Decrease Your Retinol Usage
“Your skin tends to get a bit drier as the weather turns colder,” says Dr. Gary Goldenberg of Goldenberg Dermatology in NYC. This is a common time for patients to develop retinoid dermatitis, which is a skin irritation from retinol, he explains. If you notice your skin is getting drier, he suggests decreasing your retinol application to every other night and increasing the amount of moisturizer you use at night.
To keep your skin extra moisturized when decreasing your retinol usage, try Beautycounter Countermatch Adaptive Moisture Lotion, $49, which provides 24 hours of hydration.
Don't Take Too Many Hot Showers
Goldenberg says that a hot shower may feel great on a cold fall morning, but it will also dry out your skin. Instead, he recommends taking a lukewarm shower and applying moisturizer all over the body afterward.
Dr. Roebuck's Top Stuff Ultra Hydrating Body Creme, $30, utilizes shea butter, green tea extract and macadamia oil to effectively hydrate your skin post-shower.
Don't Over-Cleanse
“Do not over-cleanse your skin,” says Graceanne Svendson, a licensed aesthetician at Shafer Plastic Surgery. Instead, Svendson recommends doing a little exfoliation and less cleansing, especially in the fall, so you don’t strip your skin of its natural moisture barrier.
Try Monastery Rose Cleansing Oil, $39, which gently and effectively cleanses dry, dehydrated skin with a combination of nourishing facial oils.
Layer Your Products
“Instead of reaching for the heaviest cream possible, it's more beneficial to apply different layers of products to provide multiple barriers,” says dermatologist Dr. Dendy Engelman. Ointments are more hydrating than creams and creams are usually more hydrating than lotions, she says. Depending on the area and dryness, this can help guide which products to look for.
Maapilim Face Moisturizer, $28, is a natural blend of oils that plays nicely with your other fall skin care products.
Don't Over-Exfoliate
“Over-exfoliation exposes skin, weakens skin-barrier function and, in some cases, triggers inflammation,” Engelman says. If the barrier function is damaged, the skin becomes vulnerable to infection from microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungus, and leads to sensitivity and irritation. And even if the barrier function isn’t visibly damaged, she says that the skin may experience a low amount of inflammation (called chronic inflammation), which prematurely ages skin over time.
It's always wise to use a gentle exfoliant, like Meow Meow Tweet Face Exfoliant, $20, which uses five simple ingredients to gently lift dead skin cells and impurities from your face.
