Getting Your Body Autumn Ready

It’s difficult to admit this, but we’re in the last few weeks of summer now. The rainclouds are creeping in front of the sun and the hours of daylight are starting to decline day by day. It’s getting to that time of year where it’s time to ditch the sandals, scrub away the remnants of the spray tan and start looking after our skin in preparation for the cooler months. So, what can you do now to get ahead of the game?

In Autumn, the main focus should be on protecting our skin against the volatile weather. The easiest way to do this is to book yourself in for a spa day, where you can pamper your sun-ravaged skin with a host of body wraps and treatments to restore the skin’s moisture and get it feeling soft and supple. Opt for something using oil to keep the skin soft for longer and to keep it protected against the elements.

The summer sun can also take its toll on our hands and feet. Summer days spent barefoot on the beach can lead to a build up of hard, dead skin on the heels, which obviously doesn’t look great and can crack painfully in cold weather. If you’ve been swimming lots, chlorine can damage the nails and leave them weak, so a manicure and pedicure could be just what you need to get your nails strong and in good health. The nail colour trends for autumn are aubergines, deep reds and perky apricot, so choose one of these for bang on trend talons.

The sun can leave you with a hair nightmare, so if you’ve neglected yours on your holidays, take yourself off for a professional cut to get rid of split ends. Sea water and swimming pools can leave hair frizzy and dry, so use a nourishing hair mask to help prevent the hair from snapping and to get its shine back. Autumn colours are darker than summer shades, so ditch the highlights and the ombre ends and go for a luscious, rich chocolate brown, chestnut or warm auburn.

Autumn skin really doesn’t need any fake tan, and it’s fine to go bare and natural. Your natural skin color will look great in the subtle autumn daylight. If you feel self conscious about going au naturel, apply a tinted moisturiser to the face with a sweep of shimmery bronzer across the cheekbones and nose to hold onto the final hints of your summer glow.


Anna Nelson writes for a number of online publications about beauty treatments and therapies to keep you looking your best