With the change in seasons comes many shifts, but if there’s one thing you’ll want to keep the same through the cold months to come, it’s your healthy, radiant complexion. Follow these dos and don’ts to maintain glowing skin year-round.
DOs
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Switch to a gentle hydrating cleanser
While our personal M.O. is using a gentle hydrating cleanser 365, if you weren’t already doing so, now’s the opportune time to change that. Nourishing ingredients like hyaluronic acid (HA), vegetable collagen, and vitamin B5 are especially crucial as the temperatures drop and Reflekt 1 Daily Exfoliating Face Wash features all three (and then some). Also powered by biodegradable jojoba ester beads, our best-selling, twice-daily face wash gently exfoliates as it cleanses and hydrates to help you achieve optimal skin pH for a noticeably healthy, glowing complexion. Yes, even in the fall.
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Opt for a vitamin C serum
As the weather gets cooler, you may also begin to notice one of two things: 1. Summer’s wear and tear becoming more apparent through visible sunspots, age spots, melasma, and the like; or 2. Your complexion becoming increasingly lackluster. Have no fear, though, visibly correcting photodamage and dullness (as well as preventing both) is possible with a vitamin C serum. Treatments with this supercharged ingredient, like Reflekt 2 Collagen Boost Vitamin C Brightening Serum, are formulated specifically to target and combat such woes as discoloration and dullness, so you can maintain healthy, glowing skin year-round. Bonus: we use only the most stable version of vitamin C in our serum, so it will never irritate the skin — even the most sensitive.
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Mix in a mask
With the humidity-free air drying out our skin, replenishing it with essential moisture is a non-negotiable. One of our favorite ways to do so is with a little self-care, particularly in the form of a face mask featuring any of our go-to hydrating ingredients, like HA (of course), polyglutamic acid, or squalane. Mask 1 to 2 times per week through the cold months to ensure your skin is getting supplemental nourishment alongside your daily and nightly regimens.
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Use a humidifier
Maximize the efficacy of your regimen with a humidifier for an extra hydration boost. Doing so will help to regulate the moisture in the air so you can rest assured your skincare products aren’t competing with the dryness around you caused by low humidity and made worse by heaters — at least at home. If you’re looking for a compact one to keep bedside, we love this one by Canopy.
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Wash your makeup brushes
If you haven’t washed your makeup brushes all summer, the American Academy of Dermatology has news for you: you should be cleaning them every 7 to 10 days. Since there’s a chance you’re not doing so,why not use the shift in seasons as your time to check it off your to-do list? After all, nobody needs that breakout- and, worse, infection-causing bacteria festering on anything that touches your skin — towels included. You can find Nancy’s favorite makeup brush cleanser here.
DON’Ts
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Don’t stop wearing SPF daily
Though this one should go without saying, a shocking survey commissioned by EWG found that only 17% of U.S. adults use sunscreen daily. For this reason, incessant reminders will always be critical. Because the reality is, just because you may not be basking in the sun, it doesn’t mean you’re not absorbing damaging rays, including aging UVA and burning UVB rays.
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Don’t skip the exfoliation
Don’t mistake exfoliation as a process solely for sweaty, sunscreen-soaked skin. In fact, it’s an imperative part of any well-rounded skincare routine. In the fall and winter, in particular, exfoliation helps to remove all those dry, dead skin cells that are sitting atop the skin and preventing your products from being effectively absorbed and, therefore, contributing to overall dullness. Of course, exfoliation alone isn’t enough as it must be combined with proper hydration to reap the dewy, luminous results. Our simple yet effective regimen features an innovative combination of gentle exfoliation and powerful hydration in all four steps to reveal healthy, radiant skin no matter the season.
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Don’t turn up the heat on your showers
Hot showers undoubtedly feel heavenly on a cold day, but they are known to be very drying. Luke warm showers are less likely to strip the sebum from your skin and hair and since sebum is our naturally lubricated barrier, keeping it strong is essential for maintaining radiant skin and shiny hair. So next time you reach to turn up the heat on your shower, no matter how tempting, think again.
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Don’t forget the skin below your chin
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, your skin is your body’s largest organ, so taking care of just your face is simply not enough. Carry your cleanser, serum, and moisturizer below your chin to reap the same powerful benefits on your neck and décolletage. Then, take it even further by moisturizing, exfoliating, and applying sunscreen to your full body. Trust us, your skin will thank you over time. Though this, of course, isn’t an autumn-only rule, it’s crucial to emphasize as the cold temperatures begin to zap moisture from your full body.
