How to Banish Dry Skin This Autumn

Autumn brings about many changes—not just in terms of leaves changing to red and gold and the temperature dropping, but also adjustments to our routine we make as back-to-school season begins and we start to prepare for a hectic holiday season. Our skin can often suffer the most during this transition from summer to fall, as having more stress in addition to weather shifts causes breakouts and leads to flare-ups of chronic skin conditions like eczema or psoriasis. Of course, constantly being exposed to dry air as the humidity levels drop and the temperature gets lower in colder climates can lead to rough, raw, dehydrated, and irritated skin. This happens because the skin isn’t able to retain a sufficient amount of moisture. Facials from our Philadelphia-area practice are one strategy for promoting skin health to improve overall tone and texture. If you want to keep dry skin at bay this season, we also recommend these other simple, at-home tips for maintaining skin hydration. 

Exfoliate More Often

If you don’t exfoliate enough, dead skin cells can accumulate on the surface, preventing skin care products from being able to properly penetrate your skin. That means moisturizers won’t work as effectively, which can create a bad cycle of dryness.

Reduce Bath Times 

Long baths and hot water can cause your skin to dry out too much in the fall. Reduce your showers to just 5 or 10 minutes while using warm instead of very hot water. Making this change can protect the skin barrier and prevent oils from being stripped. 

Be Ingredient-Conscious

Look for products with ingredients that trap and retain moisture in the skin, such as hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and ceramides. 

Use a Humidifier 

Running a humidifier in a room where you spend lots of time at home or at your office can help to prevent dry skin. When the air is dry, moisture often evaporates from our bodies, causing the skin to become tight and flaky. A humidifier adds moisture into the air, which means we lose less of it. 

For more advice about facials and other strategies for combatting dryness, contact Cross Medical Group. Our team can tell you more about techniques to rejuvenate dry and lackluster skin. For more details about aesthetic treatments, call (215) 561-9100 or submit a contact form to request a consultation.