While fall for many means football, sweaters and pumpkin-spiced everything, it is also a time of the year for you to re-evaluate how you are handling your skin care routine.
- Break out the Humidifier
One reason fall is so harsh on our skin is because of the drop in humidity. This dryness gives way to dehydrated skin and inflammation. This is why eczema and rosacea can also flare up at this time of year. To protect your skin against this, create your own humidity by using a humidifier. Humidifiers add more moisture into our homes, giving our skin relief from the dry climate and increasing its hydration.
- Incorporate a Heavier Moisturizer
In summer, the humidity in the air keeps your skin moist, allowing you to get away with a light moisturizer. In winter, the humidity levels drop drying out your skin. To provide extra moisture and prevent moisture loss, a heavier moisturizer is required. Apply generously both morning and night, especially after a shower. If you have extra-dry skin, keep a small container with you to reapply throughout the day.
- Hydrate!
While a moisturizer helps hydrate the skin on the outside, it is also important to hydrate from the inside. A fall-proof diet includes moisture-rich foods including leafy greens, fruit and soups. Challenge yourself to up your water intake as well. Without adequate water intake, your skin will appear dull while also making wrinkles and pores more prominent.
- Exfoliate Less
Exfoliating the face and body is a must during fall as it removes dead skin cells and revitalizes our pores, but it is important to avoid over-exfoliating. Over-exfoliation can irritate and over-stimulate the skin. Instead, between exfoliation shorten your showers and cool the water down a few degrees to keep skin feeling fresh and healthy.
- Add Retinol
Retinol is a Vitamin A product that helps diminish the appearance of brown spots caused by the summer sun, lines, and wrinkles. Retinol works by speeding up the cellular turnover rate, which allows the healthier cells to work their way up to the surface faster and decreasing the activity of the destructive enzyme collagens.
- Keep Lip Balm on Hand
The cold air and harsh winds can dry out your lips and even cause them to crack. To prevent this, apply a SPF lip balm every morning and keep it handy to reapply throughout the day.
Skin Struggles?
If you are struggling with skin issues and don’t know where to turn, the skin health experts at Forefront Dermatology are ready to help. To find the Forefront dermatologist nearest you, visit the locations page today.
