As we start to transition into the cooler, fall months, our skin often starts to show signs of the fun we've had in the summer sun. Whether it's sunburn, dehydration, or lingering dark spots, the effects of summer can take a toll on your skin. But the start of the Fall season is the perfect time to reset your skincare routine and give your skin the TLC it needs to recover. Here are my top tips to help with post summer skin recovery!
1. Rehydrate Your Skin
The combination of sun exposure, excessive heat, and all the outdoor activities can leave your skin dehydrated. Hydration is essential for restoring your skin’s natural barrier and maintaining a full, plump appearance. I recommend using a hydrating serum with ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, or aloe vera and sealing it in with a moisturizing cream. These ingredients help attract and retain moisture, ensuring your skin stays plump and healthy.
Dr. Azi’s Top Tip: Layer your hydrating serum under a moisturizer to lock in moisture and create a protective barrier against environmental stressors. You can also try applying comprehensive moisturizers with ingredients like HA or Ceramides to damp skin to help repair the skin barrier.
Intense Recovery: Clinical ingredients work to reduce inflammation and redness while repairing the skin barrier.
Restore: restorative cream to deeply hydrate while providing age-defying benefits, leaving your skin nourished and glowing.
2. Gentle Exfoliants
The summer months can cause a buildup of dead skin cells that often lead to a dull complexion. Gentle exfoliation is crucial to remove these dead cells and reveal fresh, radiant skin underneath. This can help with discoloration, texture, and post summer breakouts. Use exfoliants with hydrating properties such as glycolic and lactic acid preferably in lower concentrations. However, it’s important to avoid over-exfoliating, especially if your skin is already sensitive from sun exposure. 1-2x weekly is usually sufficient.
Dr. Azi’s Top Tip: Opt for exfoliants that contain mild acids like low percentage salicylic acid, lactic, or mandelic acid, which are effective yet gentle enough to prevent irritation. Some of my favorites are:
Clarify Pads: designed for easy use to effectively target clogged pores, uneven texture, dark spots, fine lines, acne, and breakouts.
AmLactin: designed to gently exfoliate and deeply hydrate your face, hands and body, revealing rejuvenated skin all around in just one step
DermaBright Pads: features a blend of brightening ingredients specifically formulated to target skin concerns such as melasma, discoloration, age spots, and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.
3. Consider Professional Chemical Peels
Speaking of exfoliation, chemical peels are an effective way to address more severe sun damage that at-home topical treatments may not fully help. These peels work by applying a chemical solution to the skin, which exfoliates the outer layers. Depending on the depth of the peel, it can target superficial, medium, or deep layers of the skin ultimately reducing hyperpigmentation and stimulating collagen production.
Some of my favorite chemical peels are the traditional Jessner peel for lighter skin tones and a TCA peel for darker skin tones.
Dr. Azi’s Pro Tip: I always recommend seeing a dermatologist or a licensed esthetician to determine the right type of chemical peel for your skin type and concerns. Always follow your post-peel care instructions carefully to maximize results and minimize downtime.
4. Incorporate A Retinoid Into Your Nightly Routine
Retinoids are derivatives of vitamin A and are one of the most powerful ingredients in skincare. They are highly effective in treating a variety of skin concerns, especially those related to sun damage. I recommend retinoids for post-summer skin recovery for a variety of reasons:
- Promote Skin Cell Turnover: increased cell turnover helps fade sun spots, age spots, and other forms of hyperpigmentation that result from prolonged sun exposure. It allows new skin cells to be produced, leading to a healthier complexion.
- Smooth Fine Lines and Wrinkles: Sun exposure can lead to premature aging, including fine lines and wrinkles. Retinoids help reverse this by stimulating collagen production, a necessity for maintaining skin elasticity and firmness. Over time, consistent use of retinoids can smooth out fine lines and improve the overall texture of your skin.
- Prevent and Treat Breakouts: Retinoids can also help in unclogging pores, reducing acne, and preventing post-acne marks, which can be exacerbated by sun exposure.
Dr. Azi’s Top Tip: Start with a lower concentration retinoid and only apply it at night 1-2 times a week to start. Gradually increase usage as your skin builds tolerance. A few of my favorite retinol formulations include Differin Gel, Adapaline, and Lift + Renew.
5. Continue Your Sun Protection
Just because summer is over doesn’t mean you should ditch your sunscreen. UV rays can still penetrate through clouds and windows, causing further damage to your skin. A broad-spectrum SPF of at least 30 should be a non-negotiable part of your daily skincare routine, regardless of the season.
Dr. Azi’s Top Tip: Don’t forget often-missed areas like your neck, tops of the ears, and hands when applying sunscreen.
