Now that September is here, you’re facing new challenges…and so is your skin.In my native Romania, changing your skincare routine as the seasons shift is as natural as adjusting your wardrobe to the weather. This time-tested skincare tradition is rooted in the holistic practices of Romania’s health spas and reflects our culture’s emphasis on living in harmony with nature.

Exfoliating with Apples: A Traditional Practice That Makes Scientific Sense At the first hint of fall, my mother and grandmother always began preparing their skin for the long hard winter with homemade masks and scrubs. Like women in other traditional cultures, they relied on seasonal fruits and herbs for ingredients.  So when apple-picking time arrived, they chopped up the extra fruit and used it to make facial masks and scrubs to exfoliate and nourish their sun-damaged skin. The effectiveness of apples as a topical exfoliant lies in their high malic acid content. This natural fruit acid gently and safely sloughs off dead skin cells, stimulates circulation, and helps open and clear out clogged pores. Apples are also rich in antioxidants and other beneficial phytonutrients that help repair free radical damage, brighten skin tone, and accelerate cell turnover and collagen renewal. A Perfectly Balanced Recipe for Optimal Conditioning Today’s best all-natural exfoliating treatments intensify the rejuvenating effects of apples by combining them with other plant-derived exfoliants, such ground walnuts and lactic acid, quince and other vitamin-rich fruits, and circulation boosters like paprika and white tea. To soothe, protect, and hydrate freshly exfoliated skin, masks and peels should also include a balanced mixture of medicinal herbs, humectants, and emollients, such as horsetail, aloe vera, and squalane. For the most dramatic results, I recommend supplementing your homecare treatments with a series of organic enzyme peels in a salon that specializes in natural holistic skin care. Others agree, by focusing on an exfoliation program in the fall, you’ll not only improve the overall health of your skin but also significantly expand its capacity to absorb moisture. So when the serious cold weather sets in, your skin will be in the prime condition to benefit from a wintertime program of hydration and lubrication. Image: Matt Banks / FreeDigitalPhotos.net