While I'm not a huge fan of cold weather, I love that it gives me the opportunity to slather on all the moisturizing skincare. Don't get me wrong; I still like to feel hyper-moisturized in the summer, but autumn and winter are when my skin stops being so combination and leans more on the dry/dehydrated side. It just feels so nice and refreshing to pile on the moisturizers - like a drink of water for the skin.
One thing I've been really making sure to do this year is switch out my regular cleansers for oil and balm cleansers. I raved about the Una Brennan Superfacialist Vitamin C+ Cleansing Oil in my September Favorites, but it's just been keeping my skin nice and glowy and bright since I began to use it. It leaves the skin feeling very clean, though not that "squeaky clean" feeling, but without any tightness whatsoever.
Although I started using it in the summer, the Vichy Aqualia Thermal Serum is definitely a staple in my autumn skincare routine. It just packs so much moisture into the skin. I've been using it morning and night, and I find it is light enough to wear under makeup yet moisturizing enough to last all night.
I've also upped my day cream game for the cooler months. Again, I started wearing the Kate Somerville Goat Milk Cream at the end of the summer (I wrote about it along with the Vichy Serum in my latest Current Skincare Loves post), but it's perfect for autumn as well. This is another lightweight cream that works beautifully to plump, smooth, and hydrate the skin. This is the one I always reach for if I know I'll be wearing makeup over top - the way the lactic acid smooths the skin makes it perfect underneath makeup.
The other daytime moisturizer I've been using lately is the Antipodes Vanilla Pod Hydrating Day Cream. This one is a lot thicker than the Kate Somerville one, but it never feels heavy on the skin. This gives my skin a bit more of a glow, so I keep to wearing it on no-makeup or minimal makeup days - makeup does have the tendency to slip off a little bit when I'm wearing this. But it's still my favorite day cream - I'll be buying a full size of this once my baby tube runs out.
As for nighttime moisturizing, I haven't been able to get enough of the Nourish Argan Skin Renew. It feels amazing on the skin, and it actually works so well in conjunction with the Vichy Serum. When I use this cream at night I always wake up with plump, juicy skin that makes me look like I got a few extra hours of sleep. A lot of people talk about how they only use this a couple times a week, but I really can't go without it for more than a day - it's just fabulous.
If I'm not using a moisturizer, I love me a good face oil. My favorite one lately has been the Antipodes Divine Face Oil. This was in my September Favorites too, because my skin just drinks this stuff up. It seems like Antipodes might be my skin's favorite brand if that's possible - all their products leave my skin feeling the best it's ever felt. This is a great one to keep the skin moisturized throughout the night and to leave you with a bright, dewy glow come morning.
With dry and dehydrated skin comes dullness - another thing I like to make sure I'm getting enough of in my autumn skincare routine is exfoliation. The REN Flash Rinse 1 Minute Facial has been a favorite because it's incredibly effective and yet so quick to use. This sloughs away all the dead skin, leaving a radiance like nothing else.
And my new favorite little pot of goodness has been the Indie Lee Calendula Eye Balm. I haven't only been using this for my eyes (although it's been wonderful at eliminating dehydration lines there), but also on any dry patches. It's incredibly gentle, so it hydrates without irritating whatsoever. This has been my little hero lately - I've been using it on my lips to combat an allergic reaction I had to a lip balm, where it's clearing things right up, and also on my sore nose while I'm trying to get over an awful cold. It seems like autumn is well and truly here!
What are your favorite autumn-appropriate skincare products?