As the warmth of summer begins to fade and we move into the cooler days of autumn, you may notice your skin beginning to feel a little different too. Cooler temperatures, wind and indoor heating can all leave skin feeling drier, tighter or simply in need of a little more care.
Autumn is a lovely time to slow things down and make a few simple changes to your skincare ritual. It doesn’t necessarily mean using lots more products. Often, it’s simply about listening to your skin and choosing gentle, nourishing formulations while adding a little extra hydration and protection where needed.
For me, skincare has never been only about what we put on our skin. My approach has been shaped by more than 25 years working as a holistic therapist, where I’ve seen just how powerful simple things like touch, aroma and taking time for ourselves can be.
That philosophy is very much at the heart of Josie’s Botanicals.
Our natural skincare is created with carefully selected plant oils, butters, botanical ingredients and essential oils to nourish and care for the skin, but I also love the sensory ritual of using them. The texture of a beautiful balm between your fingertips, the natural aroma of essential oils, the feeling of gently massaging your skin and those few quiet moments when you’re not rushing on to the next thing.
As we move into autumn, here are some of my favourite ways to care for your skin naturally while making a little more room for those everyday rituals too.
1. Begin with gentle cleansing
Good autumn skincare begins with cleansing, but as the weather becomes cooler, it’s particularly important to choose a cleanser that doesn’t leave your skin feeling stripped or tight.
Our award-winning Organic Cleansing Balm with Frankincense & Lemon Myrtle has a beautifully rich balm texture that gently lifts away make-up and daily impurities while leaving the skin feeling soft, comfortable and nourished.
This is one of those skincare steps that I really encourage you not to rush.
Warm a little balm between your fingertips and gently massage it over your face and neck. Enjoy the silky texture as it melts into the skin and breathe in the beautiful natural aroma of Frankincense and Lemon Myrtle. Then take a warm cloth and slowly remove the balm.
There’s something so comforting about that moment at the end of the day. It almost feels as though you’re washing the day away. That lovely ahhhh feeling.
2. Refresh and prepare your skin
After cleansing, a light botanical mist is a beautiful way to refresh the skin and prepare it for the next stage of your skincare ritual.
Our award-winning Refreshing Skin Tonic with Frankincense & Sweet Orange can be lightly misted over the face after cleansing, leaving the skin feeling fresh and ready for your serum or moisturiser.
I also love the ritual of using a facial mist. Close your eyes, spritz gently over the face and take a moment to enjoy the beautiful natural aroma.
As we begin spending more time indoors with central heating, you can also keep your tonic nearby and use it whenever your skin feels in need of a refreshing mist during the day.
3. Keep hydration at the heart of your autumn skincare routine
One of the biggest changes many of us notice as autumn arrives is that our skin begins to crave a little more moisture.
Our Award winning Hydrating Moisturiser with Frankincense & Geranium combines nourishing plant oils including rosehip, jojoba, avocado and apricot kernel with aloe vera and vitamin E to help keep the skin feeling soft, comfortable and hydrated.
Rather than waiting until your skin begins to feel very dry, make moisturising part of your everyday morning ritual.
Take a little time to massage your moisturiser gently into your face and neck rather than quickly applying it and moving on. Those extra few moments of touch can make an ordinary skincare step feel like something much more nurturing.
And although the days may be cooler and cloudier, sun protection shouldn’t disappear with summer.
UV exposure occurs throughout the year, so SPF remains an important final step in your daytime skincare routine. Our Pure Protect SPF 30 Moisturiser provides broad-spectrum UVA and UVB protection using non-nano zinc oxide, alongside nourishing botanical oils including raspberry seed, rosehip and jojoba.
4. Add a nourishing facial serum when your skin needs a little more
Autumn is also a lovely time to introduce a facial oil or serum, particularly if your skin begins to feel drier or less supple as the weather changes.
Our Antioxidant Skin Serum with Frankincense & Geranium is a rich blend of beautiful plant oils including evening primrose, pomegranate, avocado, rosehip, jojoba and apricot kernel.
Rather than simply applying it, make a little ritual of it.
Warm a small amount between your fingertips, breathe in the natural botanical aroma and gently press the serum into your skin. Spend another minute massaging your face and neck with slow, gentle movements.
It doesn’t need to be a complicated facial massage. Sometimes simply slowing your hands down and taking that extra minute is enough to turn your evening skincare into a wonderfully calming sensory ritual.
5. Give your evening skincare a little more attention
There’s something about autumn evenings that naturally invites us to slow down.
As the evenings draw in, your night-time skincare can become a lovely little transition between the busyness of the day and preparing for rest.
Our Collagen Renewal Cream is one of the newest additions to the Josie’s Botanicals skincare collection. This luxurious, deeply nourishing cream has been created with carefully selected peptides, prebiotics and botanical oils to leave the skin feeling plump, nourished and beautifully cared for.
Its richer texture makes it a particularly lovely final step in an autumn evening skincare ritual when your skin feels in need of some extra nourishment.
For those who already love our Nourishing Night Cream, this continues to be another beautiful option for comforting and nourishing the skin overnight.
You don’t need to layer every serum, oil and cream simply because the weather has changed. Our skin is individual. Notice how yours feels and choose the products and textures that it seems to need.
6. Make time for a weekly autumn facial ritual
Once a week, give yourself permission to slow your skincare routine down a little more.
A gentle exfoliation can help lift away surface build-up and leave the skin feeling smoother and refreshed. Follow with a natural face mask chosen according to how your skin is feeling.
Our Rose & Oat Face Mask is a lovely choice when you want a gentle, comforting skincare ritual, while our Green Clay & B3 Face Mask offers another option for skin that would benefit from a deeper-cleansing treatment.
You don’t need to recreate a complicated spa facial at home.
Cleanse your skin, exfoliate or apply your chosen mask when needed, and finish with your serum and moisturiser. Put your phone away, take a few slow breaths and enjoy the textures, aromas and feeling of caring for your skin.
Even ten quiet minutes can become a lovely little ritual of self-care.
What is the best skincare routine for autumn?
There isn’t one autumn skincare routine that will suit everyone. The most important thing is to notice how your skin responds as the seasons change and adjust your products accordingly.
A simple natural autumn skincare routine might look like this:
- Morning: Refresh your skin with Skin Tonic, apply your Hydrating Moisturiser and finish with SPF 30.
- Evening: Gently cleanse with the Organic Cleansing Balm, mist with Skin Tonic and follow with your chosen facial serum and night cream.
- Once a week: Add gentle exfoliation or a face mask depending on what your skin needs.
Keep it simple. Good skincare doesn’t have to involve ten different steps. Consistency, gentle formulations and taking a little time with the products you already enjoy can make a beautiful everyday ritual.
Natural skincare for autumn with Josie’s Botanicals
For me, autumn skincare isn’t about chasing perfect skin. It’s about noticing what your skin needs and caring for it gently and consistently.
I created Josie’s Botanicals from my love of natural living and my many years working as a holistic therapist. That same philosophy still runs through everything we create.
I love beautiful natural ingredients and creating products that nourish and care for the skin, but I also love what happens around those products.
The touch.
The texture.
The beautiful sensory experience of the essential oils within our blends.
That moment when you massage your cleansing balm into your skin, breathe in its natural aroma and then gently remove it with a warm cloth, almost as though you’re removing the day along with it.
Or taking an extra minute to massage in your serum. Smoothing a nourishing cream over your face before bed. Closing your eyes as you mist your skin tonic and simply enjoying the aroma for a moment.
Skincare can be something we have to do every day, or it can become a small ritual that encourages us to slow down and reconnect with ourselves.
So as the evenings begin to draw in, perhaps autumn is a gentle reminder that we don’t always have to keep rushing.
Sometimes the simplest everyday rituals can become the ones we treasure most.
Explore the Josie’s Botanicals natural skincare collection →
Autumn Skincare FAQs
Should I change my skincare routine in autumn?
You don’t necessarily need to change your entire skincare routine when autumn arrives. However, as temperatures fall and indoor heating increases, your skin may begin to feel drier, tighter or less comfortable.
This can be a good time to introduce slightly more nourishing textures, add a facial serum or switch to a richer night cream depending on what your skin needs.
Do I still need SPF in autumn?
Yes. UVA exposure occurs throughout the year, including during the cooler and cloudier months, so sun protection remains an important part of your morning skincare routine.
Apply your SPF as the final step in your daytime skincare routine.
What should I use if my skin feels dry in autumn?
Start by keeping your routine gentle. Avoid cleansing products that leave your skin feeling stripped and make hydration and nourishment a priority.
Depending on your skin, you might introduce a hydrating moisturiser, nourishing facial serum or richer night cream. You don’t necessarily need all three. Listen to your skin and introduce extra nourishment where you feel you need it.
How often should I exfoliate my skin in autumn?
There’s no need to over-exfoliate. For many people, gentle exfoliation once a week can be sufficient, although this will depend on your skin type and the exfoliating product you use.
If your skin feels irritated, sensitive or particularly dry, give exfoliation a rest and focus instead on gentle cleansing, hydration and nourishment.
Why can skin feel drier in autumn?
Changes in temperature, colder winds and spending more time in centrally heated indoor environments can all contribute to skin feeling drier or less comfortable as we move from summer into autumn.
This is why autumn can be a good time to pay a little more attention to gentle cleansing, regular moisturising and nourishing skincare products that help keep your skin feeling soft and comfortable.