Fall Skincare 2020: What to Toss, What to Keep, What to Buy

Thanks to Walmart for sponsoring today’s post! As always all opinions are 100% my own.

It’s fall! While you’re pulling out that cozy sweater and those killer leather pants, know that you also need to take inventory of your skincare routine as we head into the colder months. But don’t worry, I got you on what you need to toss, keep, and buy with some dope options from Walmart that you can shop in the beauty aisles at your local store or right from your phone or computer.

To make things easy, I’m breaking out my beloved skincare layering chart. This chart is something you can pin to Pinterest, print out, save on Instagram, etc so that you have easy access to it when doing your skincare routine. Not everyone is going to need everything in this chart (for example, not everyone needs to use an essence and some may not even use a serum) but I wanted to make sure bases were covered. The general idea is that products are applied in order of consistency: from thinnest to thickest.

Fall Skincare: What Changes

Changes in season can affect our skin. For instance, I have oily skin and in the summer it’s the most oily, but as we get closer to NYC winter it can get a bit dry. Not as dry as someone with dry skin, but I typically can’t use my summer moisturizer in the colder months unless there’s some random 75 degree day. Because we all live in different parts of the world, not everything is going to be true of how our fall weather performs, but typically it’s a bit milder in temperatures than summer causing some of us to need to switch things up in our routine.

I’m going to walk you through the various steps in a skincare routine giving some guidance on what you need to look out for, and I’ll provide some skincare product options you can find at Walmart.

My skincare routine is a pretty good mix of high and low. There are some products I truly do not believe you need to splurge on and then I have my higher priced faves I can’t do without. Walmart is always adding amazing choices that mimic my pricing model: great prices on staples like cleansers and moisturizers, but also giving us the goods on the actives.

Now let’s go…

Cleanser

Great news is that you can find a really great effective cleanser without spending a ton of money.

If you used a gentle cleanser in the summer, chances are you can continue using that same cleanser unless something changed with your skin. For those who have oily skin and may have been using an oil control type of cleanser during the summer, depending on how chilly and/or dry it gets in the fall for you, you may need to switch to something a little more hydrating. Ditto for dry skin—you may need to upgrade to something a little more hydrating as the temps start to dip. Cleansing milks might also be a great option for particularly dry skin. I’ve linked options for all skin types below.

CLEANSING BALMS/OILS:

Good thing about cleansing balms and oils (which I love as a first cleansing step to remove makeup and/or sunscreen) is that these are typically staples you can use year-round. Here are a few of my choices available at Walmart that work on most skin types.

SHOP OPTIONS BELOW! (CLICK ON ANY IMAGE FOR MORE INFO OR TO BUY–USE THE ARROWS TO SCROLL THROUGH THE ENTIRE WIDGET)

CLEANSERS:

Note: if you use any deep cleansers or cleansers that contain actives, you might find using them less often during the colder months beneficial. But of course, everyone’s skin is different. If you notice no change with your regular cleansing routine, you’re likely okay. If you do notice that your skin feels a little dry, you may want to lessen use to just a few times a week and use a gentle cleanser the other times.

SHOP OPTIONS BELOW! (CLICK ON ANY IMAGE FOR MORE INFO OR TO BUY–USE THE ARROWS TO SCROLL THROUGH THE ENTIRE WIDGET)

Masks

Not everyone is going to need a mask in their routine, but if you’re using them you might want to consider limiting the use of anything that can be drying (ie charcoal masks) and looking into formulas that are more hydrating for the colder months. We’re running the heat more often and wearing fabrics that can be irritating on the skin so you want to be mindful of using drying products in the fall and winter.

Note: Make sure to read the directions of your mask because some may need to be applied before cleansing. Also note that sheet masks are essentially serums and would go in the serum step of your routine.

SHOP OPTIONS BELOW! (CLICK ON ANY IMAGE FOR MORE INFO OR TO BUY–USE THE ARROWS TO SCROLL THROUGH THE ENTIRE WIDGET)

Toner

Toner is an over-encompassing category that can include hydrating toners, exfoliating toners, and astringent toners. Keep that in mind when working in your routine.

Hydrating toners might be beneficial especially to those with drier skin types in the colder months. Layering your hydration (applying a hydrating toner while your skin is still a little damp and then quickly moving on to a hydrating serum and following with an occlusive) may be a secret weapon if you have very dry skin. Shoot, I have oily skin and did this one day when my skin felt particularly dry after a glycolic acid treatment AND with the weather taking a dip in temps, and it restored my skin back to its usual hydrated self. I just wouldn’t do it as often as someone with dry skin might.

SHOP OPTIONS BELOW! (CLICK ON ANY IMAGE FOR MORE INFO OR TO BUY–USE THE ARROWS TO SCROLL THROUGH THE ENTIRE WIDGET)

Essence/Serum

Not everyone needs both in their routine, but if you’re using both, essence goes first and then serum.

Essence is a bit of a hybrid category—like if toner and serum had a child. Typically essences are hydrating products and their function is to help your serum work better.

Serum is a broad term for skincare products that contain more concentrated versions of active ingredients. They work well for many and because of their texture and formula, they are able to penetrate the skin in a way your other skincare products (ie your moisturizer) can’t. You pick a serum based on your current skincare needs. I personally use a vitamin C serum in the morning and then a retinol serum at night in my routine.

In general whatever serum you used in the warmer months can typically carry on into the colder months as long as your skincare needs haven’t changed. You may want to look into adding a hydrating serum into your routine as well as the weather starts to chill. I have a video on how to layer serums in your routine here and below. But you may also want to look for multitasking serums that can manage multiple skin issues at once.

SHOP OPTIONS BELOW! (CLICK ON ANY IMAGE FOR MORE INFO OR TO BUY–USE THE ARROWS TO SCROLL THROUGH THE ENTIRE WIDGET)

Eye Serum/Eye Cream

Not everyone needs to use both, but if you do use both, your eye serum goes first and then your eye cream.

Chances are you can carry your eye serum and/or eye cream from the warmer months into the colder months unless your skincare needs changed. Some people may benefit from a thicker eye cream as we head into the colder seasons.

SHOP OPTIONS BELOW! (CLICK ON ANY IMAGE FOR MORE INFO OR TO BUY–USE THE ARROWS TO SCROLL THROUGH THE ENTIRE WIDGET)

Moisturizer

Out of all the products in your skincare routine, your moisturizer is likely the one that needs to be switched out the most. If you live where there are distinct seasons, you likely need to change your moisturizer as the seasons change. I have oily skin and live in NYC. In the summer I need a lightweight moisturizer and sometimes look for those that provide oil control benefits. But as the weather cools down, I need more hydration and moisture so I’ll switch to a moisturizer that gives me more. Great thing though for those of us with oily skin: a more hydrating moisturizer doesn’t have to be heavy! There are lightweight options out there that do the job without feeling greasy.

If you have dry skin, you’ll want to up the ante on hydration and moisture as well. Dry skin types will benefit especially from layering. After you cleanse and your skin is still a little damp, apply your hydrating toner followed by a hydrating serum (you can add an essence before the serum if need be). Follow the rest of your routine and make sure you use a nice occlusive moisturizer to lock in all the hydration.

SHOP OPTIONS BELOW! (CLICK ON ANY IMAGE FOR MORE INFO OR TO BUY–USE THE ARROWS TO SCROLL THROUGH THE ENTIRE WIDGET)

DRY SKIN:

OILY SKIN:

Sunscreen

Sunscreen usage is a MUST year-round. Even in fall, even in winter, even when it rains, even when it’s cloudy. NO EXCUSES.

I personally have grown to love a separate sunscreen and moisturizer because I can typically use the same sunscreen year-round and I just switch out my moisturizer as the seasons change.

But one can’t deny the convenience of a moisturizer with SPF. If you’re someone who loves this combo, you might have to look into a more moisturizing version as the weather starts to chill.

SHOP OPTIONS BELOW! (CLICK ON ANY IMAGE FOR MORE INFO OR TO BUY–USE THE ARROWS TO SCROLL THROUGH THE ENTIRE WIDGET)

I’ve taken DEEP dives into the world of sunscreen for dark skin so if you want to know more (ie iron oxides, mineral sunscreen, etc) check out the playlist below.

Treatment Products

So there are some treatment products that don’t get used daily for some people and you may be confused as to where they go in your routine. So I’ll break it down quickly.

Things like facial pads (which are typically exfoliants) go in the toner section. So after cleansing but before any serum. Be careful with how many actives you use in one session though—using too many acids for example can irritate the skin and bring on additional issues. You can find out more about actives that shouldn’t be mixed in this quick Instagram video:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Danielle Gray (@stylenbeautydoc) on Aug 25, 2020 at 3:28pm PDT

If you’re wondering about where to put things like your acne treatment or your retinol, it depends on the form they come in. If in a serum (liquid) form, they would go in the serum step. If a cream they typically go before your moisturizer, but in some routines you might appreciate applying those creams after your moisturizer (ie using a retinoid for the first time and using your moisturizer as a “buffer” between your skin).

More tips?

If you want to watch me talk through these steps and even more skincare, check out my Fall Skincare 2020 video on Youtube! Make sure you subscribe to my channel.

Retinol and Sunscreen Options from my Instagram Post