Warm days, cool nights. Crunchy leaves and cute boots. Is there anything more refreshing than fall? As summer transitions into fall, your wardrobe isn’t the only thing that should change. It’s time to swap some of your summer skincare products to help your skin adjust to the changing temperatures and humidity levels.

Think of fall as a time to pamper your skin from any damage it may have sustained during the summer, such as sun damage, dryness from pool chemicals, or breakouts from sweat. Throw all this damage in with the fact that skin can become more dry thanks to cooler air and lower humidity levels, and you have more than enough reasons to revamp your skincare arsenal.

But what should your summer to fall skincare routine look like? We’ve got the top fall skincare tips here for you to keep the glow going all year long.

Don’t Go Heavy Just Yet (But Do Step Up Your Moisturizing Game)

It can be tempting to swap your light summer moisturizer automatically for a heavy winter cream or balm. However, don’t go heavy just yet.

Use a light moisturizer in conjunction with a heavier cleanser, or add a few drops of face oil to your moisturizer for added moisture and glow.

Should YOU feel you need a heavier moisturizer, choose one with hyaluronic acid, which can help increase skin hydration without the heaviness. You can also try adding cream or oil-based cleanser to your routine. These changes can help replenish the skin’s moisture as humidity levels drop.

Consider: Mad Hippie Antioxidant Face Oil, which features argan, pomegranate, and cranberry seed oils combined with fruit and hemp extracts to hydrate skin.

Protect Your Skin Barrier

Your skin barrier is more at risk of becoming compromised as the season’s change. Where moisture in the air may have helped keep your skin plump and glowy in the summer, the fall can lead to dry or even flaky and irritated skin areas.

That’s why one of the best fall skincare tips is to protect your skin barrier by either stepping up your moisture game or adding a serum to your routine, especially if you’ve been skipping one in the summer. Look for a vitamin C serum to help combat sun damage from your summer activities or a moisturizing gel or aloe-based serum to help keep skin bouncy and less prone to damage from temperature changes.

Look for serums with additional moisturizing ingredients, such as ceramides and peptides.

Consider: ORGAID Youth Serum, which contains vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, aloe, and jojoba oil to replenish skin.

Consider a Face Mask

If you have extra dry skin or combination skin, a face mask can be an excellent way to support your summer to fall skincare routine. These skin types can be hit hardest by the lower humidity levels and dropping temperatures, especially when combined with indoor heating.

A weekly or even nightly face mask can help protect your skin barrier and enhance its resistance to dryness and problems such as breakouts or irritation. You don’t need to go all in and do a sheet mask and bubble bath (although if that’s your thing, consider this a sign!)—it can simply be a heavier moisturizer or balm you apply before bed to seal in moisture.

Consider: Earth Harbor’s NYMPH NECTAR Superfruit Radiance Balm, which can help restore dull and dehydrated skin and correct environmental damage with mango butter, sea buckthorn oil, and turmeric root extract.

Go Easy on the Exfoliants

While you may have been on top of your exfoliating routine in the summer when high temps and humidity made that face scrub seem oh-so-necessary to bring your skin back to normal, go easy on the exfoliants this fall.

You can and should still exfoliate your skin, but during this time of transition, be gentle. Try a chemical exfoliant for your specific skin type instead of your usual physical scrub.

Good picks to consider AHAs/BHAs as well as fruit enzymes. These chemical exfoliants tend to be kinder to your skin and can reveal a glowing complexion without drying out the skin or leaving your skin feeling irritated.

Don’t forget to keep exfoliating your body as the season’s change—dry, dead skin can build up. It may cause rough patches, especially around the knees and elbows. Follow your exfoliating routine with a moisturizer for an extra glow and healthy-looking skin for all your fall photo ops.

Consider: Herbivore PRISM Botanical AHA + BHA Exfoliating Glow Facial, which can be used two times a week as a 10-minute mask to gently exfoliate and restore skin tone and texture while minimizing pores.

Keep Using Your Sunscreen

Just because you won’t be lying by the pool or spending the afternoon at your neighbor’s barbeque doesn’t mean skipping sunscreen is okay. You should keep using sunscreen even as the weather shifts and fall settles in. 

However, it may be time to swap out your sunscreen for a lighter version. If you were using a water-resistant sunscreen in the summer to protect against sweat and water, consider switching to a less heavy sunscreen. That’s easier to apply and wash off at the end of the day.

Consider: True Botanicals Skin Barrier Sun Shield SPF 30, which protects skin without the greasy feel and is non-comedogenic and hypoallergenic.

When Should You Start Changing Your Routine?

There’s no perfect time to start your summer to fall skincare transition. You can start by making small changes at first as you need them. For example, you may start to see dry or flaky patches of skin, especially if you’re a combination skin type. Or you may notice that your skin is a little more irritated from your exfoliating routine than normal. You can start transitioning your products whenever you feel ready. And notice that your skin needs something different than what you’ve been doing.

Take Our Free Skin Type Quiz

Take our free skin type quiz while you’re here if you don’t know what your skin type is or if it has changed over time. This is a fast and easy way to determine YOUR skin type. So, you can start your summer to fall skincare transition on the right foot and take full advantage of these fall skincare tips!