You may not yet be ready to see the end of summer, but the days of fall are not too far away…

It always pays to be one step ahead when it comes to your skin, so here are eight steps that you can take to transition into fall skin care: 

Start Switching to a Heavier Moisturizer

One of the main differences between a summer and a winter skin care routine lies with the texture and consistency of products. 

The warmer temperatures in the summer stimulate the skin into producing a higher amount of sebum. This has a moisturizing effect of its own. 

When sebum mixes together with a greasy moisturizer, it does not take long for the pores to become clogged, leading to breakouts. 

This is why a lighter lotion, rather than a thick moisturizer, is always recommended for the summer months. 

However, now that the temperatures are going to be cooling down, and the humidity in the air dropping, you will need to start making the transition to a heavier moisturizer once again. This will help to lock moisture into your skin, preventing the dryness and dehydration that fall and winter often bring. 

Keep in mind that you should not immediately start using a heavy moisturizer each day. 

Fall is a transitional season, and this applies to your skin care too. You want to slowly introduce the heavier moisturizer into your skin care routine. The 24K Tèrmica® Completion Cream may be a good place to start, as it has a rich moisturizing blend of peptides and aloe vera, and would be perfect for the change in seasons.

On those breezy and blustery fall days, that heavy moisturizer is ideal for protecting your skin from the elements, while preventing it from drying out. However, on those warm, summer-like fall days, a lighter lotion may still be all you need. 

Use a Creamier Cleanser

As mentioned above, the skin naturally produces more oil in the warmer months, which can leave it feeling pretty greasy by the end of the day. 

It usually takes a stronger cleanser to break all of this oil down and get rid of that summer shine. 

However, once your skin stops producing that extra oil, you really do need all of the oils it does produce. As the air gets drier, moisture evaporates out of the skin at a much faster rate, and your sebum is what helps to keep that moisture trapped inside your skin. 

This is where a nourishing creamy cleanser comes in…

Unlike foaming cleansers, which strip away the skin’s natural oils, a creamy cleanser gently clears away any excess oils, but leaves the protective layer intact. 

Ideally, try to use a creamy cleanser that also contains plenty of hydrating and nourishing ingredients. 

Your skin can really do with the extra help during this transitional period, and the following ingredients are ideal for this: 

• Hyaluronic Acid – this humectant holds up to 1000 times its weight in moisture, drawing this from the air into the skin
• Glycerin – this is another humectant that also softens and conditions the skin 
• Ceramides – these help to strengthen and support the skin’s protective barrier, and are naturally already present in that barrier
• Plant Oils – nourishing, hydrating and packed with antioxidants

Have you tried the 24K Mousse Cleanser? This creamy, foamy cleanser really cleanses out pores and absorbs dirt and grime, while protecting the skin’s natural oils and moisture.

Add In an Extra Serum

People try to keep their summer skin care routines relatively lightweight, in order to prevent clogged pores. 

However, you can now afford to add in a couple of extra products, and these should be in the form of serums. 

Why are serums so important? 

Serums may not look like much, but those small bottles are actually packed with a high concentration of active ingredients. 

Serums are usually designed to target specific skin issues, whether this may be wrinkles, discoloration, acne or anything else. 

Fall is the perfect time to add in a couple of serums that can help to treat any damage your skin has experienced over the summer, before the harsh dryness of winter starts to hit it. 

Not sure what type of serum to go for? 

It all depends on the skin concerns you want to treat. Here are some guidelines: 

• Oiliness and acne – look for serums that contain ingredients that can help to regulate oil production, such as niacinimide, retinol and tea tree oil 
• Fine lines, wrinkes and sagging skin – you need a serum that will help to increase the amount of collagen and elastin your skin is producing. This means a serum that contains retinol, vitamin C, vitamin E, green tea extract and peptides 
• Dryness and sensitivities – search for a hydrating, healing and soothing serum, such as one containing chamomile, green tea, vitamin C, hyaluronic acid and ceramides 
• Dark spots and hyperpigmentation – you need a serum that will have a brightening and lightening effect on your skin, meaning one that contains vitamin C, vitamin E, kojic acid and licorice extract 

Watch That Water Temperature

As the weather turns colder, you may find yourself turning up the water temperature in the shower or in the bath. 

However satisfying this may feel, it is something you need to avoid doing. 

Why? 

Because hot water strips the skin of its natural oils. As you already know, these oils are responsible for moisture retention and protection. When they are stripped away, the skin ends up dry and damaged. 

How hot is too hot? 

Try to keep your water lukewarm – just slightly warmer than room temperature. 

You should also limit the amount of time that you spend in the shower or bath. 

Try to keep this to no longer than ten minutes, as this will also help to save your skin from drying out. 

Strengthen Your Skin from Within

While the ingredients you use topically are important, the nutrients that you put into your body will also have a direct impact on your skin. 

Hopefully, you were eating plenty of summer fruits and vegetables throughout the season. These are packed with moisture and antioxidants, which is exactly what your skin needs to take it through the summer months. 

However, as the weather changes, so does your skin’s needs. 

You want to be nourishing your skin with vitamins and essential fatty acids, helping to build it up for the winter months. 

Which foods should you be eating more of? 

Seasonal fall foods are ideal. Orange fruits and vegetables, such as squashes, sweet potatoes and carrots, are all in season in the fall, and these contain powerful concentrations of vitamins, along with antioxidants. 

These foods will also help your skin when it comes to building collagen and elastin. This will thicken your skin up in the long term, enabling it to better retain moisture during the dry days of winter. 

Pay Extra Attention to the Skin Around Your Eyes

Do you find yourself squinting more often in the summer months? 

This is extremely common, even if you wear sunglasses – after all, that sun can be so strong!

Unfortunately, all of that squinting, coupled with the extra sun exposure you would have experienced, can cause some serious damage to the skin around the eyes. The skin here is extremely thin and delicate, more so than the skin on the rest of the face. This is why people usually tend to develop fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes first, before they appear anywhere else on the face. 

Fall is the perfect time to give the skin around your eyes some extra nourishment, before the winter months damage it even further. 

What can you do to repair and nourish the skin around your eyes? 

Now is the time to invest in a quality eye serum and eye cream. The eye serum will deliver its ingredients deep within your skin, while the cream will focus on the surface layer, ensuring that all layers of your skin are taken care of. 

When it comes to specific ingredients, keep an eye out for the following:

• Retinol – this ingredient has so many benefits, from brightening the skin to reducing fine lines and wrinkles
• Caffeine – dilates the blood vessels which boosts circulation and perks the skin up, giving it a bouncier and more lively appearance 
• Peptides – stimulate collagen and elastin production, which helps to keep the skin smooth, firm and elastic 
• Vitamin E – has powerful soothing and protective properties 
• Hyaluronic Acid – incredibly hydrating, instantly plumping up skin cells to give the skin a fresher look 

One more thing to keep in mind when it comes to your eye serum and cream…

Always pat these products into your skin, rather than rubbing them in. 

Patting increases product absorption, while also boosting blood circulation to give your skin an extra glow. If you’re not sure where to begin, try starting with the 24K Intensive Eye Serum.

Don’t Forget About SPF

The days may not feel as warm and sunny, but this doesn’t mean that you can stop using your SPF. 

The sun’s UV rays are dangerous throughout the year. You may not find yourself getting sunburnt in the fall, but UV rays can still cause everything from premature skin aging to skin cancer, making sunscreen a must.

Do you often find yourself forgetting to apply your sunscreen when the sun isn’t actually shining? 

If so, you may be better off with a moisturizer that also contains SPF. 

Since you will be using this in the cooler months of the year, make sure that it is a thick and nourishing moisturizer, as this will be the main cream that you use each and every morning. The 24K Bio-Brightening Skin Tone Moisturizer SPF 30 is a good one to start with.

But what if you find that thick moisturizers and sunscreens actually exacerbate your oily skin?

If your skin type is oily, then you may be better off with a lighter sunscreen product, even in the fall. You could also look into some of the SPF powders out there – these are great for providing broad-spectrum protection, while also absorbing up any excess oil on your skin.

Turn On That Humidifier

Since the air is more humid in the summer months, transepidermal water loss is reduced. 

Wondering what transepidermal water loss is? 

It refers to the rate at which moisture evaporates from the skin. Since summer air already contains a high amount of moisture, making it quite similar to the moisture levels in your skin, evaporation is kept to a minimum.

However, as the air turns drier, transepidermal water loss increases. The air around you is drier, and this ends up drawing your skin’s moisture out. 

Moisturizers and oils are great ways to prevent this from happening, but they can only work to a certain extent. 

Your best bet would be increasing the amount of moisture that is in the air, and this is where a humidifier comes in. 

How does a humidifier help? 

It adds moisture back into the air, increasing its humidity level. This then once again reduces transepidermal loss, enabling your skin to hold on to its all-important moisture. 

If you are able to place a humidifier in every room of your house, this would be idea. However, if you have to choose one room, make it your bedroom. 

Why? 

Because your skin uses up a significant amount of moisture at night while you sleep. This is when it works hard to heal, regenerate and build new proteins, and it needs water in order to do all of this. 

Keeping a humidifier in your bedroom enables you to support your skin’s moisture needs, and you will notice yourself waking up with a much more radiant complexion. 

As an added bonus…

Consider purchasing a humidifier that also takes essential oils. 

These fill the room with such a beautiful scent, and you can also use them to help treat various skin issues. From lavender oil to soothe irritated skin to frankincense oil to calm the skin and encourage healing, aromatherapy can make it even easier to transition your skin into fall. 

Changing up your skin care routine each season can seem confusing at first. However, once you understand exactly why and how your skin’s needs change through the year, you will soon instinctively understand your skin’s requirements, and will start to find it easier to maintain a healthy glow throughout the year.