing weather, different factors in our environments change. There air around us gets drier as the weather keeps getting colder and we take longer, hotter showers, as well as being subject to various temperature control measures that dry out our skin even further. 

Our skin becomes dry, flaky or even inflamed as our summer skincare routines can’t keep up with the demands of the autumn weather conditions. It’s essential to introduce lots of hydration in many different forms during this time and be aware of what our skin needs as the season moves forward.

Put down the exfoliator

We’ve all been there – we’re frustrated that our skin is flaky and crusty and so we thin the solution is to slough it off – trust us, it’s not. Whether you’re using a chemical or physical exfoliator, it’s not ideal for dry or sensitive skin. Sure, it might address the problem temporarily in smoothing out the dry area, but long term, it just dries your skin out even more. Try to cut back from exfoliating daily down to two or at most three times a week.

Use a thicker moisturiser

Lots of us love our summer skincare routines because they allow us to wear lightweight skincare that looks great under our fresh-faced makeup looks. But come autumn, our skin needs something more heavy duty than that. Thicker moisturisers can provide a barrier between our skin and the harsh environment surrounding it, protecting it from further dryness from the cold. Heavy creams with lots of healthy fatty acids can plump up skin for a rosy, fresh look and protect against dry skin conditions.

Hydrating masks

For a little double-duty when you feel like your moisturiser isn’t quite cutting it, a super hydrating mask once a week can give your skin that extra boost of glow when you need it. Something gentle but full of moisturising properties can make all the difference to your skin’s weakened barrier in harsh weather conditions.

Add a Face Mist

Refreshing and replenishing, these restorative mists are also great for an added boost of hydration when you don’t have time in your routine for a mask. Look for ones that are chock full of vitamins and rebalancing properties to restore the skin’s antioxidants.

Layer Your Products

Some of us may have been using hydration boosting serums instead of moisturisers during summer, and just because autumn has rolled around doesn’t mean we need to toss them out with the rest of our routine! Instead of using solely those, try layering it into your skincare routine along with your other hydrating products. Moisture replenishing serums or even night recovery oils can make a huge difference to your routine, creating lots of support for your moisturiser so it isn’t doing all the heavy lifting!