The summer is behind us and a new season is on the horizon -- Fall. Cold fall, rainy fall, and not so moisturizing to our skin fall. We all know this feeling. Summer is gone, but so is the intense UV rays and heat. In summer, our skins ability to protect is on high and we are in constant correction of any damage caused by too much sun exposure. During this intense UV exposure the stratum corneum, our skins outermost layer of the epidermis, tends to thicken and creates so called light calluses.

In addition to the traces of summer left behind on our skin, soon comes the transition into cooler temperatures. On top of that, the skin layer becomes thiner due to the lack of sun and low humidity.

The stratum corneum, the skin's outermost layer, forms the reservoir for holding moisture. In the fall, you should fill this reservoir up again for your skin. More care is needed for the forearms, lower legs and hands, here the stratum corneum is relatively very thin. We all know this feeling especially on the face.

Intensive moisture can be supplied by products that offer aloe in them, for example our sunday lotion or our cacao facial mask powder. By the way, you'll want to use thicker creams and lotions for the next coming months. As the temperatures fall, the skin needs more oil because the sebum production is decreasing with increasing cold weather.

Especially if the temperature drops below approximately 46 degrees, the skins own oil can no longer spread its film on the skin surface and protect it from cold. As a rule of thumb, for dry skin, stick to natural oils and fats such as waxes, avocado oils, grape seed, jojoba and shea butter. These natural oils and butters form the necessary protective film on the skin that defies wind and cold weather.

Another tip for Autumn skin: do not use foaming products, banish these products from the bathroom. Mild natural cleansers such as our Ojai Lavender Soap, Chamomile or Baby & Me Soap are great for the colder months and they do not deplete your natural oils. In fact, they help increase this film on your skin and help compensate the loss of moisture. Hot and frequent showers tend to stress out the skin, so be sure to reduce these two.

If you have extremely dry skin, this might call for a quick shower combined by immediately adding a oil like our relax massage and bath oil to your skin to help seal in the moisture. Or after immediately showering, you'll want to lock in moisture with one of our rich moisturizing lotions like green tea or sunday lotion. The importance here is not to dry off. Immediately add a lotion or oil of your choice with the water droplets on your skin.

Don't forget your hands and feet in the cooler months. We have recently formulated an exceptional hand and foot lotion to give these parts a little more attention. Our creme provides a warming sensation as it brings more circulation to places like your hands, feet, lower legs, or forearms. What better experience than a spa experience right in the comfort of your home? It's important to keep moisture in the feet especially because they are in shoes all day. High quality lotion creams with ginger and lime provide the necessary moisture and maintain happy healthy feet. So you can have beautiful looking feet for next summer again! Your skin will thank you for this extra attention.

Contact with the sun, wind or salt water usually results in dull hair. Your hair stylist can cut these damaged split ends away but thereafter you'll need to take additional care. It's best to deep condition or give your hair an intensive treatment (once a week) to fill up the moisture pockets and once again seal hair to avoid extra damage from occurring.