Skincare Routine: Spotlight on Autumn

You may well be asking yourself: is it time to change your skincare routine with Winter just around the corner? The short answer is yes! As the days grow shorter, temperatures drop, and the air dries out, your skin type changes too. Autumn is a time of transition, and the best autumn skincare routines will correct any summer damage and lay the groundwork for the winter months ahead.

Sun, chlorine, and saltwater may have taken a toll on your skin throughout the summer, so Autumn is the time to focus on exfoliating and hydrating. We show you how in 4 easy steps:

Analyse Your Skin: This is when some with oily skin might notice their skin becomes less oily and more normal, while those with normal skin might suddenly find their skin is dry. Watch your skin as the weather gets colder to see whether you need to change your skincare products and switch accordingly. If unsure, try talking to a consultant at a cosmetics counter - very often they will ask you a few simple questions that will quickly identify your skin type. A hydrating product like SkinCeuticals Hydrating B5 is a great addition to any skincare routine at this time of year, as it’s literally like “giving your skin a glass of water”.

Exfoliate Weekly: Your face needs regular exfoliation to stay refined and youthful. By exfoliating regularly (and by regularly, we mean weekly), you slough off dead skin cells and let targeted anti-ageing and skin-rejuvenation treatments penetrate deeper into the skin. How you exfoliate is equally important - most exfoliants on the market are scrubs and should be used gently and with caution in order to avoid irritation or damage to the skin surface. Try a non-granule version to buff the skin without the risks.

Change Your Moisturiser: Most people tend to be a bit oilier during the summer months and don’t have to moisturise as much. But as autumn sets in, your skin will need more hydration; brisk temperatures and occasionally biting wind also make it a good time to reach for a power-packed, slightly thicker moisturiser. If you were using just a serum when it was hot outside, swap in a heavier-duty cream like SkinCeuticals Face Balm.

Don't Forget Sunscreen: Just because you’re no longer going to the beach doesn't mean you can forget the sunscreen for the next 6 months. Sunscreen is a daily essential, so don't put it away for the winter!

Try SkinCeuticals Sheer Mineral SPF50 – with a lightweight mineral base, it absorbs quickly, leaving a beautiful matte finish.  Call us obsessive, but if we could, we’d buy truckloads of this!

Final Note: The Otto Clinic offers excellent treatments to address skin damaged by summer sun. Our two top treatments to tackle signs of photodamage (think dryness, rough patches, sun spots, pigmentation, thread veins) are Belotero Revive, a next-generation skin booster specifically designed to treat dryness and sun-damaged skin issues and BBL Hero Laser, an advanced skin rejuvenation therapy that tackles a host of sun-related skin issues.