As the leaves turn and fall, do your own shedding and renewal:
Our post-summer skinfest begins with a royal residue-ridding to wash away summer’s big sweat soirée and flush out the greasy flotsam that strikes fear in every pore. In other words: here’s how to transition your skincare from summer to fall.
Treat yourself to some serious skin love and it won’t be just the autumn leaves looking so fine this fall!
1. Exfoliate
The natural pumice in our SuperSkin Care Cleansers sloughs off dead skin cells and pore-clogging nasties, which may have accumulated with summer's heat, humidity and profuse sweating. Choose the Spring Cleaning Oil-Control Antibacterial Scrub for Oily Skin, Moisture Rich Mild-Mannered Cleansing Scrub for Dry Skin, or Hydra Balance Smart Cleansing Scrub for Combination Skin. For the body, try our popular Id Clarifying Body Soap (popular among bacne sufferers) for a thorough body exfoliation.
TIP: For a "glow-rious" full body exfoliation and deep moisturization, try our Coconut Drizzle Body Polish.
2. Clarify
Hair can get weighed down and wilted with product buildup and sweat. Fans of our Essence Skin-Saving Superwash Hair + Body Milk Shampoo swear by its ability to clarify without stripping away moisture. Its Essence Skin-Saving Milk Conditioner volumizes instead of flattening, which conditioners with heavy greases can sometimes do. Both are praised for their sublime softening and pimple-preventing prowess on forehead, cheeks, and upper back.
TIP: Hair fried from summer sun, salt water and heat? Try Essence Skin-Saving Clark Wash Hair + Body "Big Softie" Shampoo for extra gentle follicle care.
Photo: #skinthusiasm via Cecille on Instagram.
For skin clarifying, see the next slide...
3. Repair and Prepare
Post skin-baring summer and pre-holiday party madness is the perfect time to undo damage from heat and humidity and, ahem, "re-dew" skin. This combined regimen for aging, acne and dark spots is a great multi-tasking skincare update for fall:
SUPERSKIN + ID + ILLUMINANTS
aging, acne, dark spots
CLEANSE: Id Skin-Buffing Cleansing Scrub or Illuminants Cleansing Cream
ACNE/AGING/BRIGHTENING: Superskin 2 Monolaurin and Mandelic Acid Toner
DARK SPOTS/AGING: Illuminants Cream Primary Brilliance Treatment
MATTIFY/ACNE: Id Monolaurin Gel
SPOT TREAT: Red Better Spot Corrector
PROTECT/LIGHTEN: Armada Post-Procedure Barrier Cream 50+ or any Armada Sun + Light Screen or another Armada Sun and Light Screen of your choice.
For more of our most popular combined regimens, check out Combining Actives: Customize Your Skincare Regimen Like A Pro.
TIP: A facial that's both deep cleaning and moisture infusing (like our Surf & Turf SuperSkin Facial gives your skin a cleaner canvas, increases absorption and heightens the efficacy of your actives.
4. Get a Heavier Coat for Autumn
The best time to update to a heavier moisturizer is in the fall, not the dead of winter. You want to batten (fatten?) down the hatches before the dry, dry cold hits. Heavier oils will protect your skin's barrier, helping it hold in as much moisture as possible before it seemingly disappears completely from the surrounding air. It's not yet time for the biggest guns in moisturizing, but skin can benefit now from heavier humectants.
One of our top tips: stock up on virgin coconut oil (its fatty acids are native to skin). Pore-friendly as virgin coconut oil is, it also helps skin rebuild lost lipids. Keep a bottle of our ultra-popular virgin coconut oil Know-It-Oil handy. Alone, it's great for colder days in the fall, or to layer on top of your lotion of choice.
TIP: There's no reason why your actives need to be limited to facial skin. Illuminants+ Face-Hand-Body Lotion and Re-Everything Face-Hand-Body Lotion are excellent choices to extend your active therapy to the body.
And don’t be lax about the lip lube: skin on the lips is delicate and can take quite a beating. Armada Moisturising + Protective Lip Balm 60+ combines deeply nourishing repair with tremendous protection. If you have very sensitive lips, try The Big, Brave Boo-Boo Balm (great to stock up on, too, for very dry patches of skin when winter weather really picks up. For more tips on lip care, check out Lip Service: 8 Ways To Pamper Your Pout.
5. Hold On To That Summer Love...
...we're talking about sunscreen, not Danny Zuko. That cool nip in the air may dissuade you staying outdoors as much, but sun protection is a year-round priority. Armada Full-Spectrum, Indoor-Outdoor Sun + Light Screens are the only sunscreens with measured protection against (melasma-causing) indoor light. Use them every day to fight off dark spots, accidental sun exposure, and UVA through windows.
