Skin is a dynamic living thing. It’s a dynamic living thing becausewe are dynamic living things, and there are few parts of the human body that so beautifully communicate the wholeness of what it is to be human than the skin.
Skin goes through cycles and phases. It reflects our inner worlds: both physical internal imbalances, and our current mental and emotional state. Because it is a threshold, a borderland, that separates ‘self’ from ‘world’, it can also reflect the current state of the world around us. Whether it be the climate we live in, the current season, or if we live in a city, suburb or more remote area.
Simply, skin is not static. And to best support it we must be observant caretakers, watching for its rhythms, messages, and any unexpected disharmony that comes up.
Seasonal skin care is practice that addresses the way the current season might be affecting/disrupting skin to keep the skin happy, healthy and harmonious. It’s also a wonderful and effective way to cultivate awareness around the current state of your skin and begin to understand how to treat it accordingly.
Why Seasonal Skin Care
To better align with the rhythms of the earth and to feel more at ease and at home in our skin, we at evanhealy like to approach skin care seasonally. Much like eating seasonal food, seasonal skin care looks at the evolving needs and nature of the skin and works to support wellness through every stage of the cycle.
With seasonal eating, one might eat bitter greens in spring, cooling and hydrating fresh veggies and fruits in the summer, and starchy squashes and roots in fall and winter — approaching skin care as a seasonal change follows similar practices.
Seasonal skin care looks at the elemental archetypes of the seasons, the season's affect on the body, and treats the skin to restore balance during these cycles.
Biodiversity in Seasonal Skin Care
Practicing seasonal skin care brings biodiversity to the skin, very much in the same way eating with the seasons does. Rotating in different plants/ingredients over the cycle of a year infuses skin with a variety of supportive nutrients, antioxidants, essential fatty acids, and phytochemicals. In the same way that biodiversity of the land, or of the microbiome empowers the organism; bio-diversifying skin care has the same effect.
This rhythmic rotation of nutrients emboldens and empowers the skin as it enables you to experience more of the wonderful nourishment and antioxidant matrixes the plant world has to offer.
Seasonal Skin Care and The Seasons
In the spring, the earth is new and moisture makes its return. Living things shake from their slumber and face dealing with the stagnation from a long, still winter. Summer summons the peak of heat and activity, and bodies thirst and seek coolness to soothe excess heat. Autumn marks the final harvest, the approaching cold, and the preparation for the extremity of winter. And winter engulfs all into a healing cocoon of darkness and stillness — a time to sleep and dream.
Every stage is beautiful. And the more we understand the nature of our earth and our bodies, the less we perceive change as something to endure, but rather as something to embrace.
Common Seasonal Skin Care Imbalances
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W I N T E R Dryness + dehydration |
S P R I N G Stagnation |
S U M M E R Congestion |
F A L L Dryness + dehydration |
Spring skin likes lighter oils, and decongesting practices like oil cleansing and clay masking to move winter stagnation. Summer skin likes refreshment, hydration, lightweight yet nourishing oils, and solar protection. Autumn skin likes simplicity and richer oils, to support the transition into the intensity of winter. And winter skin likes deep, protective, cocooning nourishment.
Seasonal Skin Care: Listen to Your Skin
Always listen to your skin first. The small seasons and phases of our own bodies are more important than following a protocol set out to treat common imbalances. Seasonal skin care can be a wonderful, educational and inspiring practice but if these tips and product recommendations don’t seem to answer the call of your skin, listen to your body and do what you know is right for you.