How Our Beauty Editors Transition Their Skincare Routines for Cooler Weather

 

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When the glazed-doughnut glow and intentional-sunburn looks of summer give way to all the spicy, warm shades of fall, you know it’s time to switch up your skincare routine to meet the new season. But just because you’ll need a little more moisture to get through the next few months doesn’t mean all your go-to products are destined for a landfill. It’s all about keeping what you love and introducing a select few new heroes to the squad.

Read on to find out how InStyle’s beauty team refreshes their routines for fall.

Kayla Greaves, Executive Beauty Editor

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I'm a summer girl through and through. So, I don’t look forward to fall and neither does my skin. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to be out here looking like a prune. I’m going to be sticking to Dr. Rose Ingleton’s Superfruit Brightening Cleanser. It gives me the foamy, sudsy action I need to feel like my face is squeaky-clean — without the subsequent dryness. But I will be adding Dr. Barbara Sturm’s Hyaluronic Serum and nyakio’s Manketti & Mafura Anti-Aging Oil to help lock in hydration. Plus, I’ll be swapping out La Mer’s The Moisturizing Cool Gel Cream for the much thicker, and way more nourishing, Crème de la Mer Moisturizer or True Botanicals Chebula Extreme Cream, both morning and night.

I recently tried SeSpring Moisture Lock Serum Mask and was pleasantly surprised. So, she will definitely be getting used weekly once the temperature starts to drop. My poor lips always suffer in the winter. But luckily, Laneige’s Lip Sleeping Mask always comes to the rescue — and I wear it whether I’m sleeping or awake.

My facial skincare regimen aside, I think the worst part about the impending cold weather is that the skin on the rest of my body takes a beating, too, particularly my legs, despite being completely covered. When I come inside from a brisk day, I’m dying to rip off my jeans so I can go shower and slather myself in cream. But I learned a little trick a few years ago and it has saved my skin. Starting in the fall, and right up until spring makes her triumphant return, I apply Johnson & Johnson’s Aloe and Vitamin E Baby Oil to my skin before I get out of the shower. And this year, I’ll be layering that with Mary Kay’s deliciously nourishing White Tea & Citrus Satin Body Whipped Shea Crème, so I can be silky-smooth as I wrap myself into a blanket burrito and hibernate for the rest of the year.

Pia Velasco, Senior Beauty Editor

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My lips are the first area in my body to really feel the change in season. While during warmer months I’m able to get away with using a lip balm to keep my pout smooth, I need something heavy-duty in fall and winter — and Vaseline’s Original Petroleum Jelly has always done the trick. Not only can I use it on my lips to prevent them from getting chapped, but I also use it on my heels, elbows, and any other super-dry patches of skin that need extra TLC.

That said, living in a city with harsh winter winds means I need to be proactive about keeping my skin moisturized — and Augustinus Bader The Rich Cream does the trick for my face. In comparison to the original, this version has even more nourishing ingredients that make it perfect for intense weather. It’s definitely priced to be a splurge, but the brand’s high-tech formula is said to actually change skin cells’ DNA with continued use, and that sounds worth it!

Moisture struggles aside, my skin can also lose its radiance and bounce as summer fades. Thankfully, LaPrairie’s Skin Caviar Nighttime Oil — which uses caviar-derived retinol and lipids — strengthens the skin barrier, seals in moisture, and makes my face look as plump as a newborn baby’s.

Finally, hand cream becomes a staple in my routine come fall. And LaRoche-Posay Cicaplast Hand Cream is the one I always come back to. It’s packed with shea butter, glycerin, and niacinamide, and despite having a thick, gel-like texture, it absorbs almost instantly. I swear the hydration lasts for days.

Erin Lukas, Beauty Editor

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My skin tends to be drier than my humor come fall, so I adapt my skincare routine for the cooler weather by swapping out my lightweight moisturizing products for rich textures. For cleanser, BeautyStat’s Universal Microbiome Barrier Balancing Cleanser is a creamy face wash that works up to a light foam. It’s packed with ceramides and squalane to help retain moisture, plus antimicrobial pure silver helps keep the microbiome balanced — the key to preventing redness and dryness.

As for the main moisturizing event, La Roche-Posay’s Toleriane DoubleRepair Face Moisturizer is my go-to, because even though it’s thick, it doesn’t leave my face too greasy to layer makeup over it.

On days when I want a little extra hydration, I apply Youth To The People’s Triple Peptide + Cactus Oasis Serum; it isn’t sticky or tacky and has a firming effect. And when the weather does get the best of my skin, I like to slather on Augustinus Bader’s The Ultimate Soothing Cream, which works to repair the skin barrier and minimize redness and inflammation.

Finally, it’s important to remember your skincare shouldn’t stop at your neck. Caudalie’s Vinotherapist Replenishing Vegan Body Butter smoothes skin and relieves any itching from dry patches, while Tatcha’s Indigo Soothing Hand Cream has a similar effect for hands and a pleasantly subtle herbaceous scent, just enough to tide me over until it's time for spring florals.