The summer months have been truly wonderful. Lots of time spent outdoors and beautiful sunny days (along with lots of rain of course). Although the sun has its many benefits for us, most notably providing us with a great source of vitamin D, it can take its toll on our skin. The end of the summer months can leave our skin feeling dehydrated and in need of some nourishment. The transition into a cooler time of year can also cause havoc with our skin. The change in season is a great chance for us to change up and refresh our skincare regime so we can get the best out of the array of wonderful ingredients that nature has to offer and ensure you’re giving your skin the loving care it deserves.
(1) Use a Gentle Cleanser to avoid drying out the skin.
There is a lot of hype about Oil Cleansing at the moment, and there are many reasons why! For those of us with an oilier complexion, the idea of applying more oil to the skin may seem counterproductive, however research has now shown that oil can in fact dissolve oil. Oil cleansing is a gentle way to restore balance in the skin, whilst ensuring it stays hydrated. Plus the wide choice of carrier oils means you can tailor it to suite your skin type. Jojoba Oil is the top choice for oily skin as it is effective in balancing sebum production. For more mature or slightly drier complexions, you could try something more nourishing such as Rosehip or Grapeseed Oil. Simply apply a small amount to the palm of your hands and gently massage over the skin. Gently wash away with warm water or a clean flannel.
(2) Exfoliate, exfoliate, and exfoliate some more!
A new season is the perfect time to give yourself an all over body scrub. To help your skin glow and remove dead skin cells (it’s thought we produce more skin cells over the summer months, so this is the perfect time to do it). Gentle round movements when exfoliating also helps boost circulation (just what you need when the colder weather sets in). Creating your own scrub is incredibly easy and it can take as little as three ingredients. A tub of Epsom salts, a carrier oil and if you’d like an essential oil of your choice is all you need to make the perfect natural exfoliator. If you’d like mire ideas or further information, you can refer to some of our previous recipes:
• Soothing Lemon & Lavender Salt Scrub Recipe: http://amphora-aromatics.com/amphora-blog/item/381-lemon-lavender-salt-scrub
• Invigorating Grapefruit & Peppermint Salt Scrub: http://amphora-aromatics.com/amphora-blog/item/380-spring-cleaning-your-skin
• Tropical Lime & Coconut Salt Scrub Recipe: http://amphora-aromatics.com/amphora-blog/item/382-tropical-lime-coconut-salt-scrub-recipe-ideal-for-giving-your-feet-a-spring-time-treat
(3) Hydrate the and restore balance in the skin
Using a refreshing and reviving natural toner in the form of a floral water can offer your skin the kind of balance that it will need at this time of year. Avoiding using conventional toners which often contain alcohol (which can really dry out the skin), and switching them for a floral water can make a huge difference. You can also use them to refresh tired eyes by soaking two cotton pads and placing the over your eyelids for 10 – 15 minutes. Delicately fragranced, floral waters are incredibly gentle, so they are a great choice for those of us with sensitive skin and they really are wonderfully refreshing.
(4) Soothe dry and irritated skin – as the colder weather starts to set in, you may feel the need to switch to more intense moisturizer that will keep your skin feeling nourished and protected. If you’re prone to dry patches, particularly the hands, knees and elbows, you may want to try using an all-natural Shea Butter Moisturizer. The abundance of fatty acids and vitamins in Shea Butter makes it an incredibly nourishing natural moisturizer for the skin. Our Lavender and Chamomile Shea Butter is the ideal product to help soothe irritated skin due to its natural anti-inflammatory properties.
(5) Serums for treating sun damaged skin.
The benefits from using serums come from their amazing abilities to penetrate the skin on an even deeper level than a moisturizer. This gives the natural ingredients more of a chance to work hard at treating the skin from within, meaning you can benefit further from their wonderful properties. For a nourishing and hydrating serum that would be especially suited to mature skin, you can try blending 30ml of Rosehip oil with 3 – 4 drops of Frankincense. Rosehip oil is often a popular ingredient found it anti-aging creams and serums due to its rich Vitamin A content that helps repair and protect the skin. Frankincense is renowned for its rejuvenating properties which help firm and tone the skin.
Here you have some of our top tips for taking care of your skin this autumn. We hope you find a way to get the most of all the benefits these natural ingredients have to offer. Despite the sad farewell to summer, autumn can be a truly beautiful time of year, so let’s embrace the change with great positivity and enjoy what it has to offer.
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