Summer to Autumn Skincare

Summer doesn't last very long in England and, although we had a heatwave and humid weather recently, it's starting to look like summer is over or at least it is for Manchester where the sun is rarely seen!

Today, beauty blogger Heather shares with us how she takes her skincare regime from summer to autumn. We'd love to know what changes you will be making to your skincare routine when you finally admit to yourself that summer is over!

With the change in seasons I always change up my skincare routine but to be honest I change it more frequently than that as I am always testing new skincare and my skin can change from day to day so I switch up products accordingly.

My skin is dry and sensitive which means that I need to be careful about the products I use as I don't want them to cause a flareup but they also need to be suitable for my slightly oily t-zone as well as general dryness. Over the past year or so I have found a range of brands that I love such as Nivea, Antipodes, Elemental Herbology, Bioderma and more which work so effectively and are gentle on my skin.

The first thing to change when the seasons change is my cleanser, usually I use a basic cream or gel cleanser but when my skin is drier I always switch to a richer cleanser or this time around, a cleansing balm. I love the Skin and Tonic Steam Clean Cleansing Balm as it only contains 6 ingredients and even though it leaves my skin super clean, it doesn't strip the skin or dry it out. The Boots Botanics Cleansing Balm is a great alternative, especially for dry and very dry skin types.

The next products to change are serums or oils. I first start by introducing a more moisturising serum into my routine when the colder months come around or when my skin is particularly dry. I've been using the Antipodes Hosanna Serum for a while and I adore it, and recently I've been using the new Antipodes Worship Serum which again is a great natural skincare product for dry skin types. A very recent addition to my skincare collection is the Aurelia Revitalise and Glow Serum which I fell in love with immediately, unlike most serums it sinks into the skin quickly leaving a skin-like feeling rather than a greasy feeling; although it packs in a lot of moisture and makes my skin texture so much smoother even from just a few uses. When my skin is very dry, oils are the best way to go, even under makeup - the Dr Jackson 03 face oil is fantastic!

Now onto moisturisers, before I started blogging back in 2012, I had so much trouble finding a moisturiser that was rich enough for my dry, eczema prone skin but now there are so many great choice out there such as the Antipodes Vanilla Pod Day Cream which is a lifesaver when my skin is very dry. Also Antipodes products are natural and smell amazing! The Elemental Herbology Facial Hydrator is also great, I've been using it on and off for a year or so I couldn't recommend it enough.

Last but not least - masks. I love a good face mask and with any change in the seasons or weather my skin can freak out and become really congested, although thankfully I rarely get spots or it will become dull. Detox and rejuvenating masks are essentials for me and my current favourites include: Caudalie Detox mask and the Elemis Fruit Active Rejuvenating mask. Both are great for clearing the skin and making it look less congested which my skin definitely needs right now!

This article was written by Heather Nixon. You can see more posts like this on Heather's beauty blog, Of Beauty And Nothingness