Fall Skincare Tips

Fall is among us and boy am I ready! While I am sad to see the summer months go, I always look forward to cooler weather, gorgeous foliage, updating my wardrobe with boots and sweaters, and best of all…Halloween! But, the fall also brings colder, drier, and more unpredictable weather.

Much like we switch out our closets to prepare for the colder weather, we also need to switch up our skincare routine. During these colder months there is a major drop in humidity, which makes for dry, stale air and even drier skin.

Here are my top tips for keeping your skin hydrated and glowing during the Fall season!

1. Keep your daily cleanser gentle

When there is less humidity in the air you need a gentle cleanser that will keep the skin hydrated and not strip the skin of moisture. The wrong cleanser will worsen itchy, dry skin. Avoid any regular bar soaps or cleansers that contain irritating ingredients and fragrances. The best thing to do during the colder months is to keep your daily cleanser gentle. At RFA we have two amazing cleansers that are perfect for those dry, cold months. I recommend our RFA Hydrating Mineral Cleanser or RFA Face Oil + Cleanser. Both of these amazing products double as a soothing face mask, too!

RFA Hydrating Mineral Cleanser is a unique calming cleanser that has minerals and clay in its formula with a gentle abrasive action to exfoliate, leaving skin soft and smooth. Additionally, it has healing and anti-inflammatory properties, while also tackling bacteria. The lecithin enhances the appearance of dry skin by reducing flaking and restoring suppleness. It also smells amazing too!

Another great option is the RFA Face Oil + Cleanser. This plant-based nourishing facial oil will treat and protect your skin for up to 12 hours.  A concentrated antioxidant cocktail of vegetable oils and plant extracts protects the skin against harmful environmental factors and soothes skin inflammation, tightening, and irritation. Sweet Almond Seed Oil has the benefits of Vitamin E and is rich in proteins to help nourish and moisturize the skin. Avocado Oil adds to moisturizing, nourishing, and anti-inflammatory effects. Pomegranate oil brings anti-aging antioxidants to enhance skin elasticity and improve skin tone. This amazing product can be used as a cleanser or a body oil! Antioxidant-rich Meadowfoam Oil and Black Currant Seed Oil resemble human sebum to naturally lock in moisture while delivering nutrients.

It is OK (and in fact.. it is good!) to mix in a scrub like our RFA Exfoliating Scrub in about 2-3x per week for exfoliation, but again the daily cleanser should be gentle.

2. Turn the humidifier up and the thermostat down

Using a humidifier in your home will add moisture back into dry winter air and help keep your skin hydrated. Run a humidifier in the rooms you spend the most time in, including your bedroom. You can even have a central humidifier hardwired into your home’s heating unit. Not only does this help with skin, but you should notice a difference in the air quality of your home as well.

When it’s chilly outside, what’s the first thing we want to do? Crank up the heat! Central heat can make the air in your house even drier. Try setting the thermostat at a cool yet comfortable setting around 68°F to 72°F to maintain healthy skin and keep it from getting too dried out.

3. Don’t skip the SPF!

Yes…you can still get sun damage on a dreary, cloudy winter day. Applying sunscreen 365 days a year, rain, snow, or shine, is essential for everyone. Just because it is winter does not mean you do not wear sunscreen anymore! The skin is the largest organ of the body, so prioritize your health and wear a sunscreen everyday that will not irritate your face. RFA Prime & Protect SPF 40 provides UVA, UVB and HEV blue light protection. It’s super luxurious, lightweight, fast-absorbing, and easy-to-blend. I LOVE that it has a universal tint that looks good on both the lightest and darkest of skin colors and gives the perfect amount of coverage and glow to throw on and go! If you’re looking for a non-tinted option, check out our Daily + Protect SPF 50, which is a sheer, lightweight moisturizing sunscreen formulated with hyaluronic acid to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. 

3. Hydrate, Hydrate, HYDRATE!

As we come into the drier, colder months lots of hydration is so important! Hydrated skin is happy skin. Think of your moisturizer as giving your skin a big drink of water (our skin is almost always thirsty!). I recommend moisturizer every AM & at least some PM nights for your winter skin routine. For more oily skin types choose a hyaluronic acid serum moisturizer such as HA Peptide Serum.  This lightweight moisturizer really absorbs into the skin to improve hydration, glow, and fine lines and wrinkles. For those with dry skin types I love to use HydraLipid Moisturizer. If your skin is SUPER dry… the best trick is to layer both! Apply HA Peptide Serum first and then layer the HydraLipid Moisturizer on top!  Bottom line is, adding more hydration during the fall and winter months is never a bad thing.

Here are some of my favorite moisturizers for the colder months:

HA Peptide Serum (Hyaluronic Acid + Peptides)
This hydrating, soothing, oil-free moisturizer is a great choice for acne prone skin, post-treatment, or anyone looking for potent hydration. Formulated with Sodium Hyaluronate, which pulls moisture into the dermis to lock in hydration, added Peptides to stimulate collagen production, soothing Green Tea and Niacinamide, plus anti-inflammatory Vitamin B5. The serum may be layered under makeup, SPF or other moisturizers for added hydration. Apply 2-3 drops, the product will last 4-5 months. I love to use this as my moisturizer either solo or layered with HydraLipid Moisturizer.

HydraLipid Moisturizer
This moisturizer is going to be hydrating as well and geared towards anti-aging. It has a 2:4:2 ratio of ceramides, cholesterol, and fatty acids so it’s great for restoring the lipid barrier to the skin-amazing for hydration. It’s a heavier/thicker moisturizer and pairs very nicely with our HA Peptide Serum!

Rescue Cream
This is an amazing tool to keep in your skin “toolbox.” This Rescue cream is great for burns, itching, sensitivity, irritated skin, and inflammation! You can apply it to the skin 2x a day. It contains 1% hydrocortisone and aloe vera for a soothing/cooling effect! This would be great to apply on top of your pads as your skin acclimates to the new product. Also to use during the morning after exfoliating pads, or use before applying a face mask to prevent skin breakdown and maskne. It is soothing and also hydrating all in one.

Refreshing Toner

This hydrating toner with therapeutic amino acid action is great for all skin types. It uses enzyme action to remove cellular debris and therapeutic amino acids to promote healing. This toner has ingredients to increase the water content in the top layers of the skin and is a wonderful skin conditioner. Aloe vera also helps make it much more moisturizing than many other toners. It also has a soothing cucumber and herbal aroma. Beneficial for all types of acne prone skin, gentle to the skin, hydrating and soothing. Use this twice daily after cleansing. This is one that can benefit pretty much everyone!

Right now, especially with the weather getting colder and drier, it’s really important to focus on hydration. Making sure you have a ton of hydration in the plan in the morning and on the “off” nights from exfoliation, is key.

4. Decrease the use of your exfoliating acids

For some, especially those with more sensitive skin, decreasing the frequency of retinoids, salicylic acids, and other exfoliating pads is needed during fall/winter time. When your skin is more dry it may not be able to tolerate these products as well as it does during other seasons.

A few tips to help you troubleshoot dry skin and exfoliating products:

• If you get a little dry and irritated take a break from the exfoliant (retinol, Koji-C, Lux, etc)  for 2-3 days and focus on hydrating with your moisturizer.  Then pick it back up more slowly with the pads.
• Try using retinol or Koji-C pads every 3rd night to begin, and then make sure to take a break (I call these “off” nights) the night after Lux pads and moisturize before jumping back into koji/ret or other exfoliants.
• Try wearing Lux pads for just 15-30 mins or so and then rinsing off, and then slowly and gradually work your way up to wearing overnight as tolerated
• During the fall and winter, you may want to apply a little moisturizer on top of the pads. This will slightly neutralize the acid making them a little less strong, which is not a bad thing until you build more of a tolerance and can wear without moisturizer.
• Try using hydrocortisone on top of the pads to help soothe and calm irritated skin. I love our Rescue Cream (page 2 of my “Shop Skincare” section). This cream will also temporarily relieve itching caused by rashes and minor skin irritation (another alternative would be Aveeno Hydrocortisone from the drug store).

5. Keep Your nutrition in check

It is important to take care of our skin from the inside out. Sometimes when our skin is very dry, it can be helped by foods or supplements that contain omega-3 or omega-6 fatty acids, such as fish oil. An optimally healthy diet includes minerals, vitamins, nutrients, acids, other useful compounds that our skin and body needs on a daily basis. These are all found in the whole foods we enjoy like fruits and vegetables, meats and whole grains. 

What I have learned most about fish oil is this…not all fish oils are created equal and the saying that you get what you pay for is never more true than it is with this product. EPA and DHA are what make the difference in a fish oil and if you want to see the benefits of heart health, joint health, brain health and all the other benefits you receive from taking a high quality fish oil it must have a high concentration of EPA and DHA. If you want to compare your fish oil to 1st Phorm Full Mega Fish Oil just simply compare the EPA and DHA number on the back of the label. I have yet to see one that is higher so I stick to this particular product to ensure the best results.

Drink water to hydrate your body, as well as your skin. A well-hydrated body keeps skin looking dewy, and leaves you feeling energized, too. It is generally recommended to drink a minimum of 8 cups (8 oz) of water per day for adults. This is a minimum and does not consider sweating, working out etc. So you likely need more! When I’m drinking 12+ cups a day I feel more energized, my skin is brighter and my digestion is better. Water is so powerful! Some ways to get your water in:

• Commit to 3 cups before your morning coffee
• Drink another 3 cups during your workout 
• 3 cups post workout 
• 1 cup with every meal 
• Carry around a reusable water bottle at all times! Look for 24oz minimum (3 cups) 

6. Don’t forget the lippies!

Let’s not forget your lips! Applying a moisturizing balm like a petroleum jelly or another ointment can help heal dry, cracked lips and keep them from getting chapped. My secret lip weapon is RFA Lip Balm + SPF. It is super healing, hydrating, safe for the skin, and so AFFORDABLE! 

And don’t forget about those hands, elbows, and knees! Our RFA Hydrating Body Lotion is made with the finest ingredients. It provides a protective barrier that helps retain moisture and soothe irritated skin while lightly scenting it.  It’s available in three 3 scents – Vanilla + Oatmeal, Fresh, and Peony.

Little pro tip – I always use my Hydrating Eye Serum HA + Antioxidants on my lips at night before bed. It’s a great anti-aging trick 😉

7. Save money and time by getting a professional opinion

There’s no sense in throwing money at products and never finishing them (hello to all those half used bottles in your bathroom drawers and cupboards), or buying things that aren’t right for your skin because someone at CVS recommended it. Sorry CVS, one size does not fit all! 

NEED SKINCARE RECOMMENDATIONS? I provide complimentary, custom regimens online! 

What really sets RFA apart is that we love to work one on one with you to help you achieve the best possible results. Not only are you purchasing the highest quality products, but with that comes professional guidance from practicing professionals who transform skin day in and day out. I will be here every step of the way helping you through your skin journey. 

I love being able to reach and help people all over the country with the very same products I use daily in my practice. Skincare is not one size fits all. I create complimentary, custom skincare regimens for my clients and I am able to do this via email and in the convenience of your own home. If you’re ready to start working towards healthier balanced skin today CLICK HERE and let’s get started today!

XO

Racquel