How To: Update Your Skincare Routine For Fall

(Malin + Goetz)’s co-founder Andrew Goetz tells us how to revamp our regimen for the change in season

Often overlooked fact: Skincare routines are a little bit like your closet. A couple of times a year, you need to switch out the pieces that don’t fit the season (no need for short shorts in winter).

”A lot of the time people think, ‘I’m going to use this one product all the time,’” says Andrew Goetz, cofounder of beauty and grooming brand (MALIN + GOETZ). “But not only does the weather change, seasons change and hormones change. You have to pick out the right products for the right time.” Below, Andrew’s top tips for transitioning your beauty regimen from late summer heat to crisp autumn chill.

Change Up Your Moisturizer

“I tend to be a bit more oily, so I don’t have to moisturize as much in the summer,” says Goetz. “But it’s typically much drier in New York during the fall, so I need a little more hydration than I do in the summer.” Brisk temperatures and occasionally biting wind means it’s a good time to reach for a power-packed, slightly thicker moisturizer. If you were using just a serum when it was hot out, swap in a heavier-duty cream like (MALIN + GOETZ)’s Vitamin E facial moisturizer.

Get Your Scrub On

Though you might think that exfoliation would exacerbate dryness, a skin-sloughing agent is actually the best way to treat parched, flaky skin. “Fall is a great time to introduce a face or body scrub once or twice a week, to treat all those different dry areas,” says Goetz. For your face, try a gentler option like Dermalogica’s Microfoliant, and for scaly tough spots like elbows and the bottoms of your feet, we like (MALIN + GOETZ)’s peppermint body scrub, which gives us a deliciously cool sensation whenever we use it.

Personalize, Personalize, Personalize

When in doubt, consider all your personal factors together—age, the climate you live in, skin type, etc.—and then decide what works best for you. An 37-year-old in the northeast will likely need a more intense cream, for example, while a recent college grad living in a temperate climate could get away with a serum (we love the new SPF serum from Supergoop!) and a lightweight moisturizer. If you’re unsure, check with a dermatologist for individualized recommendations. “I’m getting older, so my skin needs a little more attention. Things I wasn’t using 10 years ago, I definitely need to use right now. I like a much richer face moisturizer in the winter because it’s luscious and luxurious and penetrating,” says Goetz. “But for a younger person that might be way too rich.”

—By Candice Chan