Refresh your routine with these autumn skincare swaps designed to keep skin hydrated and glowing as the weather cools down.
As the seasons start to change, your skin’s needs and autumn skincare routine start to change too. The moisture your skin used to retain easily during summer starts to dry out and the skin barrier that keeps irritants out becomes more vulnerable during autumn. The lightweight products that worked in summer can start to leave skin feeling more dehydrated, more reactive and less bright.
Luckily, you don’t have to invest in new expensive products as a few affordable skincare swaps with more nourishing and hydrating ingredients will help your skin to become glowing again. Learning how to care for your skin during a season change and making few small changes in your routine can make a noticeable difference in how your skin looks and feels during the cooler weather.
Here are 7 affordable autumn skincare swaps that will leave your skin feeling hydrated, glowy and radiant.
1. Swap lightweight gel cleansers for creamier formulas
While gel cleansers are great for summer, using them in cooler months can leave skin feeling tight and stripped of moisture. Switching to a creamier and more nourishing cleanser can help maintain hydration while still effectively removing makeup and daily buildup.
Recommended Product:
The INKEY List Hydrating Cream-To-Milk Cleanser 180mL RRP $26.00
This cleanser is designed to remove makeup, pollution and impurities while delivering long-lasting hydration to support a smooth complexion. Infused with rice milk and hyaluronic acid, it provides 24 hour hydration and leaves skin feeling clean, refreshed and soft.
2. Replace light moisturisers with barrier-repair creams
Cooler weather naturally weakens the skin barrier, making it harder for skin to hold onto moisture, especially when using a lightweight summer moisturiser. Adding a richer and more nourishing cream to your autumn skincare routine ensures your skin is deeply hydrated to keep it smooth and radiant as the seasons change.
Recommended Product:
Rhode Barrier Restore Cream Comforting Daily Moisturiser 50mL RRP $55.00
The Rhode Barrier Restore Cream is a rich yet lightweight cream moisturiser designed to provide hydration and support a healthy-looking skin barrier. The formula includes peptides, shea butter and hyaluronic acid which work together to replenish moisture for dewy skin while helping soften the appearance of fine lines and strengthen the skin barrier.
3. Swap harsh exfoliation for gentle chemical exfoliants
After months of sun exposure, heat and using the air conditioner, skin can already feel slightly sensitive heading into autumn. Using harsh scrubs and strong acidic exfoliants can leave skin feeling irritated and stripped so switching to gentler formulas that smooth and brighten by dissolving dead skin cells will help the skin retain moisture and stay radiant.
Recommended Product:
The Ordinary Lactic Acid 5% + HA 30mL RRP $13.50
Designed to smooth, brighten and soften skin, this mild exfoliating serum gently removes dead skin cells to reveal a more radiant complexion. Formulated with lactic acid and hyaluronic acid, it exfoliates without stripping the skin’s moisture, making it ideal for dehydrated skin in autumn.
4. Swap strong actives for barrier-boosting hydration
While adding another product with a strong active can help to brighten the skin, the best way to achieve glowy skin is to support the skin barrier and add hydration into your autumn skincare routine. Swapping harsh actives for a hydrating serum can make a noticeable difference by soothing sensitivity and improving overall glow.
Recommended Product:
SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Hyalu-Cica Blue Serum 50ml RRP $39.00
A lightweight gel serum that delivers intensive hydration and calming care in one fast-absorbing formula packed with ceramide, niacinamide and five types of hyaluronic acid. This hydration-first serum with gentle supporting actives strengthens the skin barrier and brightens the skin. Its lightweight gel texture allows it to absorb quickly and layer under moisturiser and SPF, making it an easy everyday step for when your skin needs more hydration.
5. Don’t ditch SPF just because summer’s over
Although the heat drops, UV rays don’t disappear which means your skin still needs daily protection to prevent and repair sun damage and premature ageing. UVA rays are responsible for premature aging and are present all year long with the ability to deeply penetrate into the skin, contributing to long-term damage like wrinkles. The autumn skincare swap for sunscreen is choosing a formula that suits the autumn weather. Summer screens can start to feel too heavy or drying, meaning it’s a perfect time to switch to a more lightweight, invisible formula that is easy to use for everyday wear.
Recommended Product:
La Roche-Posay Anthelios Invisible Fluid SPF 50+ 50mL RRP $39.99
This SPF 50+ sunscreen is designed to defend skin against both UVA and UVB rays while feeling weightless on the skin. The ultra-light, invisible fluid absorbs quickly with a non-greasy finish, making it perfect for everyday wear under makeup or on its own.
6. Swap matte makeup prep for glow-focused skin prep
As your skin starts to lose its hydration faster, skin prep for makeup is just as important as skincare to ensure your makeup looks dewy rather than cakey. Matte skin prep can start clinging to dry patches instead of creating a smoother finish so switching to hydrating and glowy primers helps to keep your skin looking radiant.
Recommended product:
Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Primer 30mL RRP $52.00
An award-winning gel primer designed to hydrate, smooth and lock makeup in place for up to 12 hours while keeping skin looking fresh and dewy. Its light-weight formula with blue agave extract, hyaluronic acid and niacinamide grips foundation without feeling sticky and helps boost hydration and visibly smooth skin.
7. Add overnight treatments that work while you sleep
Night-time is when your skin naturally repairs itself, making it the perfect opportunity to boost hydration that was lost during the day. Adding overnight treatments is the easiest low-effort way to help to replenish moisture and calm dryness without layering more products and extra steps throughout the day.
Recommended product:
Laneige Water Sleeping Mask 70mL RRP $48.00
This overnight gel mask is designed to deeply hydrate, revitalise and refresh tired and dehydrated skin. Created with probiotics, blue hyaluronic acid and squalane, this mask helps strengthen the skin’s moisture barrier while delivering brighter, smoother and well-rested skin overnight.
