Guide to Fabulous Fall Skin
It’s almost fall, y’all! Don’t get me wrong—I love summertime’s longer days, lazy afternoons, and all-around easygoing vibes. But after the heat, humidity, sun exposure, and all that extra sunscreen, my skin starts to feel like it’s ready for a reboot.
Here are my top 5 tips for fab skin into the fall season:
1. Add an Exfoliant
What does it do?
An exfoliating product assists in the removal of dead surface skin cells to help keep pores clear and enhance overall clarity (even tone) of the skin.
What kind of product should I use?
Choose either a face scrub with a fine grit, a cleanser with a gentle alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) added, or try a fruit enzyme cleanser for more sensitive skin types (think pumpkin everything, y’all—pumpkin enzyme products gently exfoliate while being fabulously effective).
Pro tip: More is not better when it comes to exfoliation! Be sure to treat post-summer and sun-exposed skin with kid gloves to avoid trauma to surface cells, which can result in uneven texture or tone, and the overall loss of surface hydration.
2. Add Niacinamide
What does it do?
Niacinamide is a superstar multitasking skincare ingredient that not only minimizes the appearance of enlarged pores, fine lines, and wrinkles, but assists in improving overall clarity for a more even skin tone (that means less dark spots or hyperpigmentation).
What kind of product should I use?
Choose a thinly textured serum with niacinamide to ensure maximum absorption into the skin.
Pro tip: Read the ingredient list. The first five ingredients make up the bulk of any skincare product, and the percentage of the remaining ingredients is generally much lower.
3. Add Hyaluronic Acid
What does it do?
Hyaluronic Acid attracts and binds up to 1,000 times in weight in water for improved surface hydration levels.
What kind of product should I use?
Once again, ideally choose a serum with hyaluronic acid (or sodium hyaluronate, which has a smaller molecule weight than hyaluronic acid and can more deeply penetrate the skin) in the top five ingredients for maximum benefits.
Pro tip: Work smarter not harder, y’all! There are some great serums out there with effective concentrations both niacinamide and hyaluronic acid—two benefits for the price of one!
4. Reintroduce a Retinol
What does it do?
Retinol increases overall cell turnover (the rate of skin cells shedding) and encourages the production of new skin cells. This results in an increase in collagen production, helps keep pores clear, and encourages even skin texture and tone.
What kind of product should I use?
Look for a serum with a 0.3% or 0.5% retinol to start. A lighter weight serum ensures the product will absorb more deeply into the skin, and great over-the-counter options in these concentrations generally offer gentler (but very effective!) skin delivery systems than their more aggressive prescription counterparts.
Pro tip: Keep retinol concentration and frequency of application low and slow at first. Retinol works a little deeper in the skin and can pack a bit of a punch for more sensitive skin types, resulting in redness, flaking, and discomfort. Jumping into a higher concentration all but guarantees these possible side effects. Use twice per week at night to begin, and build to three or four nights per week slowly over time. (And make a point to use your sunscreen everyday as retinol increases the skin’s sensitivity to sun exposure and damage.)
5. Don’t Skip the Sunscreen
What does it do?
Broad spectrum sunscreens block harmful UVA and UVB rays from penetrating the skin—and we’re exposed to them each day, even if it’s cold or cloudy!
What kind of product should I use?
Choose a physical (or mineral) sunscreen for maximum protection and reduced potential pore-clogging ingredients. Look for ingredients like titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. And if you have a medium or deeper skin tone, look for a tinted SPF for a more natural-looking finish.
Pro tip: Did you know that the SPF number on a sunscreen product indicates how long you’re protected, not how much protection the product offers? The higher the number simply means you’ll have to apply it less often—a win-win in my book, y’all!