Whether you call it fall or autumn, cooler and drier conditions change how your skin and hair behave. The cleanser that worked in July may now leave your skin tight. Here's how to build an autumn routine with herbal products, and when to make each change. Southern Hemisphere readers: follow these whenever your climate cools. 

What Actually Changes in Autumn

Your stratum corneum skin's outermost layer holds water using ceramides and compounds known as natural moisturizing factor, both of which draw humidity from the air. When humidity falls, trans epidermal water loss rises, and seasonal studies have measured real drops in ceramide levels between summer and the colder months. Your barrier is weaker in October than in July. 

Indoor heating compounds it, often pulling humidity below desert levels. The net effect: skin that was oily in August can be dehydrated in October and still be oily. Dehydration and oiliness aren't opposites which is why treating autumn dullness with exfoliation is the season's most common mistake. 

Swap 1: Purifying to Hydrating Cleanser 

Do this first biggest payoff, lowest effort. Summer's turmeric, neem and charcoal formulas strip sebum efficiently: right in August, wrong once your barrier is depleted. Tightness after washing means you've over-cleansed. If you're oily keep that wash for evenings, and switch mornings to Hydra Fresh Expert Foaming Face Wash or Rose Glow if cold weather leaves you reactive. 

Swap 2: Add Hydration, Not Just Thicker Cream 

A heavier moisturizer is occlusive it slows water leaving your skin but adds none. Since the autumn problem is water loss, occlusion alone seals in a deficit. 

Layer instead: humectant onto damp skin, then seal with cream. On dry skin a mist can draw moisture upward and evaporate off, leaving you drier which is why people say mists don't work. Keep a Herbal Rose with Aloe Vera Water Spray at your desk, where heated air does most damage. 

Swap 3: Autumn Is Retinol Season 

Retinoids thin the stratum corneum during adjustment and increase photosensitivity, making high-UV months an awkward time to begin. As the UV index falls, you gain the winter to build tolerance. 

Begin Retinol Face Serum twice weekly at night over six to eight weeks, after Swaps 1 and 2 have settled. Stacking retinisation on an autumn barrier dip is what makes people quit retinol. Don't pair it with a scrub. 

Swap 4: Do Not Stop Wearing SPF 

UVB the burning wavelength drops sharply in autumn. UVA does not: it penetrates cloud, passes through glass, and is most linked to photoageing and pigmentation. Stopping sunscreen in October undoes your summer progress by March. Keep SPF 50 Sun Block Cream on reduce reapplication indoors, but don't drop it. 

Swap 5: Body and Heels 

Body skin has fewer sebaceous glands, so it dries faster with less to replace. Switch to a gentler wash and start heel care before cracking begins fissured heels take weeks to repair, days to prevent. Apply to damp skin after showering. 

Swap 6: Expect Autumn Shedding 

Hair cycles through growth, a resting telogen phase, then shedding. A study of healthy women in Dermatology found telogen hairs peak around July and since shedding follows roughly 100 days later, that produces a visible autumn shed. It's self-limiting and resolves within weeks. 

What you can control is breakage on top of it, since drier autumn hair snaps more easily. Try 7in1 Complete Care Herbal Hair Oil, or our guide to choosing a hair oil for your hair type. 

Swap 7: The Inside-Out Layer 

Thirst signalling drops in cooler weather while heated air keeps drawing moisture out. Warm herbal drinks address both see Green Tea & Wellness Teas and Immunity Guard. 

The Transition Timetable 

Browse the full skin care and hair care ranges. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

When should I switch to an autumn skincare routine?

Follow the weather, not the calendar usually late August to mid-September. Start with your cleanser, then adjust over three weeks. 

Do I still need sunscreen in autumn and winter?

Yes. UVB drops but UVA stays high, penetrates cloud and passes through glass. Year-round SPF protects your summer results. 

Why is my hair falling out more in autumn?

Resting-phase hairs peak in mid-summer and shed roughly 100 days later, making autumn the visible peak. It's self-limiting; patchy or persistent loss warrants a doctor. 

Is autumn a good time to start retinol?

It's the best window lower UV reduces the photosensitivity concern and you get the winter to build tolerance.