After a summer of sun exposure, water sports, and traveling, your skin is probably going to have a bit of trouble adjusting to the coming Autumn days. During this seasonal transition, it's perfectly normal for your facial and body skin to experience a few fits and starts-especially if you haven't updated your skin care routine to compensate for the change in the weather. Three typical fall skin reactions that could indicate your epidermis is in distress are the development of any of the following symptoms:

I. Hyperpigmentation (dark spots)
II. Seasonal Acne Flare-ups
III. Weather-related Dehydration and/or Dryness

Here are a few simple remedies you can use to help your skin breeze through the change of seasons beautifully and to keep it glowing and healthy for the upcoming holidays.

So that's why they call it "fall"

What happens to your skin in Autumn? While the leaves are falling off the trees, the worn out, tired, tanned skin cells your body's been sporting all summer are also falling off. This means that the brand new, as-yet-unexposed skin underneath can quickly become irritated if the exfoliation process is getting backed up or if the moisturizers and cleansers you're using aren't the proper formulations. Is the sun still a factor? Partially. Here are some of the many reasons why your skin may behave strangely:

• A combination of strong summer sun and water sports in chlorinated or salty water may have excessively dehydrated your skin.
• Excessive sun exposure (and sunburns) may have caused an abnormal build-up of dead skin cells.
• Sunscreens-although a necessary protection-can also be responsible for clogging your pores and/or irritating skin.
• Air conditioning can have a dehydrating effect on your skin. This includes the "conditioned" air of airplanes, trains, and cars.
• Any situation that causes stress, from traveling in foreign countries to heading back to school, can also put added stress on your skin. Changes in climate can also confuse your dermis.
• In the summer, cell turnover typically increases and then starts slowing down as the weather cools off.
• Unusual foods that your system is not used to digesting could be responsible for break-outs.
• Once the tan and dead cells start shedding, the repressed impurities and excess oils trapped beneath them may purge and create havoc.
• Autumn is when one usually notices an increase in hyperpigmentation spots.

PART I: Hyperpigmentation (next) >>