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The Woodruff Institute’s Fall Skin Care Checklist

Posted on August 21, 2019

Did you know that September 22nd is the first official day of the Fall season? Even though we live in sunny Southwest Florida, we still feel the effects of the change in weather. Along with adjusting your wardrobe and latte flavor to match the season, this is a good time of year to make a few adjustments to your skin care routine. Here’s what’s on our fall skin care checklist.

Fall (at home) Skin Care Routine
The basic steps of a skin care routine are a gentle cleanser, a moisturizer, and a sunscreen. Yet after the summer months of sweat, sunscreen, and excess oil, skin gets bogged down under a layer of cellular debris. When you exfoliate, you are ensuring that cells, specifically skin cells, are turned over optimally. Often, we will add a nighttime Retinol such as SkinCeuticals Retinol, which promotes cell turnover to help improve the look of skin that has been affected by the aging process. If you are looking to manage hyper pigmentation, ask your skin care physician about an appropriate skin care regimen such as the Obagi Nu-Derm® System, which includes a product that exfoliates (Exfoderm or Exfoderm Forte), products with prescription 4% hydroquinone to lighten skin, a moisturizer that hydrates, and a sunscreen that provides broad spectrum sun protection. Vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid) is a potent antioxidant that is essential in any skin care regimen, as it helps your body repair damaged skin cells. We recommend adding a daytime Skinceuticals Vitamin C because their patented formulations deliver advanced environmental protection and improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, loss of firmness, and brightens skin’s complexion.

Just be sure to add one product at a time to prevent over dryness and/or irritation. Plus, when you see results you will know which product is working for you. We understand that finding the best skin care routine for your skin’s needs is challenging, this is why our aestheticians are available for complimentary consultations. Book yours today to learn more.

Book a Professional Aesthetic Treatment
You may be surprised at how, after a few weeks of getting down these basic steps, your other skin concerns calm down. But if they don’t, your next steps will depend on your skin’s specific needs. Our aestheticians can help assess and repair any summer skin damage by tailoring facials and treatments to your skin’s specific needs. Aesthetic treatments, like deep cleansing facials, chemical peels, microdermabrasion, and micro needling with PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma), are the perfect way to clear away the build-up of cellular debris, sunscreen, and pollutants from summer buildup and outdoor activity. It’s also an excellent way to start the season fresh and prepare your skin for the cooler months ahead.

When Should you see a Dermatology Provider?
If you’re trying to address a specific skin concern (like acne or hyperpigmentation) and you’re not seeing any improvements with your at home routine or regular aesthetic treatments, a dermatologist can help figure out the issue and possibly prescribe a stronger medication or in-office procedure that may be more effective. Tretinoin is a retinoid prescription medication that’s widely used to treat acne and reverse many of the visual signs of aging. We dispense this medication right from all our offices. IPL, also called a Photofacial, is an excellent way our providers can safely and effectively treat sun damage, age and brown spots, freckles, rosacea, and wrinkles in one comprehensive treatment.

We also recommend a yearly comprehensive full-body skin examination. Your dermatologist will not only be looking for skin cancer and pre-cancers but can also diagnose and treat common skin conditions such as rosacea, seborrheic dermatitis, eczema, nail fungus, and psoriasis.

Don’t Put Away Your Sunscreen!
Most people want to ease up on sunscreen in the winter months because they feel the sun is weaker, but we urge you to keeping using sunscreen because the sun’s damaging rays are still hitting you. Sun protection should be part of your daily routine to protect your skin from sneaky photo-damage that can happen even when you’re just out running errands or on your way to work. The EltaMD line of physician-dispensed sunscreens offers a wide variety of sunscreens for all types of skin types and needs. EltaMA is zinc-based and provides UVA/UVB protection and hydration in light, non-greasy, non-comedogenic formulas for all skin types. Don’t forget the back of your hands and ears!