How to Reset Your Skin for the New Season

A change of Season is the perfect time to assess your current skin care routine and the products you are using. Has your skin changed? Do you notice anything different? Are your products working the same as they were 3 months ago? Products expire, diets change, and life evolves causing our skin to fluctuate. It will tell you what it needs, but we must take care of it. Glowing, beautiful skin is the goal, and sometimes you just need to press the reset button.

Whether or not you are experiencing skin concerns, it’s good to take a break from our normal routine and understand what our skin is craving (it does go through moods too). If you are experiencing any type of skin concerns such as irritation or breakouts, pairing your skincare back to basics will help make sure it’s not being caused by a product. If your skin feels drier than usual or looks a little dull, it may be time to add more nourishing products.

It only takes a few steps to revive your skin to all its glow-y goodness. Read on for some easy-to-follow tips and tricks-

Step 1: Back to Basics

The most essential part of doing a skincare reset is going back to basics. It’s always possible that if irritation is occurring it could be caused by a product you use every day. Dermatologists note that issues caused by a product will typically clear up in about a week, so start by putting everything away that brightens, tightens, and peels. By pairing our skincare back to the essentials, we can start the process of elimination and give our skin a chance to breathe. For a week, you want to focus on hydration, so use a basic cleanser that won’t strip the skin of moisture and a moisturizer that is free of fragrance and actives like acids, essential oils, and antioxidants. Most importantly, stay out of the sun.

Step 2: Listen to your Skin

After one week, your skin should be giving you a clear picture of what it needs. If your skin feels good, keep going with what you’ve been doing (there is nothing wrong with a simple routine). But if you’re like us, you love to use preventative and anti-aging ingredients. Don’t fear, there is no need to kick these favorites to the curb just yet. After a week or two of basic skincare, it’s time to analyze our skin and determine what is needed. If you choose to, consult a dermatologist, especially if issues persist. 

Step 3: Adding Back to our Skin Care ritual

To start regenerating your skincare ritual, add a soothing serum that will help repair and re-balance skin. Look for ones that contain antioxidants, like 3 Graces Revitalizing Facial Serum that uses nutrient rich antioxidants and amino acids to re-balance and rejuvenate skin. We recommend adding one product at a time and waiting about 3 weeks. In fact, research shows that it takes up to 21 days to see the results of a skincare product. The most important part of adding new pieces to your skincare ritual is to focus on the main complaints your skin has. For example, if you’re skin feels dry, focus on moisture-boosting ingredients like Squalene to rehydrate damaged skin. 

Step 4: Adding New Products to Your Ritual

Let us take a moment to return to school and visit chemistry. While most of us took this time to pass notes, catch up on gossip, and unwillingly dissect something (yuck!), we did collect one key piece of information: not every element plays nice with others. The all-important patch test is the first step in adding a new product to your skincare. Try a small dab on your inner wrist and wait for about 24-hours. If your skin shows any sign of irritation or redness, this is not the product for you. In addition, make sure to test it in combination with your moisturizer or serum. Just go slow and wait a few weeks before adding another new product to the mix.

Don’t Forget…

Skincare, like your wardrobe, should change with the season. During the summer, skin craves lightweight products and a strong dose of sun protection. However, the winter months call for rich hydration and skin-barrier protection. Regardless of where you live or what season you face, resetting your skincare is a good ritual to address at least once a year.