Beauty Bulletin / Falling for Great Skin: How to Transition Your Treatments This Season

As the days get shorter and the air turns crisp, fall brings more than just cozy sweaters and pumpkin spice. As professionals, we know that seasonal changes call for intentional updates to both professional treatments and at-home care. With fall approaching, cooler temperatures and lower humidity create an environment where the skin is more prone to dehydration, dullness, and barrier disruption. This makes autumn the perfect time to guide your clients into routines and treatments that set them up for healthy, radiant skin throughout winter.

During summer, lighter moisturizers and gel-based formulas often do the trick, but as humidity levels drop in the fall, the skin craves richer, more nourishing products. Consider adding moisturizers packed with hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and peptides to lock in hydration and strengthen the skin barrier. Incorporating a hydrating mask, such as Botanical Bloom Hydrating Mask, once or twice a week at home can also help give the complexion an extra boost of moisture.
Fall is recognized as the start of “peel season.” Reduced sun exposure makes this time of year a safe time to begin performing chemical peels and other resurfacing treatments. These advanced services are especially beneficial for:

• Addressing hyperpigmentation from summer sun damage
• Improving uneven texture, tone, and fine lines
• Enhancing product penetration for deeper nourishment

Setting Your Clients Up for a Successful Peel

A great chemical peel doesn’t start in the treatment room; it starts with proper preparation. Guiding your clients through a pre- and post-care routine is essential to maximize results, protect their skin, and build trust in your expertise. Client preparation and post-care compliance are just as important as the peel protocol itself.

Pre-Peel Prep: The Foundation for Results
Instruct your client to begin a homecare regimen 1–2 weeks before their appointment. This preps the skin for treatment and ensures it’s in optimal condition. Remind them to:

• Pause use of retinoids, acids, or exfoliating products at least 5 days prior.
• Avoid sun exposure, waxing, and aggressive treatments leading up to their peel.

For clients prone to pigmentation, consider recommending Glycolic and Retinol Pads to help minimize the risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH). The glycolic, kojic acid, and arbutin in this formula are highly active tyrosinase inhibitors that will help prevent additional pigment from forming in conjunction with receiving professional treatments.

Lifestyle Adjustments
Clients should be aware that post-peel downtime doesn’t just involve skincare—it requires lifestyle modifications too. Activities like swimming, hot tubs, saunas, or intense workouts should wait until peeling has subsided and the skin barrier is restored.

Post-Peel Care: Keep It Simple
Once the peel is complete, less is more. The client must hold off on active ingredients and exfoliation until the skin has completely healed. For the next 7–10 days, advise clients to stick with an acid-free, hydrating routine:

• Green Tea Citrus Cleanser or Pomegranate Cleanser for dry skin types
• Cucumber Hydration Toner
• Barrier Balancing Moisturizer (formerly Cacteen) or Hydrating Moisturizer for dry skin types
• Sheer Protection SPF 30 reapply every 2 hours

Peel Alternatives
Not every client is an ideal candidate for a chemical peel, especially if their skin barrier is compromised or showing signs of irritation. Pushing ahead with a peel in these cases can do more harm than good, leading to increased sensitivity, inflammation, or pigmentation.
A safer, more effective approach is to begin with acid-free enzyme treatment such as Coconut Papaya Enzyme or Pineapple Enzyme for non-acid brightening. Enzymes digest dead skin cells without compromising the barrier, offering a mild yet effective form of exfoliation. Over time, this helps clear buildup, improve product penetration, and encourage healthier skin function.

Pairing these treatments with nourishing moisturizers, hydrating serums, and products rich in ceramides, or peptides can help restore resilience. Once the barrier is repaired and the skin is more tolerant, active treatments can be introduced with greater success.

This progressive approach not only prioritizes client safety but also sets the foundation for long-term skin health. It’s an excellent opportunity to educate clients on why barrier repair matters, how to maintain it at home, and how patience in this process leads to healthier, more radiant results.

Final Thoughts
As we transition into fall, it’s the perfect opportunity to reset both professional treatments and at-home care routines. By educating clients on seasonal skin changes, guiding them through proper peel prep and post-care, and offering safe alternatives when needed, you’re not only delivering visible, long-term results, you’re building lasting trust.
With thoughtful preparation and barrier-focused strategies, your clients can embrace the seasonal changes with confidence, knowing their skin is protected, nourished, and ready to glow well into winter.

Visit the Learning Center to take advantage of the Superficial Chemical Peel course to familiarize yourself with Skin Script’s peel protocols, learn how to create the best treatment plan for each client, and how to incorporate them into your professional practice.