When autumn comes, many clients arrive in the treatment room wanting the same thing: scrub it all off, brighten it all up, straight away. The opposite is usually right. After weeks of sun the skin is fragile, and an aggressive treatment only makes it more sensitive.
It also helps to tell dry skin from dehydrated skin. The first lacks oil and is dry all year round; the second lacks water, and even oily skin can be dehydrated after summer. The most reliable sign is a tight feeling after cleansing, with fine lines that fade once the skin is moisturised. That passing dehydration is what we treat first, before trying to even out the tone or fade marks.
Rehydrate first
The first step is the most modest: a gentle cleanser, a floral water to tone, and a rich cream morning and evening for two weeks. Orange-blossom and rose waters calm redness; a prickly-pear oil cream restores comfort without clogging pores.
Exfoliation comes next, once a week at most and always gentle. A pink clay mask is enough to refine the texture. Coarse grains and strong exfoliants are best avoided while the skin still feels tight.
Then bring back the glow
Once the skin feels comfortable again, a vitamin C serum can join the morning routine. It brightens the complexion and gradually helps fade dark spots. Gradually is the honest word: it takes several weeks, and no serious product promises otherwise.
One rule does not change with the season: sunscreen every morning, even in October, even under cloud. Without it, all the repair work is undone within days. And if a mark changes shape or colour, it is a dermatologist you should see, not a beauty therapist.
