Changing Your Skincare Routine From Summer to Fall

Changing seasons and cooler temps mean your skincare regimen requires a change-up, too. Here are five J-beauty tips to help simplify your fall skincare transition so you can achieve healthy, balanced skin as winter approaches.

Sep 22 2021 - 4 min read

Written by Hinako Sugioka

In some places it may feel like summer is still lingering, but the shorter days, cooler nights, and swift emergence of everything pumpkin spice are all sure signs that fall is upon us. While fall heralds the start of a long season of festive celebrations, rapidly fluctuating temperatures and humidity can throw your skin's microbiome out of balance, increasing sensitivity and causing dry, itchy skin that can put a damper on seasonal cheer. Unfortunately, fall skincare is often doubly challenging. Not only do you need to focus on healing summertime damage, but you also need to proactively protect skin from impending winter weather. In colder months, when your skin is exposed to consistently dry environments outside and from heated indoor spaces, sebum production decreases. Lower sebum levels weaken the skin’s natural barrier, leading to a dangerous spiral of dryness. That’s why proper moisturization—a hallmark of effective skincare all year round—is perhaps most important in fall when environments are constantly in flux. While anticipating your skin’s needs during this change might seem daunting, don’t fret—we’ve gathered together five J-beauty tips that will simplify your fall skincare routine and help you achieve beautiful, healthy skin as you navigate the seasonal shift.

Tip #1: Avoid Hot Water When Facial Cleansing

Although it may be colder outside, don’t be tempted to use hot water on your skin when cleansing. Hot water strips away essential oils and natural moisturizers, leaving your skin vulnerable to dryness and irritation. Instead, use lukewarm water (slightly warmer than human skin) to ensure that cleansing is as effective and gentle as possible. It's also a good idea to switch to milk or oil-type cleansers that are gentler on the skin, while still providing optimal hydration and protection. We suggest a product like Lala Vie Cleansing Balm, with an oil-based formula that efficiently cleans without the need for double cleansing (lessening the drying effects of transepidermal water loss), and leaves skin soft, hydrated, and refreshed.

Tip #2: Restore Collagen & Improve Elasticity

In the summer, increased sun exposure and hot temperatures are notoriously rough on skin, breaking down the skin's moisture barrier and leading to a loss of elasticity and other issues like oily skin. With the onset of lower temperatures and drier weather, however, fall presents the perfect opportunity to shift focus toward the proper nourishment skin needs to recover. Collagen, a protein naturally produced by the body to aid in moisturization and healing, is an essential J-beauty ingredient that gives the skin's natural restorative abilities a much-needed boost. Check out moisturizing products featuring collagen, like THE FINGGY Veil Clear Gel, to take advantage of deep-penetrating, moisture-rich formulas that help promote a healthy moisture barrier for hydrated, firmer-looking skin.

Tip #3: Protect Your Ceramides

While the optimal humidity for skin is around 60%, this level typically drops extremely low (around 30%) in autumn and winter, which can lead to dry skin. Additionally, cold temperatures can cause poor blood circulation, which exacerbates skin issues such as dullness, blotchiness, and wrinkles. To counteract these environmental factors, use a lotion or serum that contains ceramide and amino acids to improve the moisture retention of the stratum corneum and strengthen the barrier function. Products with ceramide, like Seiso Beauty Pure Ceramide Concentrate, naturally hydrate and can actually reverse ceramide loss, leaving behind healthy, replenished skin.

Tip #4: Switch to a Thicker Moisturizer

A lighter moisturizer helps to keep skin hydrated while also helping to control excess sebum production, which is an ideal solution in the heat of summer. However, when the weather gets cold and dry, your skin needs extra help to keep essential moisture locked in. Switch to a thick moisturizer, like warew Cream Rich, which uses ingredients like jojoba extract and squalene for extra moisturization that helps nourish and protect skin all day. Bonus tip: Poor circulation due to cold weather not only causes blotches and dullness, but also makes your complexion look pale and unhealthy. When applying lotion or cream, warm it in your hands before applying, and keep it on your skin for about 10 seconds, warming your face with the heat of your hands. This will help to improve circulation and restore a healthy, rosy glow.

Tip #5: Try a Moisturizing Sheet Mask

Since getting adequate moisture in the dry fall and winter months can be a struggle, devote some extra self-care time to your skin with a moisturizing sheet mask. Sheet masks typically provide deep penetrating, highly-effective ingredients that boost hydration in just 5 - 10 minutes—the perfect amount of "me time" that lets you pamper your mind, senses, and skin all at once. We suggest this one by RÉgLE, which provides a concentrated formula of beauty essence and collagen that restores moisture and improves firmness and elasticity.

Put Our Fall Skincare Tips to Use

Swapping out tank tops for long sleeves when the weather starts to cool down is an adaptation most of us make without a second thought. But it's sometimes easy to forget that our skin needs seasonal adaptations, too! With your focus shifted toward winter-ready moisture, keep these five seasonal skincare tips handy—they'll help you recognize the specific challenges of the summer-to-fall transition, so you can figure out exactly what your skin needs to stay nourished and healthy as your environment changes from one season to the next.

For more information on the best J-beauty fall skincare products, click the links above or below, or contact us for personalized recommendations.