Days are shorter, nights are colder, and if you ruled the world all your summertime items would be packed down to make way for the Fall sweaters and pumpkin spice. Even with Nas as inspiration you may find that in the midst of getting kids back to school, wardrobe changes, and house prep, you forget to prep yourself, and when I say yourself, I mean your beautiful skin. Now most of us are familiar with the routine of prepping almost everything in our lives, but how do you prep your skin? And what do you need to prepare for the upcoming changes in weather? As your local and loving skincare contributor I am here to take the guess work out of your skincare prep work!
“Seasons” by Thirty Seconds to Mars puts it best when it goes, “When the leaves change and the colors they show. Can you hold on through the seasons? Through the seasons, oh,” and the answer my beloved is no! You can’t hold on to what was the summertime routine for your skin throughout the Fall and into the Winter months. The Fall crisp air can bring about issues with moisture, which causes dryness, or even eczema flare ups. In addition, fading tans can cause discoloration, and wind burn brings about redness, and irritation. So, you may be asking, okay then, what do I need for the Fall routine to avoid these things?
With one more change to tack on to your ever-growing list, let me take the lead and give you your new Fall routine!
- Switch to a CREAMIER cleanser
You are looking to go from a translucent very foamy cleanser to a very white, creamy, thick lather. We all love liquid soap or a light soap for the summer, but going into Fall and Winter months you need something that’s going to cleanse gently, but also add some moisture to your skin. Our goat’s milk soap allows for a thick lather which provides the moisture needed to keep your skin hydrated, tight, and clear.
If you would like to still utilize your supply of liquid body wash or soap instead of setting it aside for next Summer, you can add a saltwater solution to the liquid soap base to thicken it. For every 4 oz of liquid soap, you must add 0.5oz of table salt and 1.5oz of distilled water. Dissolve the table salt in the water solution first, then add slowly to the liquid soap until you get the consistency you want. As a suggestion, add a humectant to assist with keeping moisture on the skin. With the addition of table salt there is the risk of inducing dryness. A few natural humectants that are easily available are aloe vera, glycerin, and honey.
- If you want to be great, EXFOLIATE
It’s now the period when you will see tan lines fading and blotching of the skin starts appearing. You may notice flaking of the skin, and possible thickening of the skin in some areas. Those are key signs that you need to start exfoliating. Exfoliating reduces acne scars, unclogs pores, reduces fine lines and wrinkles, removes dead skin cells, and overall rejuvenates the skin.
A simple sugar scrub is great for removing dead skin from the face and body. To create one at home use 1 cup of sugar and combine with 1 cup of your favorite oil. Store in a jar to use in the shower or bath for overall exfoliation. There are other ways to exfoliate the body such as our loofah soaps provided in a variety of scents available on our website. You can find our available list of loofah soaps here.
- Thicken up that MOISTURIZER
The light moisturizers have had their days in the sun, now it’s time for the big guns! Your skin needs a thicker moisturizer. This not only hydrates but protects your skin from the elements you encounter during the day. Thicker moisturizers also help with conditions like eczema and redness due to windburn or excess dryness. Our Whipped Body Crème contains as the primary ingredient goat’s milk which is packed full of lactic acid that assists with overall hydration. Lactic Acid has been shown to increase the production of ceramides which is the glue that holds your skin cells together. When your skin cells are well hydrated, they create nice, tight connections between them, that keeps the good things like moisture and lipids inside of your skin, and the bad things like bacteria and allergens out.
- If the air is dry, you must HUMIDIFY
If you live in an area where the air is particularly dry you may find yourself in need of additional moisture. A well-placed humidifier could be your next best skincare tool. The use of a humidifier can help counter act the increase in heat used to warm the home, which reduces overall moisture in the home, and eventually your skin. If you have one handy from your days and night of fighting off congestion or colds, don’t be shy plugging it in. If you are looking for something smaller, we have the thing for you! Our handheld portable facial humidifier allows you to plug in and charge your portable skin humidifier and carry it with you on the go. A great addition to your skincare routine for that extra boost of moisture when at home or away.
Now that you have the items to make your Fall skin your best skin, here is one final Suggestion from Skybox:
Hydrate! I know I mentioned the skin, but hydration of the skin comes from what you put IN the body as well. Drink your water. Add water retaining foods like cucumber, watermelon, and oranges to your diet for an extra boost of vitamins and water.
Here’s to knitted sweaters, pumpkin lattes, and hydrated healthy skin!
Marika – Skybox Skincare Bar
