How does skin respond to seasonal change
Changing of the seasons is such an iconic time of year. Growing up back east among the thick forests of Pennsylvania I used to love the changing of the leaves, the transferring of wardrobes - we actually packed away our summer clothes and stocked our drawers with winter garments. I remember my mom having to change the door screens and pack away the window air conditioning unit.
Here in Phoenix we don't’ have to go to that extreme but we do still experience a similar emotional change of the season. For some it’s the fall decorations, the jeans and the boots, the scents of pumpkin and clove or even the start of holiday season. As our summer begins to wind down, most of us are ready for it, but perhaps you may feel a sense of anxiety? Do you have a difficult time adjusting to shorter days and darker mornings? Do you exercise a little less and eat a little more? It can be challenging to transition into the season change and with some added intrinsic stress and environment stress our skin may respond to it, so I’ve created a short list of lifestyle adjustments to help:
Plan ahead: create a list of priorities that are important to you and your family that will help you ease into the adjustment of fall. For example: I like to make a “Fall Bucket List” and post to our refrigerator with things like, attend a fall festival (search out where those are and what dates), bake an apple pie together, watch our favorite Halloween movie, get out the fall jackets, etc…
Eating for the season: shop your local farmers markets to know what fruits and vegetables are in season. Eating for the season helps your body stay in homeostasis. See my cranberry infused water recipe below to help keep your digestive system happy.
Stay social: surround yourself with positive people and inadvertently create less stress. Perhaps that may be preparing your favorite comfort foods and hosting a weekend dinner. It is afterall casserole and crock pot season.
Self-care: continue to treat yourself not only for your appearance but for your mental and overall health. That means schedule your hair appointment early (stylists book out fast this time of year), your fall facial, your body massage or spa excursion.
Movement: get yourself outside; go for walks and bike rides. Take the dog for an extra long walk a few times per week, take a family bike ride. Strive for 7-10 thousand steps per day. Don’t beat yourself up for having that slice of apple pie, just burn off a few extra calories to feel good about it.
Make a fall budget: by planning the activities you want to do you can eliminate overspending by simply re-working your budget for the season. This will also reduce any added stress later.
Be realistic: understanding that as humans we are not perfect and we need to allow ourselves grace for imperfections. In skincare I always reiterate that perfect skin does not exist; healthy skin - yes! We can use all the right products and get all the best treatments but we may still have pores and wrinkles and that's okay! Same goes for any element of life; workouts, schedules, parenting, work, etc..
So how exactly is our skin responding to seasonal changes? We understand that with climate and temperature change our skin can show signs of reaction. Redness or dryness from the cold, acne from dehydration or from the stress of holiday shopping. Perhaps during the shorter days you find yourself sleeping more or having added fatigue; our skin will show that by way of undereye puffiness or overall dull skin tone. As the sunlight reduces the damages our skin endured from the summer months begins to show in way of darkened pigment or dullness. (Unless you were really good about using sun protection and your brightening products - yay!).
In terms of aging and skin correcting, our daily markers are cumulative, therefore, making it very important to choose healthy daily habits such as SPF application and consuming nutrient rich foods. I always reassess my skin with every season change, so talk to your skin therapist about adjusting your skincare/homecare and routine/products. Some of my favorite fall ingredients to incorporate are:
Niacinamide
Pumpkin
Peptides
Retinal
Add a little fall to your facial this season by adding on a beneficial pumpkin treatment: Schedule here.
Cranberry Infused Water
32 oz of water
1-2 of your favorite fall apples sliced
½ cup of cranberries
2 sprigs of rosemary
Several cinnamon sticks
Customize with other flavors such as clove or vanilla
Mix ingredients into a pitcher and allow to rest overnight.
Thanks for reading, xo!
This post is purely of my views and opinions as a professional skin therapist and certified holistic nutritionist and within the scope of my practice and do not reflect the opinions of any medical professional, always seek the guidance of a qualified professional for mental or health help. I only recommend products or services that I personally believe will add value to my readers.
