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I love a bit of a seasonal skincare switch-up. Temperatures are dropping, we’ve seen the last of the heatwaves for this year (I hope), and a fresh approach to your skincare signals the A/W season in the best way. You don’t need a total overhaul—a few sensible swaps will offset some of the potential hazards heading our way. Plus, those darker ‘hunker-down’ evenings give us even more excuses to indulge in some earlier TLC, and there’s nothing more lush than a night in with your face.
Why Your Routine Needs to Shift
It depends on where you live obviously, but in general summer air (especially in the UK, much of Europe, and the US East Coast) tends to be more humid because warmer air holds more water. Autumn/winter air is usually colder and drier (cold air physically can’t hold as much moisture) and when you chuck in wind and central heating, it's a recipe for dehydrated, sensitised skin. Cold air also constricts blood vessels, reducing radiance and making skin look tired —but brilliant products, richer textures, and some key ingredients will help perk skin back up.
The Failsafe Five:
1. Barrier Support
First things first, the barrier. This is your prime target, and where switching to cream and balm cleansers will bring much comfort and joy. If your skin is parched, you’ll feel a difference in your skin immediately. Along with the cooler air being drier, many of us are starting to put the heating back on at home or work, which further strips humidity from the air and makes the barrier more vulnerable.
Using products that contain ceramides, cholesterol, urea and squalane (a skin-identical lipid) will all help retain moisture and keep your barrier resilient. Like collagen, your natural squalene production plummets around 30 and it’s superb for skin suppleness, reducing inflammation and soothing sensitive skin. Don’t just rely on moisturisers to get your barrier support either, it all starts with your cleanse.
Skin Rocks’ The Cleansing Balm and The Cream Cleanser are great year-round cleansers but come into their own in the colder months as they’re packed with barrier-supporting ingredients, including amino acids, squalane, phytosterols, jojoba oil, macadamia seed oil and squalene.
After cleansing there is a vast choice of serums, moisturisers, sprays and oils to keep your barrier further protected. Prevention is key here: do the legwork now and you’ll be thankful later —a compromised barrier can make skin really irritated, rough, and tight —and can take weeks to recover. Don’t forget — less is more when irritation shows up; if skin starts feeling tight, aggravated or reactive, pull back on the actives/retinoids/acids and avoid fragrance if possible. Listen to your skin.
As temperatures drop, your natural sebum production declines too, so maintaining the protective oils that help lock in moisture is vital. If you don't already use a facial oil, now is the time to invest. Used in tandem with your moisturiser it can give skin a massive lipid boost and it's easy to add a few drops under your moisturiser AM and PM to keep your skin protected. I love to layer my Skin Rocks The Support Oil under The Rich Moisturiser—it doubles down on dewiness and gives skin fantastic suppleness and glow.
2. Don’t Wait Til Late
More time on your skin = more benefit, so make the most of the cosier evenings by bringing your skincare routine forward. Once you’ve done the usual domestic necessities, try and make time for your skin: full double cleanse, everything off your face, acid exfoliation, actives on, more time for the skin to repair. The skin has done most of its repairing work by 11pm (skin cells follow a daily rhythm, and DNA repair, cell turnover, and barrier recovery peak roughly between 9pm–midnight). So, don't leave it until 10.30pm when you're going to bed, give it as much time as possible.
Besides, what could be better than a snuggle on the sofa, a great film/book, and a face glowing, plump and ready for rest?
3. Enhance with Essences
Adding another level of hydration and juiciness to skin, I would recommend using mists/essences liberally as temperatures dip. This is no time to be using spray water such as Evian in a can— I’m talking glossy, glassy essences and sprays that are rich with hydrating ingredients. Keep up with your acids too. This may sound counterintuitive, but they are crucial for keeping your skin exfoliated and fresh, ready to accept anything that follows them.
If your budget permits, absolutely use more than one. I would recommend your usual acid toner and then Skin Rocks’ The Amplifier afterwards - it’s clinically proven to amplify skincare* and is an investment that will get the most from every drop of your other actives (not just Skin Rocks products, ALL products!). It’s brilliant as a stand-alone hydrator but maximises the performance of everything that follows, so is way more than the sum of its parts.
4. Layer Up
Just like autumn brings in clothing layers, skincare also benefits from this approach. K-beauty has undoubtedly increased awareness of multiple layers of hydration and ‘sandwiching’ products to maximise moisture, and it’s a surefire way to amp up skin’s ability to prevent water loss and hold on to hydration. If you prefer lightweight products or are not in any rush to bring in heavier creams (or you have oily skin), you really don’t have to add weight. There are deeply nourishing but light-as-air formulas out there now that are just as powerful as some of their heavier counterparts.
How do I know this? Because I made Skin Rocks’ The Light Moisturiser for exactly this purpose. Sandwich a good hydration booster into your routine after cleansing/acid toning and before your regular moisturiser and you have a very simple way to enhance what you’re already doing, and you can also top-up with moisture mists for extra oomph.
If your face starts to feel dull, tight and dry (hello office air con, cold winds and boiling hot shops) there are some great options out there across all price points. I always have a can or two of Curél Deep Moisture Spray at work/in the car, so if you’re switching in and out of different environments, just spray and you’re good. It’ll keep your moisture levels regulated nicely and not mess with your makeup. Tatcha’s Dewy Skin Mist is also excellent for delivering a luminous glow instantly.
5. Invest in hydrating skin treatments
If your skincare is your ‘regular exercise’, consider clinic treatments/facials your intense PT gym sessions. If people spent as much time, energy and money on regular facials as they do on their nails/hair, their glow would be unreal.
Regular hydrating facials and skin treatments boost skin health instantly and over time, bolster your home routine and intensify results. They’re a great way to amplify your routine with added bounce and juiciness and gently resurfaced skin will allow for better product penetration at home. Win Win.
A Final Word…
- The sun’s still there – UVA rays don’t care that it’s October and cloudy. Keep up your SPF or hyperpigmentation and premature ageing await.
- Lifestyle shifts – Hydration obviously works inside out. Neck the water. Skin repair peaks 9pm-midnight — max out your sleep where possible.
- Consider indoor humidity - Artificial heating is a beast for draining moisture from your skin. Consider using a humidifier at night to maintain hydration and reduce seasonal irritation.
- Look after your lips - Lips are especially prone to dryness as cold and winds pick up. Keep an SPF lip balm in your bag for daytime top-ups and apply a nourishing balm or lip mask before bed to prevent chapping and flaking.
References:
*Based on an independent comparative clinical study on 76 participants over 8 weeks.
Words by Caroline Hirons, Skin Rocks Founder and Skincare Expert
