Self care September: Season changes & skincare

Hello there my lovelies, welcome back to B’s blog, for those of you new here, we wish you a warm & happy welcome. Emphasis on the warm, as Spring has finally sprung. For some of you, this is a joyous occasion, with the blooming of flowers, endless beach days and an over load of Vitamin D. For others, including myself, its less exciting as it means excessive sweating and hay-fever, but as always, each to their own, don't hate, motivate. Along with the weather changes, scenic changes and our own mood changing, other factors are also in a phase of change, including our skin, and therefore, so should our skincare routines. I’m not necessarily referring to applying an overload of sunscreen in the summer months(I mean this should be a standard given already) or over-hydrating in the winter months, but overall change, why it happens and how to best benefit from these changes in your skincare routine. So let's jump right in!

The skin in general likes consistency, thats why different factors such as wearing fabric masks for example, or weather changes can impact it to the point of irritation, dryness, oiliness or uncalled for blemishes. Basically the system experiences a type of shock to the sudden whether change and needs some time to adapt to it. When shifting into colder whether, hydration levels in the skin drop and the wind has an effect on its own. With the colder weather kicking in, the outer layer of the skin experiences cracks, which further leads to inflammation and dehydration, this can drastically impact the health of your skin. Weather alone is not to blame, but as well as the actions taken during the whether changes, such as taking hot showers, sitting in front of heaters and fires, which further dry out the skin.

On the complete opposite spectrum, the change from cooler weather to warmer weather (such as our current weather transition) humidity is heightened and the skin, again, needs to adapt. In this case, the exact opposite occurs in winter; the skin may become greasy and clogged pores are more common. This is due to naturally increasing the amount of sweating and swimming in chlorinated pools or salty oceans. The sun is also much harsher on your skin, so pigmentation and sun damage may increase as well.

Here are a few tips and tricks to getting through each seasonal change and to maximize your skincare efforts and routines:

Winter.

The dry air has an effect on cell renewal, slowing it down, therefore exfoliating during winter months is an essential, just to help cell renewal along. As mentioned, the skin also loses hydration, so a good emollient based moisturizer is always suggested. I recommend also doing extra hydration techniques on your hands and neck area as well, just to prevent premature aging. One of the biggest myths is that sunscreen or SPF is not required during winter, this is not true. Sunscreen is required every day, all day, even during winter. This includes both hydrating and applying sunscreen to your lips as well. A last winter tip is to avoid excessively hot showers, this dries out your skin which could either lead to dehydration in the skin or excess oil due to sebum producing more oil to keep the skin hydrated.

Spring.

With the rise of humidity levels slightly, but still having a chill in the air, this is the perfect time to deep clean your skin, ridding of any toxins that have accumulated over the winter months. With your metabolism speeding up, skin renewal will also speed up, aiding in new cell regeneration. One also does not need to use a thick based moisturizer. Again, sunscreen is always your friend. Never skip out on this, come rain or snow.

Summer.

Everyones favourite season (except mine), being outdoors and naturally being more active and having fresh air will always be a positive for mind, body and skin health. Blood is flowing, vitamin D is in overflow and the skin naturally appears more glowy (likely from the step up in water in take during the hotter months. However, with being outside more, there is constant exposure to the sun, which is actually the skins number 1 enemy. You are welcome to check out my article on all things sunscreen for a thorough brief on wearing sunscreen and the consequences of sun damage. My skin health tips for summer include sunscreen (obviously), but also wearing protective wear such as hats and glasses, as wrinkles around the eyes are also an effect from sun damage, and to not solely rely on aloe vera to fix all your problems, it’s an instant relief and not a permanent solution. A last summer tip is to not forget to moisturize.

Autumn.

As the colder weather makes its return, its a good idea to slowly switch back to a more emollient rich moisturizer and perhaps incorporate a moisturizing face mask for an added boost of hydration and to make the seasonal transition easier on your skin. Autumn still has its hot weather days, so lip protection and overall SPF is still a must. It’s also a good idea to do a facial detox to rid of all the summer sweat, salty water & chlorinated water. A chemical peel or good chemical exfoliant should suffice.

There we have it my lovelies, I hope this article was beneficial to you with the new season upon us & inspires you to make the right, protective decisions in your skincare and your own lives. Enjoy the warmer weather and happy days, may we all blossom in spring and inspire others to do the same.

Keep going, keep glowing & keep growing. Your doing amazing!

• B x