Transitioning from summer to autumn doesn’t just involve putting away your sandals and maxi dresses, and swapping them for cosy cardigans and chunky boots. Aligning your skincare routine with the seasons helps to keep your complexion calm and balanced – and it’s a great excuse to trial gorgeous new formulas from some of our most popular brands too…
Comforting cleansers
While it’s still essential to remove make-up thoroughly and ensure your skin feels clean and fresh, you might want to opt for a richer texture to do this, as opposed to your favourite spring and summer gels. Elemis Pro-Collagen Rose Cleansing Balm and Jane Scrivner Nourishing Cleanser are great examples of balm-to-oil formulas that whisk away make-up, excess oil and impurities, while leaving a light veil of moisture that perfectly quenches sensitive and dry complexions. If you prefer a milkier texture, opt for Alpha-H Balancing Cleanser, a QVC icon that removes make-up like a dream and has a light, delicate scent you’ll love. IT Cosmetics Confidence in a Cleanser is infused with collagen and hyaluronic acid, and has a unique serum-like texture that provides a huge boost of moisture while cleansing.
All about hydration
Central heating can take a toll on your skin this season, so it’s important to layer up your hydrating products to ensure your skin stays looking bouncy and dewy, and make-up sits beautifully on top. We love applying a lightweight lotion or serum underneath moisturiser to help ‘sandwich’ in the hydration. Estee Lauder Micro Essence Skin Activating Treatment Lotion is packed with fermented ingredients to help support your skin’s natural moisture barrier and calm sensitivity, while Decleor Antidote Hyaluronic Daily Serum Concentrate features hyaluronic acid as its hero to deliver an intensive dose of moisture to the skin. Follow along with your favourite cream – we love Liz Earle Skin Repair Moisturiser as it comes in three textures to suit all skin types – or opt for something a bit more sumptuous, like L’Occitane Immortelle Divine Cream. Anti-ageing and so luxe, it’s a treat for dry skin that craves that extra boost of nourishment.
Refresh tired eyes
In colder weather, the delicate eye area is often the first place that can give the game away when it comes to complexion health. A lightweight yet soothing eye treatment is easy to apply topically, and you can even use it as part of your facial massage routine to stimulate and brighten tired and dry eyes. The recently launched Eve Lom Radiance Antioxidant Eye Cream works to help tackle dark circles and puffiness with a blend of ginseng blue plant extract and an amino acid derivative, and it comes with a handy spatula to help you precisely apply and massage it in. If you like your eye cream to have make-up benefits, Liz Earle Instant Brightening Eye Cream features light-reflecting pigments that instantly awaken your eyes and blurs over any dark areas and discolouration.
Reveal your glow
While you might be tempted to give your skin a complete overhaul with an intensive facial peel or acid exfoliation treatment to counteract autumn and winter dullness, it’s best to take a gentle approach when the cold weather hits. Try a lightweight physical exfoliator that gently buffs away dead skin cells, like the L’Occitane Skin Smoothing Facial Exfoliator Kit or the Elemis Superfood Blackcurrant Jelly Exfoliator, both of which feature skin-softening beads to refine your complexion without stripping or damaging your skin. If you prefer something free from granules or beads, the glow-boosting This Works Morning Expert Multi Acid Pads feature a combination of alpha-hydroxy acids, azelaic acid, vitamin B3 and liquorice root extract to help tackle morning breakouts and calm inflammation, while brightening your skin.
Evening treats
As the days get shorter, you’ll have the perfect opportunity to indulge in your new favourite hobby: your night-time skincare routine. After cleansing, exfoliating and moisturising, try one of our superb overnight treatments, like the Skinsense Overnight Leave On Mask, which is a cooling gel mask to help target the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. To mimic the effects of an indulgent facial, go for the Sarah Chapman Skinesis Overnight Facial – a stunning serum-oil to refine the appearance of pores, boost hydration and encourage a more supple and bouncy skin look. If your concern is more focused on your neck and decolletage, try the bestselling Prai Ageless Throat & Decolletage Night Creme; a rich formula developed specifically to promote a more youthful and radiant skin appearance.
For more inspiration, check out our Skincare Survival feature for an extensive edit of luxe formulas to transform your routine this autumn and winter.
