I mentioned in my last post how much I love fall and couldn’t wait for the temperature to finally drop in Los Angeles. It is hands down the best season of the year, even though I enjoy a good pool day or twenty.
And just like you have to update your wardrobe for cooler temps, you have adjust your skin care routine for it, too. Not only do you have to undo the damage from the summer (thanks, sun!), you have to make sure you are keeping your skin nice and balanced (read: hydrated) so that come dead of winter you don’t feel like your face will crack.
First let me start off my saying don’t think you’re off the hook from wearing sunscreen just because your beach days for the year are behind you. You most definitely should incorporate sunscreen each day. Luckily, most tinted moisturizers have an SPF already in them (my favorite is by NARS, here). For days when I don’t want to wear makeup, I make sure I get my SPF a day by mixing actual SPF (by Dermalogica, here or here) into my moisturizer, or layering it on first.
Now that we have that settled, let’s get into what I always reach for under my sink when the first sign of fall arrives.
1. Moisturizer – Most people feel a bit drier in fall and winter, and I’m one of those people. So I switch to a medium weight moisturizer like Dermalogica’s Skin Smoothing Cream (or here). It’s not too heavy but gives me enough hydration to last throughout the day without feeling greasy by 3pm.
If the thought of parting ways with your moisturizer gives your nightmares, then try this: add Skin Hydrating Booster (also by Dermalogica, here and here) into your routine before you moisturize. This might hands down be my favorite product by them, ever. By dropping about 8 drops into your palm and pressing it into your skin, you give your face an extra boost of hydration. I am not kidding when I say this, but every time I use this product, my skin instantly feels better. On days where I am really dry, I’ll use this in addition to my moisturizer.
2. Eye Cream – Just like the rest of your face during fall, the skin around your delicate eye area can also get dry in the cold. I use Dermalogica’s Intensive Eye Repair (here and here) year-round to keep that area extra hydrated regardless of the weather.
3. Exfoliating Pads – When my skin get dehydrated it tends to break out and get a little bumpy. So, every night before bed I use these amazing exfoliating pads from Peter Thomas Roth (here). They have Salicylic Acid in them to help with breakouts, but they are also double-sided so you can choose to exfoliate with the smooth side or a slightly bumpy one for some extra oomph. I use these before bed and the next morning I wake up with smoother skin, bumps be gone!
4. Face Masque – Yet another fave from Dermalogica, this face mask (here and here) is like a tall drink of water mixed with all of the vitamins your skin could ever want. Leave it on for about 10 minutes while you do something else (let’s face it, you’ll probably scroll through Instagram), then rinse off and voila! – brighter skin.
5. Self-Tanning Lotion – Last but not least, let’s not forget the rest of your skin not on your face. Being a California girl means that I enjoy a good glow even when I can’t make it to the beach. After I put on body lotion , I put this L’Oreal Sublime Bronze Serum on my legs and arms. It launched earlier this year and I love it. It’s not orangey like other self-tanners, and it also works faster than gradual tanning products. You can basically find this product at any Target, CVS, etc.
What are your top fall skin care picks?
