Glow Up for Fall: Seasonal Skin Care Tips

Refreshing your skin care routine every few months is a great idea for a few reasons. Our skin becomes habituated to the ingredients in products which makes them less effective, so mixing up what you’re using on a regular basis will help you get the most from your skin care routine. And as the weather around us changes, your skin’s needs will change too. Here are a few of my favorite products and ingredients to consider adding to your face and body care for Fall in the Bay Area.

Cleanse

Cleansing is a part of skin care all year-round. In the Bay Area, Fall brings special challenges to your skin that cleansing can help address. It is typically still hot and often very dry. There may be strong winds blowing pollution, pollen and wildfire smoke, all of which will end up on your face. If you don’t regularly cleanse your skin, consider giving it a try, especially when getting home from a day out in the world or before bed.

We carry a few cleansers at Energy Matters. Jade Spa’s Jade & Ginseng Cleansing Cream, and Inesscents’ Rose Skin Renewal Cleansing Cream contain plant oils like jojoba, argan, rosehip and shea that bind to dirt without drying or stripping the skin. Or try a gel cleanser; Daily Ritual Cleansing Gel - Immortelle, which is water-based. Daily Ritual has mild plant-based cleansers (rated 'green' for safety on the Skin Deep Database), and herbal and essential oil ingredients that add other skin benefits, like the herb yarrow, which has been used as a healing skin cleanser for hundreds of years. Daily Ritual foams up into a nice lather that leaves skin feeling clean, but not stripped. I especially like it for removing sunscreen.

Hydrate

You may wish to add more hydration to your skin as we wait for the Winter rains. You can add a richer moisturizer to your before bed routine, switch to it as your daily moisturizer, or alternate with your standard a few times a week. Some luscious products we carry at Energy Matters include Afterglow Restorative Night Butter, a golden, lightweight and highly nourishing facial moisturizer, with rich ingredients like mango butter, argan oil, rosehip oil, and anti-aging superstars carrot seed oil, sandalwood and rosehip seed oil. Another deeply restoring product is Ageless Renewal from Ying Herbals. Formulated by a herbalist and dermatologist, Ageless Renewal combines herbs like ginseng, astragalus and more with decadent emu oil, royal jelly and pearl powder.

Don’t forget about hydrating from the inside! Foods like cucumber, melon, goji berries, pears and apples, chicken bone broth and room temperature beverages will all benefit your body in dry weather.

Even though we’re often having our hottest weather, and the pace of life can feel faster as school and work keeps us busy, the days are getting shorter, the nights longer, and our bodies are seeking a chance to slow down with the earth. Caring for your skin can be an opportunity to pause, close the bathroom or bedroom door and take some quiet time appreciating and nourishing your face, body and spirit. Happy Fall!

Kirsten is the Clinic Manager at Energy Matters, an acupuncturist and herbalist with specialized training in skin care and dermatology, and keeps our shelves stocked with natural and effective skin and health care products.

Questions about skin and body care or looking for guidance on your skincare routine and the products we carry at Energy Matters? Email Kirsten or stop by her office hours in November!