With the trans-seasonal weather and periods of home isolation, it’s probably not a stretch to suggest your skin might be looking and feeling a little lacklustre. As we move into a cooler climate, it’s as good as a time to reset your skin to get it into shape, stat!

1. Sunscreen is still an essential

First things first — you need to invest in the best sunscreen you can afford, because your skin can still sustain sun damage in autumn and winter under the harsh New Zealand sun. As founder of About Face Marianna Glucina says, “All anti-aging and age prevention starts with sunscreen. Other skincare can often be the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff, correcting previous sun damage. The sun damage caused before the age of 18 is where most later aging and pigment concerns start.” 

Glucina recommends all Kiwis add sunscreen to their morning skincare routine. Apply it as the final step before you add your makeup.

Find a facial sunscreen and reap the benefits of applying it every morning, whether you’re going outside or not. Try the Elta MD UV Elements Broad-Spectrum SPF44, which is lightly tinted and offers a moisturising boost of hyaluronic acid. 

3. High-performing vitamin C

Another ingredient you should look to include in your skincare shake-up is high-strength vitamin C. Glucinca, who has worked in the industry for 39 years, says she loves seeing the long-term effects of vitamin C due to the changes it makes to skin clarity. “Vitamin C strengthens capillary walls, reduces redness, and also helps to lighten pigmentation. As an antioxidant, it helps plump skin too, leaving it feeling refreshed.”

Glucina warns that not all vitamin C products are created equal. What’s of key importance is their stability, delivery system and effect on the skin barrier, so try the Ultraceuticals Ultra C Firming Serum, or the Pure Fiji Kakadu Super Vitamin C Brightening Serum. 

3. Exfoliate to smoothe 

If your skin is looking scaly and dull, perhaps from a long summer spent outside, it’s time to get exfoliating. “Exfoliation works wonders to enhance texture and cell turnover,” says Glucina. Get into the routine of exfoliating both your face and body twice a week or more to slough off dead skin and make it look more radiant. Grainy exfoliants such as the Pure Fiji Coconut Sugar Rub are ideal for your body, but it’s best to go for something a little more gentle for your face. Although they sound harsh, the right acids are actually a very gentle solution. A professional lactic acid peel is an ideal approach; however, if that’s not possible, there are at-home products that are fantastic for your visage too, including Environ’s Focus Care Youth+ Tri BioBotanical Revival Masque, which has been described as a face lift in a jar. 

4. Finish strong with a hit of hydration

If you’re going to exfoliate, you also need to give your skin a hydration hit. Naturally, this is often the step that most of us can’t be bothered with. Sure, we’ll moisturise our face, but slathering cream over your entire body sometimes seems like a laborious task you run out of steam for. That’s why body masks designed for specific areas are so great. They contain the same skincare actives found in facial serums and moisturisers, but are formulated in bigger batches for use on your arms, tummy, buttocks, legs, feet. Depending on the body mask you choose, they tend to have harder-working ingredients than your average moisturiser, so whether you want to treat body acne, stretch marks or hyperpigmentation, or just want extreme hydration, we reckon they’re the way to go.

5. Don’t forget your toes 

It’s also never too late to return neglected feet to their former glory. Booking yourself in for a professional pedicure will get them up to scratch, or for a DIY treatment, try a foot mask. The Patchology PoshPeel Pedi Cure uses an advanced blend of lactic, citric, glycolic and salicylic acids to buff away dead skin, detoxify and hydrate. Pour the Activating Essence into the Foot Masque Socks, slip your feet inside them and relax while they treat and transform.

Feeling inspired? Read all about the products beauty entrepreneur Maryse O’Donnell swears by.