Modifying Your Skin Care Regimen for Fall

The seasons are changing, and so should your skin care regimen. Similar to how you switch from wearing tank tops and shorts in the summer to wearing sweaters and pants in the fall, you should also adjust your skin care routine to fit the cooler autumn temperatures. Dr. Abhay Gupta shares some tips about how to modify your skin care regimen to suit this transitional time of year.

Switch Your Moisturizer

The summer months tend to be hot and humid, so you may find yourself using a light serum or moisturizer to keep oily skin at bay. However, in the fall, the air becomes dryer, and the temperatures drop. Switching to a more powerful cream-based (or even an oil-based) formula will help keep your skin moist and supple, as the biting winds nip at your cheeks. (Bonus: Facial oils actually feel light when applied and dry quickly, so you do not have to wait too long before applying makeup on top.)

Slough off Dead Skin

Autumn is a symbol of renewal, and just like the deciduous trees shed their dead leaves during autumn, you should slough away your dead skin cells from the surface of the your skin. Although it may seem as though exfoliating dry skin would only exacerbate dryness, it is actually an effective way to slough off dry, dull, dead skin cells. Doing so will clear your pores and reveal the healthier, refreshed skin underneath. Be sure to use a gentle, oil-based scrub to hydrate and nourish your skin while you exfoliate it.

Skip the Soap

Using a fragrant soap in the shower might feel and smell great, but bar soaps tend to leave skin dry. The cooler temperatures and dryer air outside can compound the problem, leaving your skin itchy and irritated. Instead, switch to a creamy body wash that helps keep moisture in.

Don’t Skimp on Sunscreen

Here is one thing you shouldn’t change while transitioning from summer to fall: using sunscreen before you leave the house every day. Even when the sky is overcast, the sun is still emitting harsh ultraviolet (UV) rays that reach the earth. To protect your skin and stave off visible signs of sun damage and other signs of premature aging, use a sunscreen with a broad-spectrum SPF of 15 or higher each day, rain or shine.

Don’t Neglect Your Lips, Hands and Feet

It is easy to forget that there is skin on your lips, hands and feet. Nonetheless, the skin on these often-overlooked body parts needs proper care too. Make sure to apply lip balm generously to the lips to safeguard against chapping. In addition to using hand cream, apply cuticle oil to protect the delicate skin around your nail beds. Finally, don’t neglect proper foot care: Apply a foot cream each night before bed and use a pumice stone on any rough areas of the feet, such as the balls of the feet and the heels, as needed.

Seek Medical Help

If you have noticed visible signs of sun damage, such as wrinkles and hyperpigmentation (dark spots), don’t be afraid to ask for help. At the San Diego plastic surgery practice of Dr. Gupta, we offer a wide range of nonsurgical cosmetic skincare treatments to help combat noticeable signs of facial aging, including sun damage, for a renewed look.

We offer chemical peels to exfoliate the deeper layers of the skin that you cannot reach with at-home products. We perform laser skincare treatments to improve the look of hyperpigmentation, redness and other skin concerns. Finally, we carry an array of medical-grade skincare products designed to regenerate collagen (a protein that’s essential for healthy, supple skin), reduce blemishes and even out skin tone and texture, for more youthful, smoother skin.
To schedule a personal consultation with Dr. Gupta to learn more about your plastic surgery or nonsurgical cosmetic treatment options, please contact Gupta Plastic Surgery by calling (858) 408-6100.

Fun Fact of the Month: Like our skin, leaves have pigments too. The pigments in leaves are what give them their colors. During summer when there is an ample amount of sunlight each day, leaves produce an abundance of the pigment chlorophyll, which gives them their green color. As the amount of sunlight each day decreases during the fall, leaves produce less chlorophyll, allowing their true colors — their other pigments — to show through. Different amounts of the carotenoid pigment give leaves a yellow, orange or brown color while the anthocyanin pigment gives leaves a red color.