4 Tips to Prepare Your Skin for Cooler Weather
While you might be enjoying plenty of pumpkin spice and all things fall, there’s one thing about the cooler weather that your skin probably isn’t loving: dryness. Between sun damage left over from summer, drier air, and heating systems in your car and house, the transition to colder temperatures often means dry, itchy, and flaky skin. But before you reach for any old moisturizer and hope that it does the trick, consider these four tips for prepping your skin for fall.
1. Upgrade Your Moisturizer
A light moisturizer might have gotten you through the humid summer months, but with the onset of colder temperatures and drier air, your skin will likely need a stronger, more effective moisturizer. This is especially true for those whose skin tends toward the drier or sensitive side, anyway.
Skinceuticals Emollience, for instance, is a rich, restorative moisturizer formulated with algae extract and essential oils like grapeseed, rosehip, and macadamia nut oils to help nourish your skin and restore and maintain vital moisture.
For acne-prone skin, Skinceuticals Hydrating B5 Gel can be a good option, as this is an oil-free serum that contains hyaluronic acid to help bind moisture to the skin without exacerbating oily skin conditions. This product can be used either on its own or for extra hydration by adding it to your daily moisturizer.
2. Use a Humidifier
The dry fall and winter air can quickly dry out and irritate your skin, and this is only worsened by the heat in your home, car, or office. To counteract this effect, invest in a humidifier for your bedroom to add some moisture back into the air and your skin while you sleep (Mayo Clinic).
3. Don’t Forget Your Lips
When most of us think of dry skin, our faces, hands, and feet are probably the first parts of the body that come to mind as problem spots. But don’t forget that your lips are made up of very thin layers of skin, which can be prone to cracking and flaking, especially in the cooler weather. Just as you would moisturize the rest of your skin daily, using a great lip balm each morning can help to restore and lock in moisture to your lips to help prevent the characteristic split, cracked lips that often come along with fall and winter weather (NHS UK).
4. Exfoliate
The dull appearance of dry, flaky skin is caused by the buildup of dead skin cells, dirt, and other debris on the surface of your skin. To brighten and smooth your complexion and even increase the effectiveness of your moisturizer, regularly exfoliate your skin. Your skin type and sensitivity level will determine how frequently you should exfoliate, but even if only once or twice a week, this can be a hugely beneficial step to add to your regular skin care routine (American Academy of Dermatology).
If a dull, lackluster complexion is an ongoing challenge, you may want to consider professional exfoliation procedures such as microdermabrasion, chemical peels, and dermaplaning. Microdermabrasion uses tiny abrasive crystals to gently sand your skin, removing the dead outer layer while simultaneously cleansing the pores and getting rid of oil. A chemical peel accelerates the natural flaking of the skin, eliminating dead skin cells and impurities, providing the tissue with oxygen, and reactivating mechanisms of cell regeneration and renewal. Dermaplaning relies on the simplest of tools, but the most artful of skill to scrape away and exfoliate the top layers of dead skin.
The Bottom Line
There’s lots to love about autumn, but dry skin isn’t on that list. Before dull, flaky skin gets out of hand, prepare yourself with these four tips so that you can enjoy crisp, chilly weather, sweaters, and plenty of pumpkin spice without the distraction of itchy, dry skin.
If you’re considering professional skin rejuvenation treatments or clinical-grade skin care products, the team of skilled, knowledgeable skin care experts at Acqua Blu Medical Spa in Pittsburgh and Wexford would be happy to assist you. Please contact us at (724) 933-1800 to learn more about your skin rejuvenation options or to schedule your consultation.
