Don’t worry, we’re not going to spring Halloween decorations and pumpkin spice everything on you, but Fall is officially here -- and with it, changes to the weather and, if you’re doing things right, to your skincare regimen.

Here are the skin changes to look out for and how to update your daily routine to reflect what it needs.

What Happens to the Skin In Fall

A Typical Summer Skincare Regimen

Summer is all about lighter skincare products, SPF, and exfoliation, which makes sense when you think about what you’re dealing with in the summer months: depending on where you live, factors like heat and humidity generally increase oil and sweat production, thereby increasing skin’s overall moisture level (and unwelcome oil-related issues like clogged pores and breakouts). Plus, UV exposure and environmental damage can cause hyperpigmentation, while lots of water and chlorine can break down the skin’s natural barrier.

This makes barrier-repairing light moisturizers, antioxidants, and exfoliation absolute necessities, and you should look specifically for clarifying and moisturizing ingredients like kaolin clay, glycolic acid, hyaluronic acid, vitamin C and SPF.

Changes That Happen In the Fall

As the seasons change, though, so do your skincare needs. Particularly if you live in a varied climate, factors like colder air, wind, and more layers of clothing can cause the skin to dry.

Plus, you may be dealing with leftover summer skin issues - like breakouts and a stripped barrier - while preparing for frigid winter months. In short, it’s a huge transition. This is what your skin needs to make the transition gracefully.

How to Change Your Skincare Routine in Fall 

The good news? Making this switch isn’t actually a huge deal, and it only requires two main changes.

Repair Lingering Summer Damage

Again, if you’ve spent a lot of time in water our outdoors, your skin may be more stripped than you might like. Plus, if you’ve spent a significant amount of time in the summer, you may have racked up some damage that may require some TLC. To this end, you can:

• Exfoliate once a week: As you get ready for winter, you’ll want to exfoliate regularly and gently. Here, the key word is “gently.” Regular exfoliation can slough away dead skin cells and encourage increased cell turnover, which can address congestion, fine lines, and flakiness. But going overboard can cause irritation and sensitive skin - so you don’t want to use products every day or with ultra-high concentrations. That’s why we recommend that you start with a gentle glycolic acid serum two-three times a week, and take it from there (more on how to exfoliate properly here).

• Make sure to include some vitamin C: If vitamin C isn’t already in your daily skincare regimen, it should be for the fall. Photodamage is cumulative, and it’s the number one cause of skin damage and premature aging. As an MVP antioxidant, vitamin C can both heal existing damage and prevent future damage from happening day-to-day. We recommend a concentrated vitamin C serum and/or a daily vitamin C moisturizer.

• Deal with targeted congestion: A killer breakout requires a one-two punch. First, incorporate gentle clays into your routine - this can either be in your daily cleanser or in a gentle weekly clay mask. And if you have one particular spot that just won’t go away, try a salicylic acid spot treatment. When it comes to AHA vs BHA, a BHA, salicylic acid can get deep into pores and really address deeper congestion concerns.

Give Your Skin Extra TLC 

Next, you’ll want to work on maintaining that skin barrier and ensuring that your skin doesn’t get dry or dehydrated. Again, in the fall, you’re going to be adding a lot of layers and dealing with other harsher weather conditions - and your skincare needs to help you fight that.

Ingredients to help this include:

• Hyaluronic acid: In many ways, hyaluronic acid can be the ultimate moisturizer. This humectant can hold over 1,000 times its weight in water, and it can regulate moisture levels deep within the skin. It's a key ingredient in our Daydreamer Natural Face Moisturizer.
• Botanical oils: The right botanical oils like jojoba oil, squalane, and marula oil can, moisturize, lock in moisture, and restore the skin’s natural barrier. That said, you have to make sure that you choose oils that are noncomedogenic (not pore-clogging) and biomimetic (similar in composition to your natural sebum), as these are the only ones that will hydrate without causing other problems (more on that here).
• Peptides: Finally, peptides can help restore collagen and elastin, thereby reviving tired or dull-looking skin. Look, specifically, for formulas that contain Matrixyl 3000, a targeted anti-aging peptide that specializes in collagen restoration.

You’ll also want to focus particularly on your eye area and your lips. The skin around your eyes and lips is more delicate than the skin on the other areas of your face because these areas don’t have oil glands and the skin in thinner. That means that you’re likely to notice dry eyes, chapped lips, or puffiness and exacerbated fine lines before you notice anything else.

Luckily, a great eye cream and nightly lip mask should do the trick here.