Fall for this new skin routine

• November 1, 2020

Winter is almost here, but before we grab a hot chocolate and sit in front of a fireplace, it’s time to try a new skincare routine to transition our face from hot and humid to cool and dry weather.
Fall brings cooler weather and a drop in humidity, which causes dry skin and increases sensitivity and irritation (like eczema).
We asked Dr. Costi for a few recommendations to maintain happy skin, and he recommended a few tweaks to our skincare routine.

Up the hydration for sensitive Skin
People with sensitive skin, or with conditions like psoriasis or eczema, might experience a burning/itching sensation or feel overly sensitive during the transition of seasons.
The best thing you can do is nourish your skin with elastin and collagen to aid in the recovery process. Coat your skin with cold-processed aloe vera soothing gel and thicker creams in order to allow it to recover and replenish.

Try a thicker moisturizer
Say goodbye to the lightweight, oil-free gel and serum you’ve been using in summer. It’s time to use a heavy cream made with ceramides, which are the essential and healthy fatty acids that occur naturally in the skin but need to be replenished during the colder months. We also love moisture-boosting hyaluronic acid to apply especially before bed at night, which will add more moisture and help retain it during the environmental changes.

Focus on lips and eyes
Just as you switch to a thicker moisturizer, you should apply moisture to your lips and the skin around your eyes. If these two things weren’t already a part of your skincare they should be during the cooler months. Our skin does not like sudden transitions, and by adding lip and eye creams it will help with this seasonal transition.

Cut back on exfoliants and retinoids
As the weather gets colder, it’s best to decrease on robust ingredients, like retinol and glycolic acid. The reason for this has to do with the drier and colder nature of the environment. Usually in warmer weather, the humidity acts as a buffer to the irritating effects of retinoids and exfoliants, probably because of the increased oiliness of the skin.
So in the colder months, don’t use them more than once a week (if you want to remove pigmentation caused by sun exposure).

Don’t forego the sunscreen
Although UV radiation is greater during the summertime, it’s still present throughout all four seasons. That’s why you should always use sunscreen to decrease any risk of skin cancer, as well as premature aging of your skin.

Renew your products
As you rummage through your products to see what’s left of your seasonal creams from last year, be sure to check their expiry dates and when you opened them. All skin care products have a shelf life beyond which they become ineffective! So in order to properly benefit from a product and protect your skin, it’s important to invest in your skin care and buy new creams.

Glow from the inside out
Add a Vitamin C and collagen supplements to your regimen. Vitamin C evens out skin pigmentation (hello Vit C serum) but it will also combat SPF rays that aren’t fully blocked by your sunscreen. This helps boost collagen production and results in a brighter complexion. As to the collagen supplement (pill or powder), it can help restore the skin all over your body, while it increases skin hydration and radiance from the inside out.

So have you fallen for a new skin care routine? What are some of your favorite products to transition into winter/colder months? If you need a product recommendation, Dr. Costi is always available on the DRAPP app. Click right here