The fall season is nearly here, and, just like the leaves on the trees, your skin is also about to go through a few changes. While many love this time of year for the cooler days and breathtaking scenery, it’s common for our skin to struggle through the transition from summer. Almost without warning, the air becomes much drier than it was during the warmer months, and it can leave your skin reeling from the lack of essential moisture. So before we fully transition into the seasonal weather, take the following steps to reduce the potential effects of these changes on your complexion. These are some of the best ways to prepare your skin for fall so that you can enjoy all that this time of year has to offer.

Start Using a Thicker Moisturizer

Since, as we previously mentioned, the air becomes significantly drier in the fall, it’s important that you change your skincare routine to supply additional moisture. Otherwise, the environment around you can make your skin dry, flaky, and more susceptible to cell damage. One effective way to do this is by replacing your light summer moisturizer with a slightly thicker product meant to provide higher concentrations of hyaluronic acid. This substance is naturally found within the skin and assists with both attracting and retaining the fluids it needs to stay healthy. With more moisturizing power, your skin will be protected from the potentially harsh climate and will remain healthy enough to continue any treatments you may be using.

Include a Body Lotion in Your Routine

You should also start using a body lotion during this time, if you aren’t doing so already. This step might seem unnecessary if you’ve only had dry skin on the face. However, the dryness of fall and winter air can affect other areas of the body that are typically better at retaining their moisture. This is especially the case if you’re exposing yourself to additional things that can dry out your skin, such as long, hot showers. So, should you notice that your skin is feeling tight or itchy as the weather cools down, make sure you’re using a lotion to retain some of its remaining moisture.

Adopt a Diet Filled With Antioxidants

Our skin can sustain a lot of damage from the sun and heat during the summer months. For this reason, the move into fall can be a great time to promote overall healing and rejuvenation from those stressors. But to do this, your body must first have all the necessary vitamins and minerals. Antioxidants are especially important for this process, as they provide a protective layer around your healthy cells and keep them safe from any additional damage. Blueberries, kale, pecans, and artichokes are some of the foods that provide an abundant supply of nourishing antioxidants.

Drink Plenty of Water

Another of the best ways to prepare your skin for fall is getting into the habit of drinking more water. Your body is going to need as much hydration as it can get as the temperature drops, and the most direct method is to start consuming more of it. The more fluids you retain, the more moisture your skin cells will have and the more resistant they’ll be to future damage. But this isn’t all they do. Extra water in your system also makes it easier to maintain other bodily functions like digestion and detoxification. Then, as your body reliably flushes toxins from your system, you’re less likely to develop blemishes on the surface of the skin.

Reduce How Often You Exfoliate

Make sure as well that you’re cutting back on how often you exfoliate your skin. It’s common for individuals to use these products upward of four to five times a week during the humid times of the year. However, when the skin is already weakened from the cold, this process can actually serve to further irritate it. Because of this, it’s recommended that you decrease the frequency at which you use exfoliation products and try to be gentler on your skin when you do. Typically, you won’t want to do this more than three times a week in the interest of protecting your skin.

Set up a Humidifier in Your Home

Though the outdoors has officially become dry and potentially harmful to your skin, that doesn’t mean you’re without options. Fortunately, it’s still possible to control the climate within our own homes and make it a bit easier to retain some of that much-needed moisture. Humidifiers are wonderful appliances to have during the fall and winter because they’ll continuously release moisture into your home. This additional humidity will sink into your skin and prevent dryness from occurring. Just be sure that you aren’t allowing the humidity in your home to become too high, or you could start developing an issue with mold.

Reach Out To a Dermatologist for Advice

When all is said and done, you’ll want to make sure you reach out to your trusted dermatologist for additional advice. There may be other underlying issues, aside from the weather, that are causing damage to your skin. So, speaking to the experts on all things related to skin care is one of the best steps you can take. These professionals will be able to most accurately diagnose your specific situation and give you the best advice for your type of skin. They may also bring up additional lifestyle contributors to be aware of and provide you with stronger treatment products, depending on the state of your blemishes.

At Flawless Beauty and Skin, we understand how hard the transitions between seasons can be on your skin. This is why we seek to provide only the best products to help you navigate these challenging periods. From whitening tablets for hyperpigmentation to gentler acne treatments for sensitive skin, each item is made to promote the overall health of your skin rather than just treat the blemishes. As such, they’re a great thing to have on your side when your skin is going through changes.