Why a change in season could mean a change in your skin care routine…

Last Updated on 21st February 2018 by JamieH

Having exposed our skin to the golden elements throughout the summer, it’s now time to think about how we look after ourselves in the autumnal months. It can be easy to forget about keeping a good skincare regime when most of it is hidden under a multitude of layers. However, it’s really important to look after yourself at this time of year, and this can mean a change in how you maintain your skin. There are a number of elements that can contribute to a difference in our skin’s appearance when the season changes. Whacking up the central heating, cold winds and a change in diet can all have an effect. After all, who wants an avocado and quinoa salad when you can have good old comfort food – good for the soul, but good for the skin? So, while we prepare for the colder months our wardrobe differs but do we remember to change the way we take care of our skin too?

With Angelina Jolie instigating the Brangelina split while still maintaining the most exquisite composure and not a stress spot in sight, most of us aren’t blessed with the same, effortless pure skin. But this doesn’t mean that we should give up on having a healthy looking glow this time of year. It might be that just a few easy steps can make all the difference to how you look and feel. But before you reach for the old school 3-step diet of skin care management (cleanse, tone, moisturise – we know the drill) it’s important to think about what else is going on, and how this specifically relates to you and your skin. Debbie Thomas knows all about looking after her skin and her approach is different to a lot of other clinics. Debbie explains ‘’Because our lifestyles vary and change so much, it’s important to keep on top of looking after your skin too, particularly as with age it becomes weaker and more compromised.’’

The clinic has an integrative approach, combining science with lifestyle, creating a holistic outlook in how each client’s bespoke skin treatment programme is devised. This is something we can do at home too, bringing together the products we use on our skin, while thinking about our mental and physical wellbeing.

So, it might be time to kick up some leaves outdoors and give your skin a chance to embrace the chillier air with a modern skincare approach -think cleanse, correct, hydrate and protect. But cleansing is not just to remove make-up, modern cleansers can contain light acids that gently encourage daily exfoliation, leaving skin brighter and smoother. Or, for a calming approach try using a cleanser that contains Vitamin K. Whatever your skin concern, the best way to correct it is to use a targeted serum. Serums have concentrated active ingredients making them much more effective than moisturisers which can be quite diluted and mild. Hydration is all about moisture not oil and we recommend lighter oil free hydrators for better skin care. In fact, some of our clients only use hydrating serums (very light but full of super hydrating hyaluronic acid) because oils and thick moisturisers can confuse the skin into thinking that it has enough essential water, when in fact it has a coating of unusable oil. Protecting your skin from the elements and being mindful of negative lifestyle influences is really important. Many of these factors cause oxidative stress which in turn attacks collagen fibres weakening the skin. The 2 biggest protectors are antioxidants and SPFs, both of which should be used all year round.

So before we hop on the sofa and turn on the wood burner, it’s time to think about how our skin might need some ‘change of season’ TLC too.