There's a small chill in the air. Summer isn't quite over yet, but as we move further into the autumn months, a few things will be changing: the leaves, the temperature, and of course, our skin.

Knowing how to take care of your skin for every season is a skillset not all of us have. Likewise, knowing how our skin adapts and changes with the weather and seasons is knowledge not all of us have. Luckily for you, I've 5 tips on autumn skincare that will give you a warm fuzzy as you roll out those autumn boots.

Breakouts Will Happen

Not all of us are blessed with an angelic complexion that stays true through winter, spring, summer, and fall. A drop in temperatures means a drop in humidity. Translation? Your skin is going to dry out and tighten. Tight skin can lead to flakiness, itching, and potential breakouts, and truth of the matter is, this definitely affects a good majority of us.

Moisturizing your skin during the autumn months is an absolute must. Keep moisturizer on deck, in your purse, your bag, or even a small bottle in your pocket for extremely dry days. Dry skin can also lead to cracked lips and cold sores, so be sure to bring chapstick for your lips as well to battle the shifts your skin is undergoing.

Not All Moisturizers Are the Same

Moisturize. You saw that tip and you went, well, easy enough. With hundreds of moisturizers on the shelf, it must be as simple as grabbing a $2 moisturizer and slathering it on your face until your sunglasses slide right off your nose.

Wrong. There are so many types of moisturizers to choose from, according to your skin’s needs. To name a few:

• Humectants: such as glycerin and lactic acid, these attract water and help skin retain moisture.
• Emollients: such as fatty acids and ceramides, these soften and soothe the skin.
• Occlusives: (also known as ‘barrier creams’), such as petrolatum, dimethicone or lanolin, leave a film on the surface of the skin and seal in moisture.

A lot of moisturizers on the market are a combination of these, so it's best to move forward with the moisturizer that best addresses your skin's issues. Have oily or acne prone skin? Look for oil-free moisturizers. Have sensitive or mature skin? There are moisturizers for that too. Also pay attention to the texture of moisturizers. While lotions are light and better for the warmer months, cream moisturizers really help seal your skin and hydrate and they often work better than lotions during the colder seasons.

Exfoliate!

Fun tip: during the summer months, exfoliating too much is frowned upon, due to the sun's harmful rays and what it can be doing under the surface to raw, exfoliated skin cells. As autumn approaches, the temperature cools, the sun is much more forgiving, and your skin calms down.

This means that exfoliating more frequently could actually be in your benefit. During the summer, our skin does take a beating, which means that there may be plenty of dead skin cell build-up that's just waiting to be sloughed off. Exfoliating may also help lessen any hyperpigmentation we experienced during those warmer months.

Another good reason to increase exfoliation frequency is its efficacy in allowing our skincare products to do their job. Not exfoliating can lead to a layer of dead skin cells sitting on the top of our face, ultimately blocking skincare products from entering the skin as they normally would, and reducing their efficacy and preventing results from taking place.

Go for gentle exfoliation, be selective with your products, and do your research. I personally recommend Gin Amber Beauty's AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser, as it has gentle exfoliating beads that freshen the skin while removing those dead skin cells.

Vitamin C is Your New Best Friend

We're not just talking about topicals here. Including vitamin C as both a topical and a supplement is amazingly beneficial in the autumn and winter months. As we shift into the colder weather, our mood takes a dramatic shift as does our skin. Ever heard of the winter blues? A decrease in vitamin C levels can include irritability and low moods, dry skin and hair, fatigue, bruising easily and bleeding gums.

The worst part? Our bodies can't naturally produce its own vitamin C. Which means we're on our own when it comes to boosting our vitamin C levels. Autumn is also when our immune systems plummet in performance, which means vitamin C is more essential than ever before. 

Want to include more vitamin C in your diet? Try juicing. Aim for dark leafy greens, citrus fruits, tomatoes, peppers, kiwi, blackcurrants and strawberries. There are also vitamin C supplements you can resort to as well.

Need a great vitamin C topical? Gin Amber Beauty's Vitamin C Booster and 10% Vitamin C Repair Cream are powerhouses for your skin, giving it that boost it needs while also repairing damage and unwanted blemishes in the skin.

Steam Your Skin

Steaming your skin has a library of benefits, from improved elastin and collagen production, to clearing sinus congestion. It's important to note that steaming does open your pores, so it's best to steam before applying skincare products. Steaming after is a good way to clear away any products you've already applied.

Why is steam good for your skin during the autumn months? Steaming hydrates and improves circulation. It releases trapped sebum (oils) and opens pores, reducing tightness you might experience from cold weather. Steaming also increases the absorption of skincare products, granted you perform steaming activities before application. And with its sinus clearing properties, steaming can help battle any sniffles you might pick up along the way.

Need a good DIY steaming routine at home? Check out this one here. 

Alright Amber Babies, I hope these tips will help you as we all transition into the autumn months. If I missed something or you'd like to add something, please feel free to leave a comment below!