7 Ways To Protect Your Skin During The Cold Fall Season In Canada, According To An Expert

There are tons of reason to get excited about fall, including the changing leaves, opportunities for cozy fall road trips and the return of cooler air, perfect for enjoying warm drinks.

However, as the fall brings drier and colder weather, you want to make sure you're keeping your skin hydrated and update your fall skincare routine accordingly.

Narcity spoke to Dr. Renita Ahluwalia, lead dermatologist at the Canadian Dermatology Centre, about what tweaks and updates you can make in your skincare routine for the season.

Use a good moisturizer

“Absolutely you want to moisturize in the fall, and you might need to switch up your moisturizer to something that’s a little bit thicker or something that contains key ingredients that promote hydration,” Dr. Renita says.

She recommends looking for things like hyaluronic acid or ceramides in your moisturizer, which help to draw in water and maintain a healthy skin barrier.

She also says that drier skin types should avoid scents and fragrances in their moisturizer.

“I find it beneficial to look at something that has a shorter list of ingredients,” she says.

And just like you want to moisturize your face, you want to keep your lips and eyes hydrated too.

Dr. Renita says you want a "simple fragrance-free lip hydrator and a gentle eye cream because the skin around our eyes is the thinnest skin on our body."

For the eyes, she recommends a product without fragrance but with the same kinds of ingredients you'd look for in a moisturizer, like ceramides and hyaluronic acid.

Remember the SPF

"Sunscreen is 365 days a year, so don't forget your SPF," says Dr. Renita. "Some people think they only need to wear SPF in the summer but it's actually for all year round."

If you don't already have a sunscreen as part of your routine, Dr. Renita says there are some things you should keep in mind when looking for one.

"You want to have broad-spectrum sunscreen that's going to protect against UVA and UVB," she says.

"Now there's some evidence that blue light can cause oxidative damage [...] that can produce more reds and browns in the skin [...] so if you have a blue light filter [in your sunscreen], like iron oxide, it's even better."

"If you have sensitive skin and your skin gets drier in the fall and winter [...] then I usually suggest a mineral sunscreen, not a chemical one," she says.

Don't be afraid to use retinol

Retinol is a do-all ingredient that can help with acne, anti-aging and cell turnover, says Dr. Renita, although for some people it can be a bit drying.

"I'm a proponent of using retinol all year round," says Dr. Renita. "Some people skip retinol in the fall and winter because they find their skin is too dry [...] you just have to make sure you're hydrating the skin."

"One of the tricks I like to tell my patients about is something called the 'moisture sandwich' technique."

Essentially, Dr. Renita suggests that you "sandwich" the retinol with moisturizer.

"So sometimes I like a lightweight hydrating serum and a little bit of retinol and then a thicker moisturizer over top to kind of lock it all in. That helps increase the tolerability of the retinol and then you get less irritation."

If you're new to retinol, you might find it irritating or especially drying at first.

"You just want to start once or twice a week [...] for a lot of routines in the fall or winter, we just keep it at once or twice a week."

If your skin is too irritated by that, you can also try using an alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA) which can help to smooth the skin without being too irritating.

"They're not going to have the same anti-aging, anti-acne type properties that retinol has, but will give the skin a nice polished look and they work quickly," she says.

Add Vitamin C

If you don't use one already, you can level up your skincare game by adding a Vitamin C serum.

"Vitamin C [is] great in the summer, but it's great all year round, helps to neutralize free radicals from the environment."

For those not in the know, free radicals can cause oxidative damage to the skin, making it look dull, and even causing brown spots or uneven tone, according to Dr. Renita.

As for what kinds of Vitamin C products you should look for, Dr. Renita says to keep it simple.

"Vitamin C is most effective in a serum form," she says. "And the most effective type of vitamin C is L ascorbic acid [...] in a concentration between 10 and 20%.

"It should be formulated at an acidic PH [...] and if there are other antioxidants in it that are also protective then that's a bonus."

Incorporate a mask

If you want a little extra moisture, Dr. Renita says a face mask can be really beneficial, but that you want to make sure you're choosing one with the right ingredients.

Masks that have concentrated ingredients like hyaluronic acid can be useful in delivering more moisture to the face. But you want to make sure you're not using a mask with tons of fragrance.

"I find that when people try to incorporate thicker products [like masks] that have a lot of scents and fragrance that's when they can run into problems.

"It's oftentimes even worse than using [fragrance] in a moisturizing cream because it's this concentrated version of ingredients that's on your face for a long period of time."

She recommends just going with a simple hydrating mask and that they are "totally useful." She says, "especially if you're noticing your skin needs more hydration."

Switch up your cleanser

Dr. Renita says switching to a gentle cleanser can be a good idea for transitioning to fall. If you don't have a good cleanser, she also has some tips on what to look for.

While the consistency of the cleanser can be up to you, Dr. Renita says using a cleanser that's formulated at the right pH level is what's important.

"The pH of our skin is 5.5, so often using cleansers that are formulated around that pH, or a little more acidic, can be beneficial in terms of maintaining a good skin barrier. And then it's really the consistency that you like."

While some brands do indicate the pH level of their cleansers on the product itself, Dr. Renita says visiting a dermatologist is an easy way to find out what to look for.

Add a humidifier

In terms of what changes you can make in your environment, Dr. Renita says using a humidifier can help with boosting hydration.

"A humidifier will add moisture to the air and that can help with your skin barrier," she says.

"If you're not having [dryness] problems you don't necessarily need to invest in it, but it's a simple thing that's not going to hurt your skin, and you might even get other health benefits from using it."

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.