As hot days keep filling the forecast in the US, it’s hard to imagine that summer could ever end or that pumpkin spice everything is just around the corner. And yet, well before you stow away your sandals and iced coffee in favor of sweaters and cozy-flavored lattes, fall will officially arrive soon. The Fall Equinox may not be a celebrated holiday exactly, but it’s a wonderful time to reflect upon mind, body, and beauty in a holistic way.
The first day of autumn epitomizes balance. On the equinox, the day is exactly as long as the night and transitions us into that time of year in which the days begin to grow shorter. Just as we observe in nature, our skin is also always seeking balance. So in the same way your wardrobe changes with the weather, your skincare regimen may need some seasonal adjustments to keep you radiant year round and we’re going to show you just how to do it so that cooler weather doesn’t mean giving up your glow.
Four Signs Your Skincare Regimen Needs Tweaking For Fall:
- Dullness - After months of increased exposure to summer sun and heat, our skin can become dull and lackluster, looking depleted and left in need of re-invigorating. Environmental exposure can contribute to quicker depletion of our body’s antioxidant stores as well and this can show up on our skin as a devitalized complexion. In this season of moving on from summer and approaching winter, it’s a wonderful opportunity to correct and prep for the challenges of the colder months, the most common of which may be the loss of that gorgeous midsummer glow.
- Dehydration - Day and night use of air conditioning to escape the heat can leave skin deeply dehydrated. On top of that, perspiration in the heat and enjoying warm weather in the pool or in the salt water of the ocean can also contribute to skin’s loss of moisture. In fact, some skin types can still experience water loss even as they see an increase in oil production so that they feel dry and oily at the same time. A frosty A/C and cold dips are must-haves for summer comfort, but simple adjustments to your regimen for fall can correct for the dehydration they can cause. Fall is also a period of transition into cooler weather when you may find yourself quickly switching from frequent use of air conditioning to the use of heaters, which can be very dehydrating as well. Dehydration shows up as more visible fine lines, loss of plumpness and volume, and tired-looking skin. Don’t worry, we’ll fill you in on how to boost your moisture balance!
- Uneven Tone - For many people, even with avid use of sunscreen throughout the sunniest seasons, skin can become unevenly toned and hyperpigmentation can appear more apparent. Melanin production is one of your body’s ways of protecting itself from UV damage and is a natural response to environmental exposure, but many prefer to control melanin pigmentation if possible to retain a more even skin tone. Reducing the appearance of hyperpigmentation safely is a very gradual process and fall is the perfect time to address sun damage as we begin to see shorter days with less intense sun.
- Congestion or Uneven Texture - Although we may tend to wear less makeup during summer, we may also layer sunscreen more heavily and more frequently, which is important protection but could contribute to congestion for some skin types. Additionally, dehydration and our increased perspiration in hot weather can leave skin rough or result in clogged pores even if our skin isn’t generally prone to breakouts or congestion. We may not get much relief from this in fall as we begin to encounter drier air and artificial heat so adjusting your skincare regimen is often essential to combat rough skin this time of year.
If you’re entering fall experiencing any of these skin concerns, you’re not alone! Most of us see one or more of these issues and there are very effective methods for combating them so that you can spend this beautiful transition season with balanced, plump, and glowing skin.
Four Fall Skin Fixes For Seasonal Glow-Getters:
- Enzymatic Exfoliation- You might already be exfoliating year round, but enzymatic exfoliation in particular is a restorative way of brightening and evening out skin tone and texture using enzymes that feed the skin as they exfoliate and improve cell turnover. It is also possible to achieve a greater level of exfoliation more comfortably in fall and winter months as we experience less sun exposure and heat. Enzymatic exfoliation helps to reveal healthier, more supple skin without over-processing it. Gently exfoliated skin is also more receptive to topical products like serums and moisturizers. Kate Ryan Skincare Solution: Clearly Radiant Enzyme Mask featuring pineapple, papaya, pumpkin, and kiwi fruit enzymes
- Water-Soluble Hydration - For all but the drier skin types, it may still feel a bit too early in the season to adjust your moisturizing routine to include richer oils (although it’s a great idea anytime your own skin is telling you it needs a deeper level of moisture), we can all benefit from balancing our skin’s hydration by boosting its water content. There are two ways to do this: from the inside out with plenty of pure, filtered water each day and from the outside in with a liquid delivery of water-soluble nutrition applied topically to the skin. Kate Ryan Skincare Solution: Energizing Facial Mist featuring firming, revitalizing, and brightening water-soluble nutrients like DMAE bitartrate, gotu kola, alpha lipoic acid, and CoQ10 in a refreshingly balancing mist that you can use any time of day. We promise this will become your new beauty-boosting obsession!
- Antioxidant Replenishment - Think of antioxidants as nature’s most powerful protection against signs of damage and aging. While antioxidants are common enough in skincare, you may not realize that your skin benefits most from a dynamic variety of antioxidant sources just like we need nutritionally from our diet rather than single hero ingredient products. Plus, our bodies do not effectively store antioxidants long-term so we need to replenish our skin with antioxidants on a daily basis inside and out. Topically, you’ll see best results for evening out skin tone, pigmentation, smoothness, and firmness by using a formulation with a vast array of different antioxidants at least once every day. Kate Ryan Skincare Solution: Vitamin C Daytime Repair Serum featuring a veritable rainbow of antioxidants including niacinamide, gotu kola, lycopene, astaxanthin, vitamin C ester, superoxide dismutase and green tea just to name a few.
- Enhanced Regeneration - Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) acts as a natural renewal agent by eliciting a response mechanism to skin damage (sunburns, cuts, etc.) and encouraging the multiplication of new, healthy cells. The result is increased collagen, hyaluronan, and elastin which ultimately leads to thicker, tighter skin and a rejuvenated skin surface. Kate Ryan Skincare Solution: Kate’s EGF Skin Rejuvenation Serum is based in a nutrient-rich cell growth medium combining amino acids and antioxidants that make the skin more resilient.
Want even more personalized advice on building your best anti-aging skincare regimen or adjusting your current routine for fall? Reach out to us at hello@kateryanskincare.com for tailored recommendations.
Be Well, Stay Well!
