As the weather starts to shift from the warm summer to brisk Autumn (or, if you live in England, brisk summer to freezing Autumn) you might notice that your skin doesn’t respond as well to your regular products as it once did. The reason for that is simple, when the climate changes your skin has to deal with a whole new array of external aggressors. You go from fighting oily skin from the hot sun to dry and flaky skin from the cold and wind. Not to mention the effects of air conditioning and central heating; both of which dry out your skin.

Winter doesn’t pose much of a problem to men as our skin, in general, is oilier than women’s skin. However, as winter kicks in you might notice dry patches of skin or even dehydrated skin that feels dry but looks oily as your skin stuggles to regulate it’s own moisture balance.

There are a few excellent products you can slot into your routine to remedy this.

Exfoliants

You’ll want to keep up exfoliation through winter as it dislodges any dry skin flakes and helps your moisturiser to penetrate your skin. Try switching to a slightly more gentle exfoliator like Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant. This is a white powder you mix with a little water and massage into your skin. It gives your skin a satisfying scrub yet it’s gentle enough to use every day. Excellent as a pre-shave step.

Moisturisers and Sunscreen

Switch to a slightly heavier moisturiser in the winter to keep your skin well protected from the cold. Don’t go for full-on heavy creams because chances are your skin will only need a tiny bit more moisture than usual. Try moisturising onto slightly damp skin after a shower to lock a greater amount of moisture.

If you have oily skin, try a serum containing silicones before your moisturiser and/or sunscreen like Olay Regenerist or Paula’s Choice Super Antioxidant Serum (Matte).

As winter rolls around you can switch to a lower SPF as the sun isn’t as harsh but you still need thorough protection from the ever-present UVA rays. Good options are Eucerin Everyday SPF 30, Clinique City Block SPF 40 and La Roche Posay SPF15. These are quite moisturising in themselves but you can apply them over a light moisturiser if your skin feels dry.

Treatments

If your skin is feeling particularly parched, try a weekly treatment at night to keep it thoroughly hydrated. Paula’s Choice has an excellent moisture replenishing masque and Aquaphor and Egyptian Magic are great for dabbing on to problem patches of dry skin.

When shaving, skip any after-shave treatments containing alcohol which will strip the skin of it’s moisture. An all-round better alternative is a BHA product such as Stridex pads which come in different concentrations and eliminate post shave irritation and ingrowns.