4 Steps to Transition Makeup/Skincare from Summer to Fall

Your face has taken on an entirely different personality and, potentially, is a totally different color.  What do you do???  Here are some common challenges and easy solutions for transitioning to colder weather all taken from questions submitted by our clients:

The makeup I was wearing in the summer is too dark now

This is SUPER normal because you're in the sun way more in the summer than you are in fall/winter.  You know if you got a little sun or a LOT of sun.  Generally folks go 1-3 shades up with their foundation/tinted moisturizer in the summer and the same down in the winter.  Grab the shade you think you'll be midwinter and then mix the two until you get to that shade.  This goes for concealers too, though with those you generally just have to bump down one color unless you got super bronzey.  

My moisturizer isn't hacking it.

The moisturizer (and serum potentially) that worked for you in warmer weather may not work for you now.  You've got two options here:

• ADD AN OIL - you can keep using the serum and moisturizer you know and love and add an oil on top (Tamanu is great if you're oily, Argan if you're combo/dry).  Oils are occlusive so they "trap" everything underneath them, don't let your water-based moisturizers/serums evaporate as quickly and push them into your skin.  And they have fatty acids that hydrate your skin too.  
• BUMP UP TO A HEAVIER MOISTURIZER - you can pop your lightweight moisturizer into your medicine cabinet to hibernate for the winter and grab a more decadent choice for the next few months.  Our Extreme Moisture Balm is a big hit this time of year.  

I'm doing all the moisturizing with heavy creams/oils but I still feel dry and flaky.  

You need to exfoliate.  And you might be scared because most dry folks are scared to death to scrub their face but here's why - we need to get rid of the dead skin so the happy baby skin underneath has a shot.  Otherwise you're just trying to revive something that is literally dead.  So slough it off.  You can use a scrub (the less sandy the better if you're nervous) OR a chemical exfoliant (sounds scarier than it is - it just means fruit/sugar acids are in play).  We've got a whole post about it HERE.

My lips are literally falling off of my face they're so cracked.

You need a lip scrub, a lip balm and some commitment.  If your lips are bleeding skip the exfoliating for now - instead apply lip balm like it's your job, including before you go to bed.  Ideally we're going for a petroleum, mineral oil and/or polyisobutene-free choice.  I am a lip balm addict and snob all rolled into one and when I tell you our Organic Lip Balm is perfection I tell you no lies.  Once your smoocher is in better shape you can gently exfoliate it - you can make a paste with sugar and coconut oil or buy one like this.  After exfoliating load up on that lip balm again.  Your lips will be singing songs of happiness in a couple of weeks!