Most of us can agree that no matter how different our skin is from one another’s, we all experience seasonal changes and *sigh* the changes that come with aging. Our skin is the largest, ever-changing organ that is unique to each individual. Spring to summer, summer to fall, fall to winter, winter to spring – there is a lot of ground to cover here.
Seventh Sojourn hand-crafts a plethora of products that can help you control these seemingly uncontrollable transitions, providing relief and comfort along the way. In this blog I will cover why our skin goes through certain seasonal changes, and what products you can use to try to get ahead of the curve.
Spring to Summer
Spring is when your skin starts to recognize that things are about to get warmer and adjusts by creating natural oils that are beneficial to your skin. However, since spring temperatures and precipitation levels can be a mixed bag in some climates, it’s a difficult balancing act that can often lead to complications.
When dealing with colder Spring days, we will need to moisturize much like we do in the winter. Soaps such as Eucalyptus, Oatmeal Milk & Honey, Mint Condition, Cleansing Tea Tree, and Grapefruit can be your moisturizing allies. As an added benefit, these products will also exfoliate and remove the dead skin left behind from the Winter months. To top off your routine, Seventh Sojourn Lotions and the AMAZING Body Balm will provide you with an abundance of moisture to get you through your day.
Once Spring is in full effect and graduating to Summer, be sure to remember your sunscreen and/or wear protective clothing. Severely burnt skin is EXTREMELY dangerous and can put a damper on those “nice weather” plans.
Summer to Fall
By the time Summer hits, your pores begin to open which requires another balancing act. The upside to this is the ability of the skin to create and disburse all kinds of wonderful, natural moisturizing oils. But, when those oils start to mix with dirt, grime, dust, and so forth, the open pores invite these unwanted substances in to cause issues with the skin. You will need to clean but clean carefully and avoid over washing.
If your skin is still dry in the summertime, you can go ahead and use lotion, body balm, etc. Do not apply these products immediately after your shower. Your pores are likely wide open and will absorb your products, rendering them less effective. Wait for at least ½ hour after your shower to apply moisturizers.
As Fall changes our skin in unison with the leaves on the trees, we need to slowly increase the use of the moisturizers that work best for your skin type. You will want to decrease the frequency of a full on wash, and some folks with extra dry skin sometimes choose to go soap-less when they don’t feel overly dirty, allowing the water of the shower to gently rinse of the outside layer that hasn’t been exposed to much dirt and grime. Neutral soaps such as Sweet Apple, French Clay, and Patchouli may work very well for you during this change.
Fall to Winter
In the Fall, neutral soaps (see Summer to Fall) will be your best bet during the transition from hot to mild weather. Seventh Sojourn’s soaps do a great job of cleaning so be sure not to use any hard scrubbers. You might be able to just use the bar of soap or lather it up and use your hands to clean your body. Moving from Fall to Winter, lotions and body balm can be used regularly without much concern for over-use. Once you notice your “oily moments” start to dissipate, you will also want to choose the soaps with the best exfoliating qualities. Pay attention to the texture in the all-natural botanicals (plants and herbs) that we use in your favorite soaps. If you feel like the texture has a gentle coarseness to it, that might be the soap that will work best for you here.
Wintertime presents some of the biggest challenges for your skin. Once Winter hits, warm showers are acceptable but hot showers will do no favors to your skin and are widely discouraged by dermatologists throughout the country. Whether it’s temperature or scrubbing, you want to avoid any possibility of irritating your skin further. Unfortunately, Winter is working overtime on the skin irritation front, making it more susceptible to irritation and inflammation.
If you suffer from hand drying and cracking be sure you use gloves when going outside. Protecting your hands from the elements and using Seventh Sojourn lotion will keep those hands in good shape, even if you do indulge in the occasional snowball fight.
And finally, protect those kissers! Seventh Sojourn Lipschtick is an all-natural lip balm that boasts several delicious flavors.
Winter to Spring
If our skin could speak, it would say “Hallelujah” when it transitions from colder weather to mid-temps! It would honestly be best for our skin to be washed seldomly, but at the same time, most of us cannot risk getting fired from our jobs because well, we chose to stink in favor of embracing those natural oils and aromas. So again, we are going to want to choose the most moisturizing soaps such as Eucalyptus, Oatmeal Milk & Honey, Mint Condition, Cleansing Tea Tree, and Grapefruit. Even when Winter has waved us goodbye (with none of us missing it) we can continue our use of lotions, body balm, and can even try out French Clay Masque to remove the dead skin cells left behind by winter.
With Spring in full effect, we will want to temper our use of moisturizers just a tad bit and allow the skin to do its own work. Before you know it, Summer will be here and we will have to adhere to our “wash but don’t over wash” mantra.
Of course, it’s entirely possible that you are one of the lucky few whose skin is great from season to season. Lucky you! When you have pristine skin you can choose skincare products by the smells and scents you like the best, without having to consider what types will help you combat those pesky issues.
Keep in mind that these assessments and tips can change depending on the climates where each of us live. Since Seventh Sojourn’s base of operations is in the upper Midwest of Wisconsin, this blog would be more accurate than somewhere in the West Coast, East Coast, or Southern states. But since we have wonderful customers from all over the United States, please know this was written so you can use this blog as a guide and make judgement calls on what you should do based on the temps you are currently experiencing. Pay attention to what works best for you and be sure to see a dermatologist if you experience any pain or irregularities.