In a couple of weeks the Autumnal Equinox will be upon us. The sun will cross the equator and the day and night will be of equal length. The beginning of Autumn also marks a new season of skin care that needs to be adapted to suit the changing season.

As Autumn moves in days are warm but with less humidity. Summer tans are fading, even those attained with self-tanners. Because we still can spend a lot of daylight hours outdoors, it is important to continue to use a sunscreen.

But perhaps we aren’t quite ready to adopt the pale face of winter just yet. The deep orange hue of a self-tanner might look more fake in the autumn setting but using one of the many “body glow” products can give you just a hint of sun-kissed color. The products that are combination moisturizer and color enhancer are perfect for this in-between season as they give a healthy glow and combat the increasing dryness of the weather.

Moisturizing is essential. Now is the time to condition skin, before the unavoidable dry air (both indoors and outdoors) that winter brings. Make it a point to drink more water. As the weather cools our natural thirst is not as great, so this has to be something you make part of your daily routine.

Be sure to use a moisturizing body wash. This is a great way to add some moisturizer to your daily regimen. If you normally use soap, replace it with something like Aveeno or Olay body wash. It’s a way to replenish the moisture that bathing can strip away from your skin.

Jergens Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer

L’Oreal Sublime Glow Daily Moisturizer

Olay Complete Body Wash with Vitamins

Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Body Wash

A scrub is a great way to exfoliate but occasionally your skin needs a bit of rejuvenating. This is where a facial mask comes in. These take a bit more time than a quick scrub-down but when you have a bit of time to spend on yourself, use it to pamper your skin.

You should probably use a facial mask at least once a week. One of the best features of a mask is that it tightens pores, giving skin a smoother and finer appearance. Masks usually are applied and left on the face for a specific length of time or until dry, then removed by rinsing or peeling if it is a gel mask.

For deep cleansing a mud or clay mask will clear out pores, eliminate blackheads and exfoliate. In Your Face Pure Intent Clay Masque by göt2b is made with natural avocado, kaolin, clay and rosemary to de-toxify and firm while absorbing extra oils. Daily Facials Intensives Deep Cleansing Clay Mask by Olay provides deep cleansing to remove excess oils to leave skin looking more vibrant. Neutrogena’s Deep Clean Invigorating Cleanser Mask doubles as a daily cleanser and a mask. Rinse off immediately for daily cleansing or leave on for 3 minutex for an oil-reducing mask that unclogs pores.

For more exfoliation and re-texturizing of skin, you might try Swiss Formula Peel-Off Hydroxy Masque by St Ives. This peel off contains an alpha & beta hydroxy complex to leave the skin smoother and more radiant.

Another option is to make your own mask at home, and there are plenty of recipes available on the net. But as the most expensive of the masks listed above is under $7 and the others under $4, I say pamper yourself and use your time to relax.