Prepare to Fall

As the leaves start to change and the weather gets a slight chill to it, we get into our layers in preparation for Fall. The season that creates a buffer before the blistering Winter 🥶. In planning for the season, how much attention have you paid to your skin care? The weather is changing, so shouldn’t the products and ingredients you use? Do you have a fall care routine? Want to know which Fall trends are worth their weight? Well we want to assist you with some tools we’ve found to help you get through the fantastic transition to Fall!

The Ingredients of Fall

As temperatures change, it’s important to do an update to the product and ingredients you are utilizing. Let’s get into these ingredients to help transition that summer glow into Fall. 

Hyaluronic Acid- Helps skin retain moisture, but also prevents that moisture from evaporating into the air. It’s one of the best moisturizing agents available for both oily and dry skin types

Alpha-Hydroxy Acids (AHAs)- The acids allow dead skin cells to slough off, revealing newer skin beneath. They also act as humectants, meaning they draw water from the environment into your skin

Ceramides- Ceramide levels drop with age, so it’s important to slather on more to keep skin supple and smooth. The ceramides in beauty products are the spitting image of the real deal (a.k.a. skin identical), even in commonly used synthetic and plant-derived (phytoceramide) forms

Retinol- Vitamin A derivative is one of the most widely-studied skincare ingredients that’s effective for all skin types. It promotes skin renewal, reduces acne and boosts your skin’s collagen production

Argan oil- Argan oil is an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent that helps prevent and treat signs of sun damage, promote skin healing, and moisturize skin. It’s also effective in reducing the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines, as well as scarring and stretch marks.

Vitamin C- Ascorbic Acid is the one you want in your skincare products—it absorbs the quickest and has the highest potency when applied topically. Once absorbed, it helps to stabilize and create collagen molecules, making it one of the best anti-aging ingredients on the market. Vitamin C (in the form of ascorbic acid) is also an antioxidant that helps skin repair UV damage, and is extremely effective at reducing hyperpigmentation and evening skin tone

Vitamin E- Tocopheryl acetate and tocopherol are most commonly found in skincare products. Unless you have extremely sensitive, extremely oily or acne-prone skin, Vitamin E can provide a whole host of benefits, helping to hydrate & heal skin and acting as an anti-inflammatory agent. Bonus: when paired with Vitamin C, both vitamins work better than they do alone

Vitamin B3- Topical vitamin B3, or niacinamide, provides a number of different benefits for the skin: increasing elasticity, strengthening the skin barrier, evening skin tone and reducing inflammation. It also seems to be particularly effective at fighting acne, partly because of its anti-inflammatory properties, and partly because it targets the very first stage of acne (sebum oxidation) and prevents pimples from developing in the first place

Green tea- Green tea has Vitamin C, which gives it antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The anti-aging benefits of green tea are attributed to polyphenols, a type of flavonoids found in plants

Algae extracts- All kinds of algae contain anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. There are many different algae extracts, so here’s the most effective skincare ingredients: 

• Ahnfeltia concinna (red algae) extract is a highly-tested ingredient that can produce a 128 percent moisture surge with one application. 

• Spirulina is a great source of chlorophyll, which has cleansing properties, and it also helps your skin retain moisture, helping skin stay smooth and hydrated.

• Astaxanthin, an extract from red microalgae, is a powerhouse ingredient. It’s 150 times stronger than Vitamin E, and 6,000 times stronger than vitamin C, which makes it one of the most potent antioxidants in the world. It helps improve skin elasticity and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. 

• Gigartina skottsbergii and Undaria pinnatifida. The former is hydrating and plumps up wrinkles and fine lines; the latter protects the skin's natural stores of collagen and hyaluronic acid (helping retain moisture).

• Red, green, blue, and brown algae generally have notable skin brightening properties. Brown algae and green algae have particularly high levels of vitamin C, a skin-brightening powerhouse. Red marine algae has beta carotene, which can help treat blemishes like blackheads, whiteheads, and cysts. 

• Chlorella, a green microalgae, is rich in B vitamins, magnesium, and zinc, which help detox the skin. It can also help treat atopic dermatitis and eczema

The Routines of Fall

Since we are changing the product and ingredients we use, it’s also important to update your skincare routines. We want to make sure you're using them as intended, so you can get the best results! 

1. STAY MOISTURIZED- If your skin starts to feel dry and tight in the fall and winter, you may not be moisturizing often enough, or you may be using the wrong type of moisturizer. Look for a product that’s more Hydrating. Also, bombarding your face with heavy creams and lotions can cause your skin to feel oily and your pores to become clogged. If that sounds like you, consider switching to a moisturizing spray or mist for lighter coverage.

2. BEWARE DRY AIR- Keep your skin out of the cold is key, but artificial indoor heat can have similarly damaging effects on your complexion. Invest in a humidifier to balance the moisture levels in the air.

3. LIMIT THE HOT WATER- The hotter the water, the more it will dry you out. Much like a sunburn, hot water causes the skin to become inflamed and disrupts the natural production of oils. When you get out of the tub or shower, take care to pat your skin dry with a towel instead of rubbing it. This prevents excessive exfoliation and helps your skin retain moisture.

4. TRY ILLUMINATING & EXFOLIATING TREATMENTS- Having these treatments done close together (typically one week apart) is a great way to brighten up your skin for fall – and by removing dead skin and minimizing pore size, these treatments will make your fall skincare routine more effective and your skin less acne-prone.

• Illuminizing peel: The Illuminize Peel is a fast-acting, non-invasive chemical peel that reduces pore size and helps minimize the appearance of fine lines and hyperpigmentation. With little to no downtime, you can quickly get back to your regular activities. This peel is so gentle that you can even have it done the day before a big event!

• Microdermabrasion: By using tiny crystals to exfoliate the skin, microdermabrasion gently removes dead skin cells to reveal the soft and bright skin underneath. If you have any unwanted summer sun damage, microdermabrasion is a quick and simple way to restore your skin’s tone and texture.

5. DON’T FORGET YOUR SPF- A broad-spectrum 30 SPF sunblock should be part of your skincare routine year-round.

6. DRINK PLENTY OF WATER- Four to six cups is a good rule for generally healthy people. If you’re taking certain medications or working out often, your doctor may recommend that you drink more. If you have trouble remembering to drink water, you can still stay hydrated by incorporating hydrating foods into your diet. Cucumbers, lettuce, watermelon, and strawberries are all high in water content and low in sugar.

The Trends of Fall

Ok, so we know there are A LOT of reported skin trends out there. We feel the confusion! That’s why we wanted to take a look at a few popular skin care tricks being passed around, and give you a clearer perspective.

1. At-Home Peels and Masks

We saw a large number of people turn to products that allowed them to create a spa-like experience at home with the same professional-level results, enter home peels and masks. Also expect to see a growing number of beauty consumers investing in at-home masks and treatments focused on the delicate jaw and neck area that's been overlooked. 

2. Scalp Care Skin Care

The idea of skincare for the scalp will continue to push into the mainstream this year, with even more advancements in LED hair masks and scalp-specific product offerings (think scalp scrubs and serums).

3. Elevated Bath and Body Products

As our bathrooms continue to transform into our own private spas, experts anticipate seeing a growing demand for products like luxury bath oils, aromatherapy products, conditioning body creams, hand lotions, and more holistic beauty tools like gua sha stones, jade rollers, and dry brushes. 

4. Microbiome-Friendly Skincare

Taking a mindful approach to the curation, which is ever more important and relevant now and in the future. That ideology goes hand-in-hand with sustainability and the environmental impact that the beauty industry has, which will also be a major focus over the next year and beyond

5. Biotech Beauty

Falling under the same sustainability umbrella as “waterless” and “refillable beauty,” biotech beauty is the term used to describe lab-made ingredients that either fuse natural ingredients with synthetic chemicals or create synthetic alternatives to natural ingredients. As sustainability and waste issues continue to loom over the beauty industry, many brands are now tapping into the biotech industry to help innovate, enhance sustainability, and create better, safer ingredients at scale.

6. Grown-to-Order Beauty

Many brands will look to mitigate supply chain and overstock issues in 2021 by shifting to increasingly on-demand and made-to-order practices. In this evolution, consumers will move away from instant gratification and instead be part of the product’s creation process while also helping brands to avoid waste via small-batch productions.

The Ends of Fall

As we continue through the beauty and chill of Fall onto Winter. Let us reflect on our evolution this far. Be mindful of those things that aid you, the practices that assist in your betterment, and how important research is to higher enlightenment.