Fall brings forth many changes: the colors of the leaves, the weather, and even the amount of sunlight hours per day. It should come as little surprise that your skincare routine might also need to change.
Differences in temperature, humidity, and lifestyle mean your skin needs extra TLC this time of year.1 Check out the fall skincare tips below to learn about autumn-friendly non-comedogenic moisturizers, hydrating serums, sunscreens, and lifestyle habits.
Gentle Cleansing and Moisturizing: Maintaining Hydration
That characteristic drop in temperature as fall rolls in comes with reduced humidity. To make matters worse, indoor heating can cause dry skin. Low ambient humidity draws moisture out of the stratum corneum, the outermost layer of the skin, resulting in uncomfortable symptoms of xerosis or skin dryness: itching, flaking, tenderness, and redness.2
Using gentle cleansers that avoid excessively stripping more moisture from the skin barrier is the first step in minimizing the impact of cooler weather. A cleanser like VITAMINSCRUB™ contains hydrating ingredients like vitamin C and green tea extract to make sure that every step of your dry skincare routine is doing its part to fight dehydrated skin. Plus, this cleanser gently exfoliates the skin, helping to clear away dead skin cells and dirt to reveal youthful, glowing skin.
Moisturizing is naturally an essential step in maintaining skin moisture. Moisturizing can restore hydration to the skin barrier after cleansing and help maintain its liquid content throughout the day. A well-formulated moisturizer will do this in two ways:
- By using humectants – A humectant is an ingredient that draws moisture into the skin barrier. The most common humectant you’ll see in skincare products these days is hyaluronic acid.
- By using occlusives – An occlusive acts as a barrier against the elements, keeping moisture locked into the skin. These include commonplace ingredients like petroleum jelly, but for a non-comedogenic option, squalane works very well.
Fall-Appropriate Moisturizers
Fall’s signature crisp air and cooler weather means you might need to upgrade to a thicker moisturizer, something richer with more hydrating ingredients, including both occlusives and humectants.
Opting for products like the HYDRAGLOW™ Stem Cell Moisturizer or the HYDRABERRY™ Moisture Mask, which contain hydrating ingredients like squalane and aloe vera, can stave off the dreaded cold weather dryness.
Lip, Hand, and Body Care: Targeted Attention for Vulnerable Areas
The skincare industry focuses on faces, and understandably so. Cold, dry weather isn’t so selective. Low humidity can take a toll on other sensitive skin areas like your lips and cuticles. Using LIPS&CUTES™ Acne-Safe Lip & Cuticle Treatment as needed can keep these often-neglected but no less important areas hydrated.
For generalized full-body dryness, often caused by overlong hot showers during the cold months, our SOFTSKIN™ Body Lotion is a gentle fall skincare solution for all over, even acne-prone areas.
Serums and Antioxidants: Enhancing Skin Protection
For extra skin protection beyond what moisturizer provides, you can always look into adding a hydrating serum. Serums are formulations designed to directly deliver powerful active ingredients to the skin, separate from the cleansing, moisturizing, and SPF steps.
For dryness-prone autumntime skin, a product like our collagen stem cell serum fights inflammation using premium, non-toxic ingredients.
Sunscreen in Fall: Maintaining Sun Protection
Sunscreen is usually associated with summer activities––a bottle of SPF at the beach or the amusement park. Skincare devotees, on the other hand, know about the importance of safeguarding against damage from UV rays all year round.
The autumn is an especially critical time for keeping up with SPF. The weather is nice enough for spending time outdoors, but the cooler temperatures can lull you into a false sense of security. Combine that with those characteristic clear-skied fall days, and you have a recipe for sneaky skin damage
To keep your skin both protected from harmful UV rays and free of irritation, try out a sunscreen like YOUARESUNSHINE™ Sheer Broad-Spectrum SPF 50+, formulated with green tea extract to keep your skin calm while offering broad spectrum protection.
Nutrition and Hydration: Nourishing Your Skin From Within
Topical skincare for fall is only one part of the hydration equation. Your skin’s health, like that of the rest of your body, is heavily influenced by diet and lifestyle. If you want to keep your skin hydrated and plump, staying hydrated yourself is key. You’ll often hear the “8 glasses of water” recommendation tossed around, but experts say that drinking water whenever you become thirsty is generally sufficient.3
By some estimates, up to 20% of your daily water intake comes from the food you eat. Incorporating water-rich foods (think fruits and veggies) into your diet goes a long way in preserving moisture and fighting dehydrated skin. Evidence also suggests that maintaining healthy levels of micronutrients (i.e., vitamins and minerals) prevents acne and other skin ailments. Another skin-related bonus of eating well.
If your diet’s not quite doing the trick, supplement with CLEARSTEM’s hormonal acne supplement to make sure you’re all set on skin-friendly nutrients.
CLEARSTEM: Fall In Love With Healthy Skin
As pretty as the foliage is, fall can take a toll on even the most well-cared-for skin. At CLEARSTEM, our non-toxic, consciously formulated skincare products give your skin what it craves when the temperature drops, keeping it hydrated and blemish-free year-round.
Browse our collections specially designed for dry and dull skin for the best fall skincare routine. If you’re struggling with acne, check out our line of products tailored to acne-prone skin.
Sources:
- New York Times. How to Take Care of Your Skin in the Fall and Winter. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/25/well/live/skin-care-winter-dryness.html
- Mount Sinai. Xerosis. https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/diseases-conditions/xerosis
- Mayo Clinic. Nutrition and Healthy Eating. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/water/art-20044256
