transitioning from summer skincare routine, into your autumn routine

A few skincare tips to share with you:

1. Switch your cleansing routine: During the summer, we may typically gravitate towards a gel or foaming cleanser to remove any excess oil. As soon as the temperatures drop, our skin will be craving more moisture and possibly a cream-based cleanser. Even though I have oily, acne-prone and sensitive skin, I switch to a cream cleanser perfect for normal to oily skin. My skin really loves the Paula’s Choice Perfectly Balanced Foaming Cleanser. (@paulaschoice)

2. Hydration nation!: It’s time to boost hydration in the skin, by adding an alcohol-free toner. And then, immediately after, while your skin is still damp, you can apply a serum or moisturizer to lock in the moisture. Hyaluronic acid serums are amazing for locking moisture back into our skin. Hyaluronic acid is a powerful ingredient because it boosts the moisture level in our skin, up to 1,000%.

3. Reach for a heavier moisturizer: When the weather cools down, you want to reach for a heavier moisturizer, so you can prevent moisture loss. Making sure it’s not too heavy for your skin type as well. For normal to dry skin types, a thicker cream with a lot of lipids and ceramides are perfect! For combination, oily and blemish-prone skin types, a gel-cream would be a nice hybrid product to add to your regimen. Also another great option is applying a few drops of facial oil to add more moisture benefits. Make sure to look for oil-free formulas that will still hydrate and add moisture to the skin. (I enjoy facial oils even though my skin type is- oily, acne-prone and sensitive.)

4. Please continue protecting your skin with SPF : Anyone that knows me, knows that I LOVE SPF and I don’t play games with protecting my skin from the sun. Even though I think most folks slather it on religiously during the summer months. We still have to stay diligent in the cooler months, because those sneaky UVA and UVB rays are always lingering in the shadows waiting for us to slip up. So, continue to apply sunscreen to your entire face, neck, ears, chest and hands, and reapply.

5. Add powerful actives, like retinol into your routine: If you took the summer off from using vitamin A derivatives, because of being in the sun, it’s time to add it back in. I’m using Shani Darden (@shanidarden) texture reform retinol (nightly) which is a very gentle formula, it’s lovely on my sensitive skin. It’s a much gentler formula with the added benefits of aloe vera as well, for sensitive skin queens, like me! It’s the best anti-aging powerhouse product, which helps with acne, and discoloration. It also helps to brighten the skin, and smooths the skin texture.

6. Make sure to exfoliate: It’s time to get rid of that dead skin from the sun, heat, sand and chlorine! I prefer a chemical exfoliant over a physical exfoliant. Just because it’s still effective, and more gentler on the skin, especially if you have sensitive skin. Exfoliating weekly, will definitely reveal smoother and brighter skin. Along with removing dry, dull and tired skin, it’s also necessary to reduce breakouts and unclog your pores.

7. Switch out your weekly face mask: Switching from your usual clay or gel masks, to a creamier version. You can also multi-mask too! I also like to start implementing masks that I can sleep in, because you literally wake up with softer and hydrated skin.

8. Send love to your skin: Make sure you observe your skin closely as the cool temperatures roll in. Your skin will always tell you if you need more moisture, (keep drinking a lot of water!) more sleep, or more of the yummy serums.