The change in the seasons does not only affect the weather, but it also can take a real toll on your skin. Factors such as sun, humidity, indoor air-conditioning, as well as wind, snow, and heat from your furnace all cause different reactions in your skin. During the summer, our skin takes in the extra moisture and sun and tends to have a “summer glow.” How can you keep your skin looking radiant as the autumn approaches and brings forth cooler, darker days that can dry out and crack your skin?
- Keep a humidifier handy – Run a humidifier in your bedroom at night. Adding additional humidity to your environment helps counter some of your skin’s water loss each night while sleeping.
- Use a different facial cleanser suited for fall – Cleansers are not meant to be used all year long. You should vary your cleanser with the season due to the changes your skin will go through during these times. For some skin types, especially the drier types, it’s a good time to switch to a more moisturizing option. For more oil-rich skin types, you can likely continue with your summer cleanser in the afternoon but may want to switch to a lighter cleanser in the morning.
- Add a Vitamin C supplement to your daily regimen – Vitamin C is not only good for when you are feeling ill, but it is wonderful for your skin. Best used in the morning, Vitamin C also helps fend off free radicals in the environment that may otherwise cause damage to your skin.
- Ditch the lotion and switch to cream – As fall approaches, the air becomes drier, and your skin needs a thicker moisturizer. Creams provide a stronger oily barrier, which means they both reduce water loss from the outer layer of skin and provide hydration to the skin at the same time.
- Exfoliate with an oil based facial scrub – One trick to help encourage the look of a natural glow, no matter the season, involves keeping the surface of your skin fresh and clean of dead skin cell buildup. When dead skin cells pile up and aren’t removed they can cause your skin to take on the look of a dull, dreary complexion. It is not recommended to exfoliate more than two to three times a week or you can dry out your skin. Oil based exfoliants and scrubs help dissolve away dull, dead skin cell build-up so that brighter cells are revealed.
These tips can help keep your face looking fresh as we go from summer into the fall season. Keep in mind, if you feel that these at-home tips are not helping you to achieve the desired effect, you can call Dr. Kole to ask about other procedures or treatments that will help you accomplish your desired results.
