Fall Skin Care Tips for Dry Skin

By Joyce Kawalchuk, L.Ac.

​Take a moment to think about your daily skin care routine. Do you stick to the same products year round, or do you adjust according to the weather? Fall brings changes in humidity and temperature that can result in dry, itchy, and sensitive skin. Learn how to combine a traditional Chinese facial treatment with natural oils to protect and nourish your skin during the cool, dry months. 

Facial Gua Sha: Your Key to Glowing Skin

Gua Sha is a technique used in Traditional Chinese Medicine to help decrease pain and inflammation, promote lymphatic drainage, and flush out toxins from the tissues. The treatment involves pulling a flat jade or rose quartz stone along the skin to decrease pain and inflammation caused by myofascial adhesion and poor circulation. When applied to the body, this treatment works best when medium to firm pressure is used. 

When applied to the face, it is performed with light pressure since your facial skin is more delicate. This treatment works to lift, sculpt, and smooth your neck, jaw, under-eye, brow, forehead, and scalp. Results often include reduction in the appearance of fine lines, darkness under the eyes, sagging, puffiness, redness, and breakouts. Facial rejuvenation with gua sha helps tone and refine your skin's appearance by increasing circulation, leaving you with a bright and even complexion. 

Enhance Your Treatment

Ready to level up?! Plant, seed, and nut oils offer some of the most nourishing vitamins and minerals for your skin. Choosing the proper oil can enhance the therapeutic benefits of facial gua sha. Here I'll share the best natural oils that will bring this treatment to the next level and reveal your glow- like whoa. 

• Sweet Almond Oil ​- My personal favorite; best for dry, sensitive, irritated, or rosacea prone skin. This oil is hypoallergenic and contains high levels of monounsaturated fats. It helps soften, moisturize, and revitalize skin. Rich in vitamins A, B, and E, its properties help to promote cellular renewal, and its emollient properties improve skin complexion and skin tone.* 
• Olive Oil - Best for people with seed or nut allergies. Olive oil is packed with antioxidants, carotenoids, and phenolic compounds. The composition is very similar to the body's natural sebum, therefore it's absorbed easily into the skin to create a protective barrier, with a low comedogenic level.* 
• Rosehip Seed Oil - Well known for its ability to treat dry, damaged, and dehydrated skin.  It contains high levels of essential fatty acids along with a therapeutic concentration of vitamin A and C. This makes it ideal for mature skin with discoloration, sun damage, and scarring.* 
• Avocado Oil - Plant derived and nutrient rich; avocado oil contains vitamin A, B, D, and E, chlorophyll, lecithin, and potassium, which help boost collagen production and diminish age spots. The heaviest of the oils listed- this is best for people with severely dehydrated or irritated skin, such as eczema or psoriasis.*  

*It is best to consult a licensed professional prior to changing your skincare regimen. Contraindications for these oils may include, but are not limited to; food and nut allergies, asthma, atopy, and hay fever. 

DIY ​Facial Gua Sha 

It is best to incorporate this treatment into your night-time skin care routine, after cleansing your skin. Cellular repair and renewal is at it's peak while we sleep. It is important not to cleanse your skin immediately after, as to maximize nutrient absorption. Watch this ​video for a quick lesson in the proper facial gua sha technique.