It’s hard to believe summer has left us. For some parts of the country, it’s as if summer never really arrived. Here we are now at the beginning of autumn, taking out our warm clothes and dusting off the heaters. The change of season from summer to autumn and beyond isn’t just about what you wear or the temperature. The moisture in the air changes, the sun UV rays decrease, and we move from extremes in temperature i.e., outdoors to the indoors. “This can leave your skin drier than in summer when we take great measures in keeping our skin moisturised,” says Clere skincare brand manager Su-Marie Annandale.

While colder outside temperatures are normal, so too are the high temperatures of indoor heating. “This exposure to dry air means our skin gets drier too. You may experience flakiness on your skin, especially if you’re prone to eczema or other dry skin conditions. Plus, the skin’s metabolism naturally slows at this time of year equating to slower cell renewal, that leads to duller skin.”

Annandale shares the top change of season skin irritants and how you can combat them.

Top 4 skin irritants

Less humidity 

Humidity levels reduce in autumn. As soon as the season starts to change, your skincare regime will need to change too. Put away your lightweight moisturisers and opt for richer, thicker, more moisturising crèmes that focus on hydrating your skin. Clere’s range of crèmes and lotions consist of four unique formulations to suit all skincare needs, which are: 

• A Pure Glycerine formulation,
• A Triple Glycerine formulation
• A Tissue oil and Pure Glycerine formulation 
• A Glycerine Gel formulation

All four formulations provide 48-hour moisturisation and contain Vitamins E & A, which are gentle and effective.

Heating 

When the heaters come on, there’s even less moisture in the air. This means more also water evaporates from the skin. You can help reduce the dryness in the air by using a humidifier to keep the air damper.

From out to in 

Going from cold to hot and back out again can cause the tiny blood vessels in your face to contract and expand quickly. This can cause them to burst – broken blood vessels and colder weather go hand in hand. Try to keep temperature changes to a minimum, or warm your skin up slowly to ease the burden on your circulation.

Hot baths 

Hot baths and showers can liquefy and remove your natural protective skin oils, leading to dryness. Indulge when you need to but remember to apply a good moisturiser the second you have dried yourself to keep the moisture trapped in and avoid itchy, dry skin.

Clere’s range of crèmes and lotions are available at all leading retailers at a cost of R34.99 and R21.99, respectively.