Last week we had my general. Skin care routine at 43This week I’ll be telling you about my fall skincare routine and the biggest changes I’m making as the weather starts to cool down.
The weather begins to cool. God, I’ve made fall seem romantic, haven’t I? Who am I kidding? It’s just under three months of perpetual humidity and depressing, suboptimal temperatures. I’m not the biggest fan of fall. I know everyone talks about cool days, kicking leaves and wearing scarves, but really: how many current Sometimes this happens?
I can tell you, because I’m walking the dog and when I’m not doing that, I’m standing in front of a big window in my house on top of the hill, watching the weather fronts approach, and I figure those perfect Distinctive autumn days They represent around 10% of the season. The other 90% consists of cold drizzle, flat gray skies, storms with stupid names, and everyone arguing endlessly about whether or not it’s unseasonably warm, whether it’s the wettest October on record, or whether it’s freezing too soon.
Anyway. Do you need to change up your skincare routine to suit the season? No, you don’t. Obviously, if it’s summer and you’re outdoors a lot, then absolutely up your SPF application, but other than that, if your routine works perfectly for you, then there’s no need to get complicated. However, your skin could be like mine and completely lose its mind as soon as summer ends. Drier, more irritable, tense like a drum, bursting strangely even though it is drier, not oilier…
If that’s you (I should point out that I couldn’t find a good photo for this post and that’s why I don’t look drier and more irritable in the photo above, soz), then here are some easy (and relatively cheap) things you can do. to modify your skincare routine and make your skin feel less aggravated.
- Stay away from strong active ingredients for a while. Powerful retinoids, powerful antioxidants, glycolic acid peels so powerful they require a fan pointed at your face so your skin doesn’t spontaneously burn: just stay away from them for a week or so and get your skin to balance. . (I mean, with the last example, with the fan thing, my advice is not to do it anyway. There are some crazy procedures that may have been performed, I’m just wondering how they can possibly be worth the pain and downtime unless they are somehow crucial or the only option available to treat something specific. Separate post I guess).
- It sounds obvious, but swap out your skincare products for heavier, more nourishing versions. Cleanser is a good starting point if you normally use a gel cleanser or a liquid facial cleanser that foams and rinses off. If it leaves your skin feeling tight or tight, switch to a cleansing balm or cream soon. I only use balms or creams anyway, I hate the feeling of tight, squeaky skin, and I think removing every oil and then having to replace it all in subsequent products seems really counterintuitive. Beautiful inexpensive cleansing balms and creams. include: Inkey List Oatmeal Cleansing Balm, £10.75 here*, ELF Cleansing Balm, £11 here* and Superfacialist rosehip cleansing cream, £6 here*.
- I like to layer a really calming serum under almost everything if I’m trying to calm my overly sensitive, shell-like face. He Aveeno Triple Oat Serum (£15 here*) is one of my most used serums of all time. I have a whole arsenal of calming serums to turn to, but for some reason, this is the one I return to again and again. I think it’s the immediacy of the calming effect. I also use it on the flaky area of ​​my shin that is very itchy and it’s one of the only things that really stops me from scratching. Also take a look at Medik8 Liquid Hydrate Serum, £45 here*. There are tons of hyaluronic serums on the market, but few of them actually make you feel like you’ve been magically rehydrated, like those dried rosebuds that open up when you soak them in warm water. This is one of the few.
- Repair of barriers. Look for a moisturizer that actively works to help repair and strengthen the skin barrier and you will see a marked difference in dryness and sensitivity. I say this from experience. Don’t be seduced by all the fancy pants face creams with ostentatious pots, this is the time for creams that look almost medicinal simple and not seductive. Ceravé’s specialized theme is “repairing barriers”: the entire brand is based on the inclusion of ceramides. Almost all of your moisturizers will work quickly, but I must make a special mention for the Advanced Repair Ointment, £9 here*, which was previously only available in the United States. It feels pretty gross on the face, I’ll be honest, but nothing has fixed patches of extreme dryness or (sshh) bits of accidental sunburn faster than this lard-in-a-tube barrier. Also try La Roche-Posay Toleriane Cream, £23 here*, which has been one of my favorites for years and years And if you have important problems to solve, take a look at Murad Intense Recovery Cream, £78 here*. It’s more the kind of ointment you’d expect to be applied to a serious, gruesome skin lesion, but it works quickly to bring very dry skin back to life.
- Damn, this post was supposed to be short and snappy! Why can’t I just write one sentence per bullet point like a normal person? Final advice. Gradual drops of tanning. Look, don’t be afraid. They rarely go wrong, and if they do go wrong, all you have to endure is a day or two of looking like a total weapon. It’s not a big deal. Seriously, a couple of drops of gradual tanning mixed with face cream every other day does wonders for the soul and for your self-confidence in the beauty department. It just gives the touch of a golden glow so that when you wake up in the morning almost I wonder if you really went to sleep with your makeup still on. You look better. Healthier. Less like someone from a dangers of smoking brochure. I can highly recommend almost all gradual tanning drops, because they all do more or less the same thing, but for an affordable way to dive into this particular minefield of potential mistakes, go for Isle of Paradise Self-Tanning Drops, €7.33 here*. They come in different color depths, so take a look at which one suits you best and start with the minimum amount of drops mixed with your face cream. Make sure to bring the mixture a little up your neck and up to your hairline, but honestly: don’t let it scare you. The effects, if you start with a light touch, are actually very subtle.
Good. Well, I hope that helps some of you in this transitional climate period. And then, when you start turning on the central heating and it’s frostier outside, you can add more moisture and richer textures to your routine – I’m sure I can probably write another post about that when the time comes, explaining too much. things.
