Our Best Fall Skincare Tips for a Glowing Autumn Complexion

Posted by Team LATHER on

Woman facing away from a sunny window, the shadow of leaves on her shoulder

The great cooling that comes with fall is a blessing. If you’ve suffered under an oppressively hot sun for the last few months, you’re probably looking forward to the coming drop in temperature. If you’re lucky, fall also comes with a gorgeous natural palette of reds and oranges as the leaves change color, while sartorially layering becomes everyone’s friend. However, some of the changes that come with autumn can take their toll, especially on your skin and hair. The beauty routine you followed in summer is not enough for countering the sudden dryness that comes with the autumn season.

With that said, you shouldn’t make radical changes all at once. Instead, consider the fall a transitional season. During the fall, you can start making small changes. Swap one product here and another product there, so that by the time the freezing temperatures of winter arrive, your skin and beauty routine are totally prepared.

Recover From Summer

The most memorable summer moments are often accompanied by a bit of skin trauma. It’s easy to forget to reapply sunscreen during really fun beach days, so your skin might still be a little red or sensitive from sunburn or two.

Autumn is the perfect season for allowing the skin to recover before winter’s harsh winds hit with their sensitizing effects. Our hydrating Honey Moisture Mask is the best product for the job. It is made to give relief, especially for skin that has been exposed to the elements. It is made with honey, which is prized for its ability to attract moisture and propolis, which has remarkable antioxidant functions as well as the ability to fade the visible markers of irritation. Weekly masking throughout the autumn will give the skin a nourishing boost, just in time for the even harsher effects of winter.

And speaking of sunburns, just because they’re less likely in the fall doesn’t mean you can stop using sunscreen. The sun’s UVA rays, which are skin-aging and carcinogenic, can still penetrate through the cloud cover. You should definitely keep SPF, like our Daily Defense Facial Sunscreen, a consistent part of your morning routine.

Lock-In the Moisture

Colder weather comes hand-in-hand with slightly reduced humidity outdoors and significantly reduced humidity indoors. This is largely because of the drying effects of heaters and A/Cs. When the air around you is dry, any moisture in your skin can evaporate quickly, leading to dehydration. Dehydrated skin is no fun - it looks dull, feels rough to the touch yet uncomfortably tight, and every wrinkle and imperfection seems that much worse. Hydrated skin, on the other hand, looks bouncy, soft and supple.

The trick to keeping the skin hydrated in the fall is to focus on locking moisture into place.

The best way to do so is with a richer moisturizer than the one you used in the summer. Our Sweet Almond Face Moisturizer does the trick by infusing the skin with a collection of nourishing oils from sweet almond, macadamia nut, and avocado. The oils in the moisturizer have the well-documented ability to create a protective barrier over the skin to keep it looking healthy and hydrated all throughout the fall, while also giving it antioxidant protection from the harmful effects of pollution. 

Cleanse Gently

Keeping the skin clean is vital for its health all year long, but in the cooler months, every step in your skincare routine should also have some moisturizing effects. With our Chia Seed & Passion Fruit Cleansing Oil you can remove all impurities from the skin, including waterproof makeup, while helping it retain essential moisture. The skin benefits of this cleansing oil are robust since it is made with super antioxidant chia seed and passion fruit oils. Despite their intense effects, these oils are actually very lightweight, so they are considered suitable even for acne-prone skin. This cleanser is a good fit even if your skin is oily since once you add some water and rinse it away there is no greasy residue; just soft, clean skin.

Don’t Forget Your Body

Much like the face, the skin on your body is also susceptible to dehydration during the autumn months. A light body lotion might be all you need in summer, but once autumn rolls around you should switch to a heavier and more occlusive product like our Manuka Honey Body Butter. It combines the hydrating and soothing effects of Manuka Honey with rich cocoa and shea butter, which envelop the skin with a protective layer that prevents water loss.

To make sure your body gets the maximum amount of moisture from the body butter, apply it immediately after your shower when your skin is still saturated with water. The body butter will help lock-in all of that goodness so that your skin will stay moisturized for hours on end.

Give Your Hair Extra TLC

The final part of the body that deserves extra love during autumn is your hair. As with the skin, the hair also requires moisture in order to retain shine and strength. This is doubly true if your hair sustained extra damage during the summer. If you spent any time on the beach, the sun and salt from the ocean may have taken away some of your hair’s usual luster.

Pay your precious hair extra attention by switching your regular conditioner out for a nourishing and deeply penetrating mask. The Avocado Mint Hair Repair will restore vitality and protect your hair from the damaging effects of autumn dryness, with a combination of hydrating, protecting and fortifying ingredients. Avocado oil gives the hair a healthy sheen while shea butter and jojoba oil keep moisture in the hair shaft. All you have to do is apply it to your hair for a few minutes after shampooing, and you’ll feel the difference. These natural ingredients are also nourishing to the scalp, so make sure to really massage the hair repair in.

So if you feel prepared now, go ahead and find your coziest sweater and biggest scarf, because by following these tips your skin will be happy all throughout the fall!