There’s a definite moment towards the end of summer when you can feel the seasons beginning to shift.

The evenings become cooler, the heating might sneak on for the first time and suddenly the lightweight moisturiser that felt absolutely perfect a few weeks ago just isn’t quite cutting it anymore.

And your skin notices the change too.

Why does skin change as we move into autumn?

During summer, warmer temperatures and higher humidity often mean our skin is quite happy with lighter textures - gel creams, lotions and lightweight moisturisers that hydrate without feeling heavy.

Then autumn arrives.

Cooler air outside, central heating inside, wind, temperature changes and lower humidity can all mean that we start to lose moisture more easily. Skin that felt perfectly comfortable through the summer can suddenly begin to feel:

• tighter after cleansing
• a little rough or flaky
• more sensitive than usual
• itchy or uncomfortable
• dull rather than dewy
• as though your moisturiser has simply disappeared five minutes after you applied it!

This is often your skin barrier asking for a little more support.

Your skin barrier is essentially your protective outer layer. One of its jobs is to keep moisture in and irritants out - so when it becomes compromised, skin can lose water more easily and become more reactive.

Don’t automatically change everything at once

As always, I’m a big believer in looking at what your skin is actually telling you, rather than changing your entire skincare routine simply because the calendar says September.

If your summer moisturiser still leaves your skin soft, comfortable and hydrated, carry on using it.

But if you find yourself applying more of it, reapplying during the day, or noticing that familiar tight feeling creeping in, it might be time to move towards something a little more nourishing.

And that doesn’t necessarily mean jumping straight from a feather-light gel to the richest cream you can find.

Think of it as adding layers to your skincare wardrobe - much as we start adding layers to our actual wardrobe at this time of year.

Be Still - when your skin wants comfort

If your skin tends to become stressed, sensitive or easily irritated as the weather changes, Temple Spa Be Still Settling Moisturiser is a lovely place to start.

I always think of Be Still as somewhere between hydration and a comforting cuddle for the skin.

It has that beautiful liquid silk texture, so although it feels nourishing, it doesn’t feel thick or heavy.

Its prebiotic ingredients help support your skin’s natural microbiome and resilience, while Temple Spa’s Calmaderm complex and Mediterranean botanicals help soothe, settle and hydrate.

This is particularly lovely if autumn tends to bring you:

redness • sensitivity • irritation • tightness • generally grumpy skin

Sometimes skin doesn’t necessarily need more and more richness - it needs calming down.

And that’s where Be Still really earns its place.

Shop Be Still here

Double Cream - when your skin is thirsty

Then we have Double Cream Hydrating Moisturiser.

And yes…the name gives you a fairly good clue.

This is the one I’d look towards when skin has moved beyond simply feeling slightly uncomfortable and is becoming genuinely dry, dehydrated or parched.

Double Cream is rich, nourishing and designed to replenish lost moisture, helping skin feel softer, plumper and more comfortable.

Sodium hyaluronate helps attract moisture to the skin, while ingredients including avocado oil provide that extra nourishment which can become increasingly welcome as the weather gets colder.

It’s particularly good for skin that seems to drink moisturiser in.

You can use it morning and evening, but another lovely way to transition into autumn is to introduce your richer cream gradually - perhaps using your lighter moisturiser during the day and Double Cream at night initially.

You don’t have to make an overnight seasonal switch.

Shop Double Cream here

And a little autumn bonus… Be Quiet

One of the easiest ways of increasing hydration without immediately changing your moisturiser is to add another hydrating layer underneath it.

Which brings me to Be Quiet Soothing Prebiotic Milky Toner.

If the word toner makes you think of something harsh or stripping, this is very much the opposite.

Be Quiet has a soft, weightless milky texture and contains ingredients including biomimetic squalane, fermented oats and niacinamide, alongside prebiotics and Mediterranean botanicals.

Its job isn’t simply to complete your cleanse. It helps hydrate and support the skin barrier before you apply your serum and moisturiser.

So if your skin is beginning to feel slightly drier but you’re not quite ready to move to a heavier cream, adding Be Quiet into your routine may be all the extra support it needs.

Cleanse → Be Quiet → serum → moisturiser.

Simple.

Shop Be Quiet here

Your skincare should change because your skin changes

That’s really the important bit.

You don’t have summer skin and winter skin with a fixed changeover date.

Your skin responds to your environment, hormones, stress levels, lifestyle, products - and yes, our wonderfully unpredictable British weather!

So through September and into autumn, pay attention to how it feels, rather than automatically following exactly the same routine you’ve used all summer.

Maybe you simply introduce Be Quiet.

Maybe your lightweight moisturiser gives way to Be Still.

Or perhaps your skin is already shouting “Double Cream, please!” 

The aim isn’t to smother your skin.

It’s simply to give it a little more protection, nourishment and comfort as we move into the cooler months.

Love, Julia 🤍