The official last day of summer for 2019 is September 23 and you may be noticing that your skin is reacting differently to your current skin care routine. It may feel like your products aren’t working the same or maybe you’re wondering if forgot something, like did you forget to hydrate? Honestly, you probably did everything in your routine perfectly, it’s just the products you’ve been using aren’t keeping up with the demands of the weather changes.

Remember, your skin is the barrier between the internal world that is your body and external world around you. And when the external world changes, you have to adjust accordingly. During the summer, it is important to focus on protecting your skin from the sun and heat. You should keep things light, so you don’t feel greasy throughout the day.

The water that is in the air affects the balance of water in your skin. While a more humid climate can soften skin and make it easier to preserve plumpness, a drier climate tends to dehydrate the skin and increases the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

There are advantages and disadvantages to every season. In the summer, skin tends to thrive more, especially since we are more likely to eat fresh fruits and vegetables, exercise, and just generally stay more active. This helps increase circulation and helps skin stay healthy.

Summer months of course have their disadvantages, mainly the fact that we tend to get a lot more exposure to the sun, which can quicken the appearance of aging. There is also an increased use of air conditioning, which dries out skin and the excess heat means more sweating and more clogged pores.

Fall weather is colder and more turbulent. Winds are strong and the temperature often varies from one day to the next. One day it will be hot and humid and the next, it’ll be cool and dry. With this change in weather, we need to adapt our skin and our skin care routine. Here’s a few easy tips on switching up your routine for the new season:

1. Cleanser: Changing your cleanser is very important, especially since summer time means using a cleanser that is more clarifying than anything – especially since we tend to be more active during the summer and that means more sweat! For the fall weather, take a gentler approach when choosing your cleanser, and look for one that gently cleanser and leaves your face feeling moisturized.
2. Toner: You should also have the same idea with your toner – look for one that gives your skin an extra dose of hydration, which can help it lose less moisture throughout the day. Avoid using any alcohol-based toners, since alcohol notoriously dries out skin. Listen to your skin and take note of how products make it feel after you’ve applied something.
3. Moisturizer: Fall means colder, windier days, which means blasting heaters and a lot less water in the air. This will suck all the hydration out of your skin and leaves you with a dry, flaky appearance. No one wants to highlight their lines and wrinkles. And since skin tends to produce less oil naturally in the fall, which means you need to bump up the moisturization. Even if you have oily skin, you could get away with your summer moisturizer during the day, but you should switch to a more deeply penetrating moisturizer at night. And don’t forget about the skin around your eyes, which is more delicate skin and requires more moisture.
4. Exfoliate: Since we’re entering into a time of year where the skin is creating less oil and can be irritated by environmental factors—wind, rain, the changing temperature—you want to pay close attention to when your skin is looking a little dull and in need of a scrub. Exfoliating your skin is the best way to minimize the appearance of dark spots and smooths out your skin tone.
5. Shrinking Pores: our pores tend to enlarge during the summer because we sweat more. You should use this transition time to get control of your pores – keep them clean and your body’s natural cycle will finish the job.
6. Masks: A mask routine can help you with your pores and help you bring more moisture to your skin. A hydrating mask can help you retain the moisture the dryer fall air is taking. Look for a mask that leaves your skin feeling smooth and nourished.
7. Serums: The key to helping your skin is the hydrate. Drink plenty of water and invest in products like a serum, which can help soothe and plump your skin. Serum helps rejuvenate skin and many of them provide powerful antioxidants that help promote a glowy appearance. Look for a serum that brightens, hydrates, and helps with fine lines and wrinkles.

The most important things to remember this fall season are:

• Be aware of how your skin reacts to the weather change
• Keep an eye out on how your skin looks throughout the day
• Adjust your skin care routine to your needs

Anytime you add a product to or change up your routine, your skin needs time to adapt. Try out your new routine for at least a couple weeks before deciding if it is working for you or not. You should also make product changes gradually and start off simple, like just changing your cleanser. Wait about a week before changing up your toner and take note of how your skin responds with each new change. The key to successfully changing your skin care routine is to give it the time before you make your any new changes.