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Fall Skincare Tips for skin of color

If you struggle with dry skin during fall or winter, this tutorial is for you! Plus, you’ll get product recommendations suitable for multicultural skin.

If you are like me, then you love the cool air, changing leaves, pumpkin spice, and magically aesthetic beauty that fall brings every year. But, with cooler air often comes changes in your skin’s needs for hydration and moisture. For so many, cold weather opens the door to dryness, flaking, and cracking. The recent summer sun exposure may have also left behind more prominent dark marks, sun spots, melasma, fine lines, or wrinkles.

Barrier care and repair is the name of the game in terms of your daily skincare routine during the fall and winter seasons. You must work daily to keep your skin barrier strong while simultaneously repairing any damage from the summer sun—both seen and unseen.

Depending on where you are in your skincare journey and the concern areas that you have identified—a change in the skincare products and practices that you’ve become accustomed to over the last several months may be in order. It doesn’t have to be complicated, but quality and consistency are essential.

The following suggestions can help you take a closer look at your skin and evaluate each step of your skincare routine. This will help you to have a more productive conversation with your esthetician about fall skincare to ensure that you are making the best choices at home to promote a healthy, radiant glow!


Start With a Smart Skincare Goal

Before you start swapping out products and jumping on the latest TikTok trend, it is important to take a brief assessment of your skin and notice any changes since spring. Also, consider how your skin reacted to the last fall and winter cycle. Did you notice more dryness in the fall or shine in the summer? Are there any new pigmented areas? Did you start noticing an increase in breakouts at a certain time?

Use a skincare journal with dated entries to track your journey. You can even bring your skincare journal into your esthetician appointments as a bonus! Note what has been working well in your routine and then identify one thing that you would like to change.

close up photo of notebook with pen
Photo by Alina Vilchenko on Pexels.com

If you are dealing with clogged pores, roughness, and dullness—perhaps your fall skincare routine will center around exfoliation. If dryness is your top concern, hydration and moisture will be your focus. If fading dark pigmentation is your goal, brightening will be your fall focus. If you are dealing with acne, rosacea, inflammation, irritation or dermatitis—calming and soothing will be your fall focus. If you notice fine lines and wrinkles, nourishment and repair will be your fall skincare focus. We’ll talk more about this below.

For now, think about setting a SMART goal for your fall skincare routine. You will be amazed at what you can achieve over the next few months with a solid plan!

Specific: Choose one skin concern to target (breakouts, pigmentation, dryness, lines and wrinkles, etc.). Ask your esthetician for specific product recommendations along with a step-by-step, daily AM and PM routine.

Measurable: Take a well-lit picture of your face on day 1 of your journey and document your progress each week on the same day. Ask your esthetician for guidance on skincare product frequency and amount per use. Keep track of your upcoming in-office treatments, suggestions, and progress in a skincare journal.

Attainable: Be realistic in your expectations. For example, don’t expect to make melasma disappear completely in a month or cure acne—effective treatment takes time and consistency. Ask your esthetician to help you identify a reasonable skincare goal that you feel good about.

Relevant: Keep your skincare goal in alignment with your highest values, lifestyle, and long-term objectives to stay motivated. Know your WHY for starting a skincare journey and don’t compare yours to anyone else’s.

Time-Based: Talk to your esthetician about how long it will take to achieve your skincare goal and discuss the number of follow-up treatments you’ll commit to over the coming weeks. Pre-book follow-up appointments with your esthetician and lock them into your calendar to stay on track with skin treatment. You’ll see better and faster results both in the treatment room and with your home care routine.

Again, never compare your skincare journey to someone else’s because your genetics and lifestyle play a big role in how your skin responds to treatment. Now, let’s dive into some specific skincare concerns that you may encounter this fall and some ways to address them with quality products and the support of a licensed esthetician.


Treat Clogged Pores, Rough Texture, or a Dull Complexion

When you run the pad of your finger over your face, do you notice a lumpy or gritty texture? Are there occasional blackheads and oil plugs (especially on the forehead, nose, or chin)? If you have oily skin, you are more likely to experience pore congestion if you are not exfoliating regularly and properly. You may even think you have dry skin and feel as if your products simply aren’t working like they should.

In this case, you may benefit from making exfoliation your primary skincare focus for the fall in order to restore a smooth, healthy glow. Exfoliation can lift dead skin cells and debris that clogs your pores and help regulate oil production so that you skin is smoother and able to absorb you other products more efficiently.

There are two types of exfoliants—physical (or manual) and chemical. Physical exfoliation is using a scrub, spin brush, or microdermabrasion. Chemical exfoliants contain hydroxy acids and/or enzymes that dissolve the bonds between dead skin cells and lift them from the skin. Both can be a great addition to your skincare routine if used properly with quality ingredients and expertise. There are even some chemical exfoliants that are gentle enough for effective daily use, such asthe Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant.

Hydrofacial Treatment ( also known as Wet Microdermabrasion) with Dominique D. Wilson

Keep in mind that daily sunscreen use is important (especially when exfoliating) because you are exposing new skin to the sun’s light. Use a mineral sunscreen SPF 30 or higher for daily protection. For more on sun protection, read my article, “How To Choose The Best Sunscreen” .

A Word of Caution on Exfoliating at Home

Beware of some of the popular scrubs found at your local drugstore or supermarket as they may contain tiny but sharp particles that create micro-tears in the skin that you can’t immediately see or feel. Such small tears can cause inflammation leading to breakouts, excess water loss from the skin leading to dryness, and dark spots or patches where the skin attempts to heal itself.

Also beware of over-the-counter chemical peels and enzyme peels as they may cause serious irreversible harm such as severe chemical burns, darkening of the skin, and even complete loss of pigmentation in affected areas if not formulated well or used properly. Never perform a chemical peel at home without the supervision of a qualified skincare professional.

Talk to your esthetician which products and practices are appropriate for your skin in its current state. You may need to increase your skin’s tolerance before subjecting it to microdermabrasion, chemical peels, or enzyme peel, or any other resurfacing treatment. When it comes to skincare, stronger doesn’t equal better. It’s about what is effective and in harmony with your skin, right now.


Fade Dark Spots, Age Spots, or Melasma (Hyperpigmenation)

One of the most common summer skincare concerns is hyperpigmentation, in which patches or spots of the skin are darker than the surrounding areas. This is due to the ultraviolet light of the sun, which triggers pigment cells in your skin to produce more melanin and cause darkening. Hyperpigmentation comes in many forms: dark spots after a breakout or skin injury (post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation), melasma, or age spot (also known as sun spots).

Therefore, skin brightening is one of the top fall skincare goals as many attempt to fade excessive pigmentation that was likely more difficult to treat during the sunny summer months. Chemical exfoliation is a great way to remove very superficial pigmentation left over from recent breakout activity using alpha-hydroxy acids (e.g. Lactic acid, glycolic, madelic, and malic acid) and fruit enzymes (e.g. Papaya or pineapple enzymes).

My all-time favorite daily exfoliator is the Dermalogica Daily Superfoliant, which I use during my nighttime routine. It contains lactic acid and niacinamide to help brighten the skin (wonderful for post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation), papain to help lift dead skin cells, and charcoal to absorb aging pollutants you’ve picked up through the day from the environment. It works great for multicultural skin, and a little goes a long way!

Again, wearing sunscreen daily is imperative for brightening. Use a mineral sunscreen SPF 30 or higher for daily protection and to avoid darkening spots that you are trying to fade. Without a mineral sunscreen, fading pigmentation safely and effectively will not be successful. To avoid the white cast often left on the skin by mineral sunscreens, you may opt for a lightweight tinted formula that doubles as your foundation such as those by Elta MD.


Tips For Sensitive and Dry Skin in The Fall

Of all the fall skincare concerns, managing dry skin is the most common that many struggle with every year. Even if your skin is usually more oily, you may notice dryness set in as temperatures continue to drop. If your skin feels tight, scaly, or appears dull and get easily irritated by products—hydration and moisture should be your primary fall skincare focus.

Skin hydration refers to its water level whereas moisture refers to the amount of lipids present. Lipids create a waterproof barrier to help lock hydration into your skin and support your immune system. When too much moisture is stripped from your skin through overcleansing or overexfoliation, dehydration can set in and increase your rate of trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL). TEWL is the natural process of water evaporating from your skin’s surface.

If your skin is prone to dryness, maintaining your skin barrier by adding lipids through your daily skincare routine is an essential practice. Opt for a cream cleanser rather than a clear gel cleanser, which may be too drying for your skin. Follow up with a toner to restore your skin’s pH balance and re-hydrate just after cleansing. Finally, seal in that hydration with an oil-based moisturizer. You can also bring in a hyaluronic acid serum just before you moisturize to increase your skin’s hydration level. Remember to exfoliate regularly and apply sunscreen daily.

Exfoliating dry skin is important to help with healthy cell turnover, but it must be done with care to avoid damaging or irritating the skin. Dermalogica added a wonderful new exfoliator to their line called Daily Milkfoliant . It is formulated for all skin types, especially dry and sensitive skin due to its calming and soothing ingredients. It is gentle enough for daily use and works to restore the lipid layer of your skin while gently lifting away dead skin cells.


Treating Acne, Rosacea, and Inflamed Skin

When it comes to treating inflammatory skin conditions such as acne, rosacea, and dermatitis—a drop in temperatures can complicate your skincare routine. You strive to prevent dryness and irritation by doubling up on your moisturizer, yet struggle to not overwhelm the skin with triggering ingredients. What is most important in this case is to focus your entire daily skincare routine on calming and soothing.

For acne-prone skin, you may want to opt for a clay cleanser or foaming gel with salicylic acid to draw out impurities, balance oil production, and fight acne-causing bacteria. Exfoliate regularly and opt for an oil-free moisturizer to re-hydrate your skin without pore-clogging ingredients. The following are product suggestions for treating acne-prone skin in your daily routine:

To calm and soothe rosacea, dermatitis, and irritated or sensitized skin—look for simple formulas with ingredients such as aloe vera, lavender, and oats (avena sativa). Avoid triggers such as spicy foods, alcoholic beverages, allergens, and excessive amounts of stress. Here are a few skincare product suggestions for your daily routine:


Anti-Aging Skincare Tips for Fine Lines and Wrinkles

Did you know that the sun is responsible for over 90 of the skin’s aging process? UVA rays from the sun cause fine lines, wrinkles, age spots, and can even alter DNA leading to various forms of skin cancer. This is why nourishment and repair are so essential after the summer season—regardless of whether you can see such signs of aging or not.

Besides wearing sunscreen every day, there are many steps you can take to combat signs of aging. In general, look for antioxidants (e.g. Vitamins A, C and E) and hydrating ingredients to repair and fortify your skin barrier. Exfoliation can help to smooth fine lines and minimize the appearance of wrinkles using alpha-hydroxy acids (e.g. Glycolic acid peel) and microdermabrasion treatments by your esthetician.

Regular exfoliation and the correct use of retinoids (vitamin A derivatives) help with cell turnover, which can improve collagen levels in your skin. You will naturally lose collagen with age, but proper skincare can delay this process. Talk to your esthetician about incorporating chemical exfoliation, microdermabrasion treatments, and retinoids to combat signs of aging. They can also recommend products rich in age-defying antioxidants to support you along the way such as Dermalogica’s AGE Smart line.

If I had to choose one anti-aging product to start with, I would choose Dermalogica Daily Superfoliant, which should be a staple in nearly every skincare routine!


*Disclaimer: The information in this blog post is for research purposes only and is not meant to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any illness. Please consult a licensed esthetician or skincare provider before making any changes to your daily skincare regimen. Also, ask your provider for guidance to avoid skin allergens, irritants, or patch testing product ingredients that you are unfamilar with. If you are currently experiencing a severe outbreak or irritation, please consult your physician immediately.


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