5 Best Autumn Skincare Routine Tips
Did you know that you should be adjusting your skincare routine for the different seasons? The truth is, our skin won’t be exactly the same all year round. Factors like humidity, sunlight hours, and sun exposure (and more) can influence just how our skin behaves, for better or for worse.
Our skin faces slightly different conditions in autumn compared to summer - cooler temperatures and lower humidity mean that you’ll need to make the right adjustments to ensure that your skin stays healthy and radiant, all year long. Here are our best autumn skincare routine tips!
1. Amp Up Hydration
One easy autumn skincare routine tip is to reach for a slightly heavier moisturiser than the one you use in the summertime. Because of autumn’s cooler, drier weather, your skin has to fight harder to prevent water from evaporating away from your skin, potentially damaging your moisture barrier.
Luckily, the fix is relatively simple - if you use a gel or gel-cream moisturiser, swap it out for something with a thicker texture. If you still think they’re going to be too heavy in the day time, that’s okay - you can keep your lighter textures for day time use and save the heavier ones for use in your evening routine. Skin tends to feel drier overnight, anyway - so any heavy textures help to lock in hydration for the next morning.
Guerlain Orchidée Impériale Rich Cream | $610
This rich face cream from Guerlain is deal for locking in hydration on cool autumn nights.
2. Don’t Put Away the SPF
Just because it’s no longer summer doesn’t mean it’s time to retire sunscreen to the depths of our beauty bags - those pesky UV rays are out there all year long! The ones to look out for are UVA rays. UVA rays can pass through cloud cover, plus they’re the UV rays that are linked to accelerated signs of ageing and other sun-related skin damage - and they don’t go away as the temperatures drop.
This is especially important if your skincare routine involves retinol and/or AHAs, as both of these ingredients can make skin photosensitive - that is, vulnerable to damage caused by UV exposure. Our top autumn skincare routine tip is to keep using sunscreen, no matter the weather and no matter the season!
Dr Irena Eris Lumissima Brightening & Anti-Aging SPF20 Day Cream | $129
Protect your skin with this SPF-infused day cream from Dr Irena Eris.
3. Exfoliate Less Often
Exfoliation is a must-have in your skincare routine for clearing the skin, improving radiance and in the long term, reducing the appearance of the signs of ageing. The truth about exfoliation is that it can temporarily leave skin prone to irritation and dryness as excess skin cells are swept away, revealing the new skin underneath.
However, there’s a catch - this new skin underneath is a bit more vulnerable to drying out and showing signs of over-exfoliation as humidity and temperatures drop. However, that doesn’t mean you need to give up exfoliation as part of your autumn skincare routine!
To still get the benefits of exfoliation for your skin (even in drier, colder weather) it’s crucial to listen to your skin and reduce exfoliation frequency if needed. When it comes to exfoliation, consistency is more important than doing it as often as possible - so even once a week exfoliation is enough to benefit your skin.
La Prairie Cellular Mineral Face Exfoliator | $215
Gentle physical exfoliation and nourishing skincare ingredients make this an ideal face scrub for all skin types.
4. Opt for Moisturising Masks
While clay masks are a lifesaver over summertime for reducing congestion and keeping skin matte, they’re not going to do skin as many favours in cooler temperatures. Many of us find that our sebum production naturally dials down with cooler temperatures, and that means clay masks are going to be more drying than helpful.
Swap clay masks for sheet masks or sleeping masks - they’re both designed to lock in moisture with hydrating, humectant ingredients and reduce redness & irritation. Sheet masks should come after your essence and before serum, while a sleeping mask should be applied as the last layer in your skincare routine.
SK-II Facial Treatment Masks | $220
Lock hydration into skin with Pitera-infused sheet masks - perfect for a weekend pick me up!
5. Add a Skincare Oil to Your Routine
An easy way to protect your skin from the elements and boost hydration is with facial oil - they have a two in one benefit of softening skin and preventing dryness, ensuring that your skin stays happy and hydrated no matter the season.
Adding a few drops to your favourite moisturiser is a great way to get the benefits of both, boosting your moisturiser. Or, you can apply it as the very last step in your autumn skincare routine to lock in moisture for radiant, glowing skin.
Inika Organic Phyto-Active Botanical Face Oil | $79
This botanical oil blend is designed to fight off the signs of ageing and moisturise skin.
Need some help putting together the best skincare routine for your skin type? Try our skin quiz!
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