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How to Adjust Your Skincare Routine Between Seasons

Follow these steps to adjust your routine as the weather shifts.

  1. Notice What Your Skin Is Telling You

    If your skin feels tighter than usual after cleansing, or noticeably oilier, that's often a sign it's time to adjust your routine for the season.

  2. Adjust Cleanser Strength

    In drier months, switching from a stripping foam cleanser to a gentler gel or cream formula can help. In humid, oil-heavy months, a cleanser with a bit more cleansing power may suit you better.

  3. Change Your Moisturizer's Texture

    Heavier, richer creams or balms generally work better in dry seasons, while lighter lotions or gel-creams tend to feel better when it's humid.

  4. Rethink How Often You Exfoliate

    Cutting back on exfoliation and focusing on hydration usually suits drier seasons better, while keeping your usual frequency -- or increasing it slightly -- can make sense when oil production rises.

  5. Keep Sunscreen Constant Year-Round

    UV exposure doesn't disappear on cloudy days or in winter, so while you might switch between a lighter or richer formula by season, daily sunscreen itself should never be skipped.

  6. Add an Extra Hydrating Step When It's Dry

    A hyaluronic acid serum or sheet mask added temporarily during dry, transitional seasons is a commonly used way to boost hydration.

  7. Don't Change Everything at Once

    Swapping multiple products at the same time makes it hard to identify what's causing irritation if something goes wrong -- introducing one or two changes at a time and watching how skin responds is the safer approach.

  8. Watch for Irritation After Switching

    If redness or breakouts persist after a formula change, that product likely isn't a match for your skin right now -- stop using it, and see a dermatologist if it doesn't settle down.

Your Skin Faces a Different Environment Each Season

Shifts in temperature and humidity change your skin's oil-water balance and sebum production, so sticking to the exact same routine year-round isn't always realistic. That said, the goal is gradual texture and frequency adjustments -- not overhauling your entire shelf every time the weather turns.

Change Gradually, Not All at Once

Swapping several products in one go makes it hard to trace which one caused a reaction if your skin acts up. Adjusting one or two products at a time, and giving your skin a chance to respond before changing the next, is a more reliable way to transition between seasons.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I still need a cream in summer?

Even oily skin needs some baseline hydration. Swapping a heavy cream for a lighter lotion or gel-cream, rather than skipping moisturizer entirely, is the better seasonal adjustment.

Why do breakouts seem to spike whenever the seasons change?

Temperature and humidity shifts can temporarily weaken the skin barrier, making it more reactive to irritants. Easing off exfoliation and strong active ingredients while focusing on hydration and barrier support tends to help during this window.