Top 5 Fall Skincare Hacks

It’s officially pumpkin season… er.. I mean autumn. 

As we transcend, ready or not, into cooler and darker months, your skincare routine is due for some seasonal editing. Along with the shorter days and cooler nights of early fall, comes a change in environment that can derail that perfect skin plan you’ve been following since the groundhog didn’t see his shadow. Fall brings with it super dry air, which gets even dryer when a furnace gets cranked to shield against chilly outdoor temps. If you stay the course and don’t adjust your skincare in step with Mother Nature, you might find yourself flakier than the crust on grandma’s Thanksgiving apple pie! 

Dry skin notwithstanding, fall is actually pretty great. In the unscientific poll that is me talking to people every year, fall weather is most people’s favorite weather. There’s plenty to love about autumn’s unique meteorological signatures. The crisp air refreshes and chilly breezes crisscross our yards, blowing falling leaves here and there. Shortened days and dropping temperatures cause nature to paint itself in a spectrum of vibrant reds, gorgeous yellows, and blazing oranges, which just so happen to complement your collection of zippy vests and cozy boots! The way sunlight gleams across open fields at “golden hour” seems to hit peak optical appeal in these bronze-toned harvest months. The backdrop is set for excellent family photos! Last, but certainly not least, adding layers of clothing for warmth allows us all to relax a little and indulge in an extra dessert or drink, or three.

As cheerleaders for great skin, we’ve pulled together our Top 5 Fall Skincare Hacks to help you transition your routine seamlessly:

1. Get thicc!

No really, it’s time to set that serum aside and get comfortable with a creme. Dry air is not just limited to outdoor activities. As our HVAC preferences shift from “Ah!! It’s like an icebox in here.” to “GAAAHHH!! Crank that heat, it’s like an icebox in here!!” the relative humidity inside your home or workplace might drop from a comfortable 50% to a parched 20%. Moisture will literally get sucked out of your skin into your environment. A heavier creme like the VITAL C hydrating repair creme or the MAX stem cell creme are formulated with larger molecule humectant ingredients to infuse and trap moisture in the skin. Even thicker, the VITAL C hydrating facial oil and VITAL C hydrating intense moisturizer are fall staples for many of our clients, providing the deepest hydration.

2. Layers are life.

Not all of your summer serums need to winter in Florida. Some of the products in your skincare diet might need to stay year-round, like the ILUMA intense facial illuminator or the AGELESS total anti-aging serum. Rather than benching these all stars and their age-defying power ingredients, give them a fall/winter buddy like the ORMEDIC bio-peptide creme, or the I RESCUE post treatment recovery balm. Thinner products always go on first, for maximum active ingredient penetration, and then layer on the thicker product to lock in hydration.

3. Luscious lips are always in vogue.

“If my lips said ‘Adios! I don’t like you, I think you’re gross.’ That’d be too bad, I might get mad. If my lip moved to Duluth, left a mess and took my tooth, that’d be too bad, I’d call my dad.” I’ll spare you the rest of Larry The Cucumber’s infamous ode to his lips, but in solidarity with my green gourd friend from childhood, I proudly declare that I love my lips! Dry, cracked, and flaky lips are just not what anyone wants. Luscious, plump, hydrated, glowing lips feel great and accent your smile perfectly! The lips are the first to go when the weather turns dry.

Maintain your lips with a carefully formulated lip moisturizer. Avoid any lip products with petroleum based ingredients. In case no one has told you yet, that brand of lip balm we all grew up applying 25 times a day and had 14 tubes stashed here and there… it’s really bad for your lips. Choose something safe and clean like the ORMEDIC lip enhancement complex (also available in pink tint and with SPF). This is the time of year to make sure you keep it with you throughout the day for reapplying after eating and drinking.

4. PSL & SPF

Your Starbucks order might have changed from “Venti Pink Drink” to “Venti Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte with Oatmilk” overnight, but the final step in your morning skincare routine should still be SPF moisturizer. The sun doesn’t care that Saturdays are now devoted to college football tailgates or that you can officially pick up a Christmas tree at Lowe’s. While it is true that certain North American latitudes benefit from less solar radiation for fall/winter, you only get one chance to protect your skin. Once the sun breaks down the elastin that gives your skin tightness and bounce, it’s gone for good. Keep your skin firm and radiant for years to come with daily SPF protection.

IMAGE Skincare offers a whole range of moisturizing SPF to choose from. The PREVENTION+ daily ultimate SPF50 and IMAGE MD restoring daily defense moisturizer SPF50 are top sellers for us, with lots of happy repeat shoppers. The PREVENTION+ daily matte moisturizer SPF32 is perfect for oily or acne-prone skin with oil absorbing micro-sponges to maintain a matte finish throughout the day. IMAGE also formulates two fully mineral based SPF moisturizers. The PREVENTION+ daily hydrating moisturizer SPF30 provides delightfully sheer mineral-only protection, and the PREVENTION+ daily tinted moisturizer SPF30 adds some color and is a popular makeup alternative for a lot of folks. 

5. Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes

Dry, dehydrated skin is an equal opportunity offender. Elbows, knees, knuckles, and heels all feel the effects of seasonal changes. Fall is the perfect time to dive into full body hydration. Our brand new Blake At Home Body + Bath Oil is perfect for deep hydration from head to toe. A little bit goes a long way to soothe skin. If you’re in the mood to create a self-care experience, drop a tablespoon in a warm bath to relax tired muscles while the oil disperses through your bath leaving a thin layer of jojoba and apricot oil on your whole body. Our Body & Bath oil is available in our Relax, Breathe, Love, and Stress Relief aromatherapy scents. 

We also highly recommend IMAGE Skincare’s VITAL C hydrating hand and body lotion. With a fresh citrus scent, and smooth luxurious texture, it’s a dream to apply. We treat our hands with this lotion every single night before bed. Pre-covid, we would only use this treatment in fall and winter, but with excessive hand washing and sanitizer it’s become a year-round routine.