Hurrah for Autumn! The kids are back at school, your chunky knits are back in and you can now focus on nailing your winter body look. I'm going for the "I've-Just-Eaten-A-Whole-Cassarole-To-Myself" look and I'm happy with my life choices.
It's the time of year where everyone gets a cold (oh God, please let it be just a cold) and your summer holiday (if you were lucky) is now a distant memory. Humid, warm days make way for dry, cold air and couple that with the drying effect of central heating and the fact we have to wear a mask everywhere at the moment makes for dull and breakout prone skin.
My client's this week have been asking what the solution is to combat their ever changing skin so here is what I've been telling them:
Cleanse Everyday
Preferably twice a day but some drier or sensitive skin types might find that too much so definitely cleanse every evening before bed. It doesn't matter if you don't wear make-up - dirt, pollution, sweat and products have all built up on your skin during the day and it needs to come off. You wouldn't go to bed without cleaning your teeth so treat your skin the same!
Plus, always double cleanse your face. Just like you should double shampoo your hair - the first cleanse gets rid of all the impurities while the second cleanse actually does what it's supposed to. You will notice the second cleanse feels completely different as the product can actually foam up (or whatever it's supposed to do) on your skin.
For oily/combination skin types try a foaming cleanser like Palmarosa Daily Facial Wash (Neal's Yard Remedies £17)
For dry skin types try a cream cleanser like Vitamin C Cream Cleanser (Face Theory £11.99)
For sensitive/dry skin types try Calendula Cleanser (Neal's Yard Remedies £17)
Yes. Mask-Ne Is A Thing
If you could see my chin right now then you will see mask-ne is a real thing and it's really annoying! Although, I did eat half a tub of Quality Street the other day....but I'm pretty sure it's just the mask making my skin bad.
Always wash your mask every day - obviously to get rid of the virus but also to get rid of the bacteria that builds up on the inside.
Try not to wear too much make-up underneath and use a spot gel to give yourself a mini treatment while no one can see it. I like the Mahonia Skin Gel (Neal's Yard Remedies £16.50) - it's really tingly and fresh when it goes on plus it dries clear so infinitely better than Sudocrem in the day (just in case you forget what you look like when you take your mask off in a restaurant).
Go Heavier On Your Moisturiser
Most people will need a heavier moisturiser in Autumn and Winter than what they use in Summer. Central heating in your house and car have a real drying effect on the skin. Try to angle your car heating vents away from your face and hands and turn it down just a notch.
For day time, Paula's Choice Defense Moisturiser SPF 30 (Paula's Choice £30) is fantastic as it nourishes and hydrates your skin but also contains an SPF which you still need to use even though you probably can't see the sun through all the rain clouds right now.
Cold mornings but warmer afternoons are confusing and can make your skin dry and tight but if you don't like the feel of a heavy moisturiser in the day then use a night cream instead. Wild Rose Beauty Balm (Neal's Yard Remedies £40) is a fantastic overnight balm, it smells amazing and can be used on all skin types.
Have A Facial
A bit like going to the hairdressers, a facial is like a re-set for your skin. Your hairdresser colours, washes and cuts your hair and in between you maintain it at home till your next appointment. What's different about your skin? Are you really going to spend over an hour massaging products into your face? Most people do a cleanse and a moisturise, maybe a weekly scrub and occasionally a mask which is great but a facial re-energizes your skin; giving you renewed enthusiam for maintaining it and, oh yeah, they make you feel amazing.
A 75 minute facial at Beau Ideal starts with a 10 minute back massage to fully relax you from the start. Then it's over an hour of complete pampering for your skin including a heated eye mask and invigorating rose quartz facial roller. I love all the treatments I do but facials are my thing!
Stay Hydrated
We tend to drink more water in the summer because we are hot and sweaty but it's equally important to stay hydrated when the weather changes. As mentioned before, the central heating causes your skin to dry out but if you hydrate from the inside you won't get that dry, flaky look as much - plus it helps with clearing away any breakouts so down that water!
Exfoliate
If your skin is dry and flaky then doing a weekly exfoliation will help brighten it up. It also means that your other products absorb more efficiently and your make-up goes on better. Once a week is usually fine but you can up that to twice a week in the winter months if it feels like it needs it. Don't go too crazy though - don't do it more than twice a week and don't rub to excess so your face is red and painful. Nice, sweeping, circular motions moving from the centre to the outside - like drawing a heart on your face.
You can use a chemical exfoliator which contain AHAs (Alpha Hydroxy Acids usually from fruit) or similar chemicals or a manual exfoliator which contain the grainy scrub we all know and love. Chemical exfoliators are best for sensitive skin and manual exfoliators can be made at home using 10ml of olive oil or coconut oil mixed with a teaspoon of sugar.
So that's it! Follow those steps and you will have beautiful, glowy skin that will need no filter in your "Autumn Vibes" Instagram story. Oh, and because you read this and made it to the end you can have £5 off any facial at Beau Ideal until the end of October. Just use the code "Quality Street"in the Add Your Message section when booking online :)
See you soon!
Hannah x
My "Oh So Extra" Autumn salon door display
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