Why Your Skin Changes in Autumn (and How to Support It)
Our skin is a dynamic organ, constantly adapting to external conditions. Temperature, humidity, wind, and UV exposure all influence how it behaves. During summer, higher humidity and increased sebum (oil) production often leave skin feeling more hydrated, sometimes even oily. In contrast, autumn introduces cooler temperatures and lower humidity, which can disrupt this balance.
What happens when summer ends?
- Decreased Humidity - increase in water loss, resulting in dry, tight and/or flaky skin
- Slower cellular turnover - Dull and rough looking skin due to dead skin cell buildup
- Residual sun damage - uneven skin tone/hyperpigmentation from previous sun exposure
- Oil production adjusts - sebum decreasing in cooler weather, leading to sensitivity/irritation
The Science Behind The Changes
The skin's most outer layer (the stratum corneum) plays a critical role in defending against environmental factors and maintaining/locking in hydration. This layer is made up of corneocytes and lipids, often described as a “brick and mortar” structure.
As the weather cools down, reduced humidity can weaken this lipid barrier. When the “mortar” isn't functioning correctly, tiny cracks form, allowing moisture to escape and irritants to enter more easily.
Reduced vitamin D synthesis impacts certain skin repair processes, impacting the overall health and resilience of the skin.
How To Support Your Skin
- Switch to richer moisturisers: look for ingredients like Ceramides, Glycerin and Shea Butter to protect your skin and lock in hydration.
- Gentle exfoliation: ingredients like lactic acid, polyhydroxy acids and fruit enzymes are a gentle yet effective way to slough off dead skin.
- Deeper hydration: look into using hydrating serums, as these impact the deeper layers of your skin and work by changing the way your skin cells behave, giving more effective hydration compared to just using a richer moisturiser. Look for ingredients like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and panthenol to name a few.
- Hydrate internally: Drinking 1.5-2L of water daily (depending on your lifestyle) helps with skin cell communication and repair. Also consider adding in 4000mg of DHA and EPA found in fish oils to aid with skin inflammation and further hydration.
- At home LED mask: LED therapy is a safe and effective way of stimulating our skin's natural moisturising factors, directly supporting and strengthening our lipid barrier. It’s also highly anti-inflammatory and healing for the skin, aiding with the extra environmental stress we face in cooler weather.
Embracing The Transition
With a bit of awareness and care, our skin can remain healthy and balanced all year round. Autumn is an opportunity to reset, repair and restore the damage that’s been done in summer- and further prepare your skin for the colder months ahead.
Just as nature adapts, so should we. Listening to your skin and responding to its needs is the key to a radiant and resilient complexion in any season.
