Whether you’re going into autumn or spring, a change in season can wreak havoc on your skin. However, it’s also the perfect time to assess your current regime along with heal what’s amiss, so you can put your best face forward in the coming months. With autumn having officially sprung in Aotearoa, we’ve put together a few of our favourite ways to freshen up your skin and your routine well in time for winter…

Preparing your skin for the cooler weather

It’s time to face the facts: the moment the temperatures change – from a moderately chilly autumn to a bitterly cold winter – your skin suffers first. As temperatures fall and the air gets drier your summer routine just doesn’t cut it anymore, the arrival of autumn calls for a major skincare upgrade.

A gentle approach to cleansing

Your new routine starts with a kinder, gentler cleanser. Put the foaming formulations to one side and opt for a richer, more nourishing cleanser when the temperature plummets. This can definitely help address the dryness that comes with the cooler air, and when used correctly can make a real difference to your skin’s health and wellbeing. One key element to maintaining great skin over the forthcoming winter is keeping your barrier intact, and when it comes to skincare, this means starting things off on the best foot with this first essential step during the autumn months.

For many, using oils on the face may seem counterintuitive, especially those who associate it with breakouts and the like. Well, the situation is quite the opposite, and we at CBC love our cleansing oil offerings.

A great option is Trilogy’s Rosehip Transformation Cleansing Oil, a stellar performer that definitely won’t break the bank. A certified natural, super silky and lush feeling pure plant cleansing oil, it’s a little wonder that effortlessly melts away make-up and any impurities simply and gently. One of the many formulas out there that transforms from an oil to cleansing milk when emulsified with water, it also comes enriched with nourishing rosehip, sweet almond and papaya so that it cleanses skin without stripping any of the good stuff and leaves things feeling soft, hydrated and perfectly clean.

Prep with a gentle exfoliant

It’s so hard to achieve glowing skin without a little exfoliation, especially in seasonal changes. The process helps unstick lacklustre, dead skin cells so that newer, healthier cells underneath can radiate, and ensures what goes on top will penetrate better within.

Tailor Skincare Polish is a great option, the much-loved New Zealand brand calling the formula “your secret weapon to banish breakouts, unclog pores, soothe and smooth for baby soft, glowing skin”. Polish uses locally sourced bentonite clay and coconut glycerine to deeply cleanse without drying, whilst wintergreen extract and pumice powder gently breakdown congestion and buff away dead skin cells for a brighter, clearer complexion.

And don’t neglect your lips – try Henne Organics Lip Exfoliator Nordic Berries for your softest smackers ever.

Hydrate and lock it in

Trans Epidermal Water Loss (TEWL) occurs in the cooler months when the humidity decreases in central-heated offices and homes, and subsequently, moisture is drawn out of the skin and into the air. Add a serum high in hyaluronic acid to your routine to boost your hydration levels, followed by a moisturiser. Trilogy’s Hyaluronic Acid + Booster Treatment packs a major punch, lightweight but packed with potent ingredients.

Take your moisturiser up a notch

After your soothing cleansing ritual, it’s time to embrace the chill in the air with a super hydrating moisturiser.  Our top pick is Tailor Skincare’s Moisture,  a brilliant all-rounder and delivers what the brand calls a “just finished yoga glow” in a bottle, it’s non-greasy and formulated with pure plant nutrients to nourish and protect skin. At night, add a layer of Trilogy’s iconic Certified Organic Rosehip Oil patted gently over the top to seal in all the goodness.

Keep that summer glow

A great way to stretch out those summer vibes and your mood high, is by treating it to a clean beauty oil that gives your skin an instant glow.  Trilogy’s Instant Glow Rosehip Oil nourishes your skin with Rosehip oil and deeply hydrates your skin with lipid rich squalene, macadamia and avocado oils which are paired with responsibly sourced Mica for effortless, everyday illumination.

Turn down the heat

It may be very tempting to raise the temperature in your bath or shower in winter, but it’s not the best idea for your skin. Hot water is likely to harm the functions of the skin rather than help them, as it can cause dehydration as it tries to regulate temperature. Plus, due to the presence of water, oils from the skin will be removed that would otherwise protect it from the elements. This will again reduce the barrier function, as these lipids play a vital function in antimicrobial, antioxidant and skin permeability function and preventing water loss.

Opt for a warm bath or shower instead, and follow up with a skin barrier-boosting moisturiser like one of Ethique’s butter blocks, applied when skin is still slightly damp. Instead of just butters and oils, Ethique’s clever chemists have mixed two humectants (ingredients that draw water to the skin) into a deliciously creamy base.