Fall Skin Care Tips
As the days start to grow shorter here in the Pacific Northwest and the air starts to become drier, your dermatologist in Eugene wants you to now that your skin could start to lose some of its precious moisture during the fall months. While autumn marks a great time for transition, the best fall skin care routines can help correct any damage done during summer and prepare your skin for the cold and wet winter months ahead.
A summer of outdoor fun full of saltwater, chlorine, and sun may have taken its toll on your skin, so fall becomes the perfect time to exfoliate and moisturize.
Follow these simple skin care tips for fabulously healthy skin this fall.
Drop the soap. Perfumed soaps designed to exfoliate the skin may feel great after a day spent at the beach or lying poolside, but they leave your skin dry. When fall arrives, switch to a soap-free hydrating cleanser to keep your skin hydrated and feeling fresh. As a general rule, once the leaves start to fall, it’s time to put away the gels and break out the moisturizing body washes.
Exfoliate with an oil-based scrub. A summer spent in the pool or out in the sun may have left your skin feeling flaky and dry. Start the fall season off with a fully-body exfoliation session. Oil-based scrubs work wonderfully because they not only exfoliate, they also hydrate as well.
Make the switch from a lotion to a cream. As the air becomes drier, your skin requires a thick moisturizer. Creams provide a stronger oily barrier, which allows them to prevent water loss from the outer layer of skin and provide hydration while simultaneously providing hydration to this outer layer of skin.
Protect your lips. You can never to start moisturizing too early to prevent the dry cracked lips that are all too common during winter. For the best protection, try using a non-petroleum based lip balm.
A handy cream. Your hands typically become cracked and dry during the fall and winter months. As your grandmother would say, an ounce of prevent really is worth of pound of lotion. Start moisturizing your hands now to ensure they stay soft and supple during the long winter ahead.
Understand your skin type. Whenever the weather begins to change, you may start to notice your skin type begins to change as well. If you typically have oily skin, you might begin to notice your skin becomes a bit more normal. Conversely, those with normal skin might start to notice their skin becoming suddenly drier.
Keep an eye on your skin as the weather turns damp and cold to see if you need to change which type of skin care products you use and make any changes as needed. If you’re not entirely sure if your skin needs a new regime, talk to one of our estheticians who can answer your questions about what skin care type you fall into.
Don’t forget the sunscreen. Just because summer has come to an end doesn’t mean you should stop using sunscreen as well. The daily use of sunscreen is essential to protecting the long-term health of your skin, so don’t pack it away with your shorts and swimsuit. Make sure to use a sunscreen with a minimum SPF of 15 and to reapply facial sunscreen throughout the day as needed.