Autumnal Skin-Care — Sierra Mackenzie

Even though autumn is my favorite season of the year, with the chilly evenings and brusque blue skies, my already-dry + super sensitive skin generally pitches a fit. I have some of the most combination skin on the planet (at least in my opinion). But in the modeling and acting industry, where one day and ten pounds of makeup often leads to ten weeks of crazy skin (post-shoot skin is no joke, y'all), I frequently get questions about my skincare regime (first off, 'regime?' Do I even have that? I had to stop and ask myself exactly what I found myself doing or mixing up), so I wanted to split this up into a few different posts.

First, I'll share the top three skincare issues we’ll all face this season, & how I combat them, followed by another post or two later this week about some of my personal go-to faves and how they fit in in my night and day routines. And to make this fair, comment below with your autumnal skin-care frustrations and how you combat them. Ready?

1. Stress. This is personally my most stressful time of year (despite the fact that I love it anyway). Not only is there simply more work, and in the desert this is our busiest season, but the holidays are around the corner, and this year I'm learning to juggle forty-two students' schedules as well as my own. Life is fun (if you know me you'll know my sarcastic tone just now). Stress affects my skin like nothing else. Scientifically, the body responds to stress by directing blood flow and oxygen to areas vital for fighting the stress (aka, not your skin). Because of this..well, your skin begins to be starved of blood and oxygen, making it dehydrated, dull, lifeless, and prone to clogged pores and breakouts. Tips? Avoid the stress at all costs. But for those of us to which stress is inevitable at some point or other, probiotics and Vitamin B12 are actually what I turn to. The probiotics will create a healthy barrier in your system to prevent inflammation that can trigger acne.

2. Dryness. I'll be getting into what I specifically use to combat this in a few days, but with the weather beginning to dry out even more, moisturizing your skin is critical. That being said...exfoliation to actually let that moisturizer penetrate your pores is also the best way to let that moisturizer positively affect your face. To exfoliate, I use a soft pineapple enzyme exfoliator. Sometimes those sugar scrubs work, but because I have weird skin, they tear my face and end up in my breaking out (NO THANKS). To moisturize, I use a variety of things at different times. My favorite is rose-hip seed oil* (I pick mine up from any convenient health food store), and Clinique's moisture burst serum in the evening. In the mornings, I'll grab whichever moisturizer sample I happen to have on hand and go at it.

3. Lack of Rest. I can literally look at my skin in the morning, and realize that I did or didn't sleep last night. Those pins on Pinterest that say funky things about my under-eye bags being designer? Yeah, they never saw mine. And also, I'm anemic, so I was practically born with dark shadows under my eyes. Sweet almond oil* and eye cream both work wonders, and I'll use a Vitamin C and/or zinc-infused moisturizer to help brighten my skin up. Raw honey* is also an incredible food-for-your-skin to moisturize, remove bacteria, and pretty much do anything else. Also, taking your vitamins is key for me. B6, B12* (to combat stress and anxiety), zinc and biotin, (to reduce oil production and inflammation) and vitamin E (for skin repair).

I'm by no means a dermatologist, and everyone's skin is different, but that's what works for me. Jump back on the blog on Wednesday to read my morning or evening routines, and let me know what your go-to products consist of.

Photos by Megan Taylor // Styling: Calvin Klein

*I'm actually a hippie. All of these particular ingredients, oils, or otherwise, you can find at your local health or grocery store- and it's wayyy less expensive than if you snagged them from any kind of makeup brand.