Since a hot summer
has bestowed its mark upon our face,
pigmentation from excessive tanning, travel-induced dehydration, and
inflammation from one too many mojitos and the sudden plummeting of temperature
can, quite drastically, impact the way our skin performs, looks and feels.
Most commonly seen in the autumn months is the impairment
and fragility of the skin barrier which can manifest as symptoms of dryness,
sensitivity and a lack lustre look. The skins barrier is like a raincoat
designed to keep things from reaching your body. When temperatures suddenly
change and in windy and cold weather, our barriers become damaged and let
pollution and other external aggravators deeper into the skin, causing
inflammation, sensitivity and redness. So how do we reinvent our routines to
cater to this change in environment? The key rule is to keep things simple: In
the summer, we tend to use less product because we naturally have a healthy
glow. Avoid overwhelming skin and keep your routine as simple as possible.
Cleansing
consistently is key
It is important to keep skin clean and free of accumulated
dirt, cleansing morning and night is one element of your routine that doesn’t
need to be reinvented. Skin’s natural cell turnover process creates debris on
the upper layers which need to be removed before applying any other products,
as this can affect the efficacy of future key ingredients penetrating the skin.
Plus the mechanical action of cleansing also increases the blood flow and aids
elimination of toxins.
Hydrate the easy way
Exposure to central heating and harsh, bracing winds equally
can lead to skin that really isn’t happy. For that, hydration can help.
Hyaluronic acid is a key player to healthy, plump skin its effects are often
compared to turning a raisin into a grape when increasing water content. Our
Hero serum contains hyaluronic acid along with a combination of peptides covers
your skins daily hydration needs.
Rebuild your barrier
with moisturiser
Moisturizers will most certainly be beneficial for repairing
your skin’s moisture barrier when it’s damaged, but it’s important that you
look for specific ingredients that mimic the natural lipids found in your skin.
Just because a moisturizer feels rich and greasy on the skin doesn’t
necessarily mean that it will offer repair. Ingredients such as Niacinamide,
Jojoba oil, Shea butter and Vitamin E will all help to rebuild a damaged skin
barrier, these ingredients are all found in Phi Cosmeceutical moisturizers.
Autumn exfoliation
101
Post-summer skin may need a peel, a treatment that utilises
a combination of exfoliating acids to keep it looking fresh and radiant. A
blend of AHA’s and BHA’s like lactic and salicylic acid will help to dissolve
the glue that holds skin-dulling dead skin cells on skin's surface.
Scrubs can create micro tears in the skin that can further
impair the skin barrier and create more inflammation, so do take care to not
over exfoliate 2-3 x a week is plenty. Lactic acid is a great chemical
exfoliant as it hydrates at the same time as exfoliating. Spotless contains
lactic alongside salicylic to help lift pigmentation and revive a glow that may
have been lost in the seasonal switch.
Start using retinol
While a lack of sun might not be good news for your spirit,
it is good news for your face. Retinol (or vitamin A) makes the skin more
sensitive to the sun, so it’s best used in the evening and, in summer, should
be used unfailingly with an SPF. It is fantastic at increasing cell turnover,
regulating oil flow and improving the appearance of pigmentation. Start slow to
allow your skin to build up a tolerance and work up to using every night.
Wear SPF all year
round
The biggest mistake you can make is not wearing SPF longer than
summer. Our skin can be damaged by UV rays all year round so it’s one product
that you never need swap out.
Eat seasonally
Treating the outside of skin is all very well, but it’s
important to complement an autumnal skin routine with a nutritional and
seasonal diet. Autumn is the harvest season and we are incredibly lucky to have
fresh, nutrient rich produce available, so make the most of it. Eat foods that
are rich in beta-carotene to aid cell renewal, aid normal skin function and
collagen production.
Also worth ingesting is a great probiotic, to improve gut
health for clearer skin, and an omega supplement to wrap cells and keep
moisture locked in.
