As the weather is starting to change and the leaves falling from the trees, are you noticing changes within your skin too???
The temperature outside is becoming colder and our central heating is being switched on, this can have a big impact on our skin. The low humidity levels within our houses, the cooler temperatures outside and winds can really reduce our skins ability to hold on to the water levels within the skin.
A process called Trans Epidermal Water Loss will be accelerated, as our skins natural barrier function can become compromised under these conditions. The consequence of this is our skin feeling tight, maybe a little flakey and more sensitive. Sound familiar??
What you may not see initially on the outside is the skins inflammatory response being on higher alert with the skin in this condition. This further reduces the health of the skin and can even accelerate premature ageing and exacerbate conditions such as rosacea, pigmentation, problematic skin.
So autumn is upon us and I’d be lying if I didn’t say it was my favourite month (love a jumper 😂) however its certainly not our skins favourite month. When I am presented with a skin showing these issues I quickly turn to barrier repair before anything else. @Dermavidualsuk is my go-to brand for this, it allows me to completely customise your home care and it’s skin structure identical formulation makes it the perfect choice for strengthening that barrier. But there are also things you can do at home to support your skin.
- Add Omega 3&6 supplements to your diet- Our skins natural lipids are made up of these essential fatty acids, so adding these supplements or increasing your intake of oily fish, avocados, walnuts etc will help keep those lipid levels high and your lipid bilayer making up the skins barrier function nice and strong. (My favourites, Advanced Nutrition Programme Skin Omegas and Moisture lock)
- Use a hydrating toner- adding this step into your regime will add another dose of hydration to make up for what’s being lost. (My favourite, Dermaviduals Moisturising Toner)
- Drink more water- I very rarely come across anyone who says they drink enough water, myself included. But increasing your water intake will do wonders for your skin at this time.
- Invest in a humidifier- These are great to have on in your bedroom during the night when our central heating is blasting out and sucking every last bit of hydration out of your skin!! A humidifier will prevent the air from being so dry, add in a humectant serum at night, like hyaluronic acid and you will wake with skin full of hydration! (My favourite AlumierMD Ultimate Boost Serum)
- Change up your moisturiser- going for a slightly thicker moisturiser will ease any feeling of dryness. I also recommend looking for products with ceramides to further increase and strengthen the barrier of the skin.
It is always recommended to review your skincare regime as the seasons change to ensure your products are giving your skin everything it needs at that time (yep its not just our clothes that change with the seasons) So please get in touch if you feel your Autumn skin issues need resolving, you need to change up your skincare, or if you are interested in any of the products mentioned. You can also book in to see me in clinic or for a virtual consultation here.
