How to transition your skin-care routine from summer to fall, according to experts

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How to transition your skin-care routine from summer to fall, according to experts

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A retinol cream is a favorite product for youthful-looking skin.

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  • Just as we naturally adjust our wardrobes to adapt to cooler temperatures, our skin-care routines could use a reboot to help our skin adjust to the colder, drier climate.
  • To help you transition your skin-care routine from summer to fall, we're sharing the best tips and tricks skin-care scientists actually swear by to keep their skin healthy through the fickle fall weather.
  • Below find 10 of the best tips and tricks for great fall skin, according to 18 scientists from Procter & Gamble.

With the weather cooling down, you've probably already thought about changing your wardrobe - swapping out tanks and shorts for cozy knits and long pants. Sweater weather means more than just ditching your cutoffs though. If you want to keep that summer glow, you'll need to update your skin- and body-care routines to keep up with the cooler, drier fall air.

And who better to help you make that transition than skin-care scientists from Procter & Gamble, parent company of popular personal-care brands like Native, SK-II, and Olay. We're sharing some of the best fall skin-care tips, according to 18 Procter & Gamble skin-care scientists themselves. From adding new products to your regimen to getting creative with how you moisturize, they shared plenty of helpful tips and tricks that'll help transition skin from summer to fall.

Some of the products included may be ones that these scientists developed themselves, though many are ones they swear by in their own lives regardless of brand. Where they have not suggested specific brands, we offer recommendations based on our own expertise. If you're looking to transform your skin-care routine for fall, but don't know where to start, keep reading.

Below you'll find 10 tips and tricks for maintaining healthy skin this fall, according to skin-care scientists:

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Show your feet some TLC

Show your feet some TLC
Aquaphor Healing Ointment, available at Amazon, $11.89

Feet are often overlooked when it comes to body care, but after long days spent in stuffy shoes, your feet need some extra attention to get rid of calluses, blisters, and dry skin. Nicole Russell, research specialist at Procter & Gamble, swears by Aquaphor to keep her feet feeling soft.

"I apply Aquaphor to my feet and then put socks on to help keep my feet moisturized," she said. "I will also use feet exfoliating masks to help exfoliate my feet."

Lather on the body lotion

Lather on the body lotion
Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion, 2-pack, available at Amazon, $18.39

Dry air can really dehydrate your skin. To keep it at bay, use a really hydrating moisturizer — and use it often.

"I use Cetaphil Lotion ALL over my body after showering," Procter & Gamble Section Head Angelica Brown said. The non-greasy formula is super-hydrating, but still lightweight enough to use on your face as well as your body.

Check out our guide to the best body moisturizers you can buy for even more recommendations.

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Exfoliate and hydrate for maximum moisture

Exfoliate and hydrate for maximum moisture
Fresh Brown Sugar Scrub, available at Sephora, $39

Moisturizing is great for dry skin, but exfoliating every so often can help your moisturizer work even better. Skin feels immediately softer after sloughing off dead skin cells and adding lotion or oil to the skin after exfoliating will retain moisture for a supersoft feel.

Tori Moore, scientist at Procter & Gamble, knows the power of this combination. "I really like to focus on hydration and exfoliation because ash is nothing to play with as the season changes!" she said.

Halima Moncrieffe, PhD, assistant professor of pediatrics at Procter & Gamble, also prioritizes exfoliation in the fall, though her product of choice is a facial brush. With exfoliants, she cautions to watch "for any changes that may be caused through overuse like excess oils or outbreaks."

We recommend the Fresh Brown Sugar Scrub because it uses a combination of natural ingredients that exfoliate and moisturize all in one.

You can find even more recommendations for great body scrubs in our guide here.

Use a heavy oil to counter dryness

Use a heavy oil to counter dryness
Nutiva Organic Virgin Coconut Oil, available at Amazon, $8.47

Coconut oil can do it all. While many use it in the kitchen, its hydrating, antibacterial, and antifungal properties make it safe and healthy for use on skin too. When the weather cools down, Shameika Wilmington, senior scientist at Procter & Gamble, turns to heavy oils to keep her face moisturized. There are many different coconut oils to choose from, but this one has over 5,500 5-star reviews on Amazon for its high quality and affordable price.

If you don't love coconut oil, check out our guide to the best body oils you can buy for more great options.

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Add retinol to your regimen to keep skin looking fresh

Add retinol to your regimen to keep skin looking fresh
Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Retinol Cream, available at Amazon, $24.97

Whether your skin-care concern is acne or wrinkles, retinol promises a fix. The (almost magical) ingredient can help mitigate the signs of aging, acne, hyperpigmentation, and more. Tori Moore, scientist at Procter & Gamble, calls the ingredient "the secret sauce to smooth, younger-looking, even-toned skin."

Check out our guide to the best retinol products you can buy to find a retinol product that's right for you.

Drink water to hydrate from the inside out

Drink water to hydrate from the inside out
S'well Stainless Steel Bottle, available at Amazon, $28

At the end of the day, what we put inside our bodies is just as important as what we put on the outside. That's why Halima Moncrieffe, PhD, assistant professor of Pediatrics at Procter & Gamble, makes sure to drink lots of water to keep skin feeling fresh.

"Healthy skin comes from the inside out," she said. "I like to keep hydrated with filtered water that I carry around in a metal bottle to reduce chemicals from plastic." We recommend S'well water bottles to anyone looking for a practical stainless steel option in fun colors and designs.

If you don't have a water bottle, check out our guide to the best water bottles you can buy to find one that's right for you.

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Use an old-school, hydrating formula

Use an old-school, hydrating formula
Astral Moisturizing Cream, available at Amazon, $10.93

Astral cream has been around for more than 60 years, and its formula has stayed the same the whole time. So it's clear that people find it effective. Halima Moncrieffe, PhD, assistant professor of pediatrics at Procter & Gamble, includes this popular British product in her cold-weather body-care routine to keep skin "glowing and protected against the elements."

Add vitamin E to speed up skin repair

Add vitamin E to speed up skin repair
M-61 Supersoothe E Cream, available at Blue Mercury, $68

Antioxidant vitamin E is said to combat free radicals and help repair skin damage. "I like to return to a heavier vitamin E cream as my main moisturizer and then layer a thin sunscreen product on top of that," Procter & Gamble Research Specialist Nicole Russel said. This soothing cream from Bluemercury's in-house brand, M-61, has a rich texture that'll nourish dry skin.

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Double up on moisturizing products

Double up on moisturizing products
Sky Organics Shea Butter, available at Amazon, $14.95

Depending on how dry your skin gets in the cold weather, it could benefit you to double up on moisturizing agents, like lotions and creams. Lola Kelly Smalls, beauty clinical section head at Procter & Gamble, lives by this method. "I will layer up a petrolatum based product and/or shea butter with lotion to ensure that my skin stays protected and moist," she said. Over 1,500 Amazon shoppers give this product 5 stars. One shopper even said this shea butter "saved [their] dry winter skin in a matter of one day."

Use a moisturizing body wash in the shower

Use a moisturizing body wash in the shower
Olay Ultra Moisture Body Wash, available at Amazon, $8.48

Some body washes can strip skin of natural oils, so in the fall opt for one that includes hydrating ingredients to keep moisture in. Tina Allen, beauty clinical trial manager at Procter & Gamble, has been on the Personal Cleansing Clinical Team for most of her 11 years at the company. After being involved in many Olay Body Wash clinical studies over the years, she still goes back to this moisturizing option from the brand. She likes to follow up with Olay Quench Lotion to lock the hydration in.

But Procter & Gamble scientists aren't the only ones who champion the Ultra Moisture Body Wash — more than 1,000 reviewers on Amazon give the product 5 stars.

(Editor's note: Products listed are Procter & Gamble products.)

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