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Here in Toronto at the ChickAdvisor homestead, the air is rapidly cooling. There is no denying that fall is upon us. I hate to be the one to break it to you, but as the leaves change colour, your skin may experience some changes of its own. Seasonal changes are particularly tricky for us Canadian girls, as the harsh weather of the cooler months can wreak havoc on skin. Starting in the fall and continuing through the winter, skin suffers from a lack of fresh air, the harshness of artificial heat, lowered vitamin D intake, and a less-than-ideal diet (winter comfort foods typically lack the nutrients of summer’s abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables). Not ones to let the weather get the best of our beauty routines, we turned to the experts for help!

We recently met with skin-care extraordinaire Lidia Marjuszycz, Senior Aesthetician at Elmwood Spa to gain some advice on how to battle winter skin blues. Marjuszyca has perfected the art of keeping skin looking gorgeous through her years of training in Poland, Switzerland and France. As the body’s largest organ, skin needs some extra attention and love, which is why Marjuszycz preaches the benefits of regular facials. When skin is in tip-top shape, you need less product (all of the lotion and potions you apply are more effective on a healthy base) and much less makeup, a notion Marjuszycz says French women have perfected. Immaculate, healthy skin doesn’t need to be covered in cosmetics, it glows with its own 'je ne sais quoi'.

We often turn to facials when we are desperate to fix a problem, like a weird dry patch or a sudden outbreak of acne; however, emergency based skin care is like going to the dentist with a toothache, as opposed to taking good care of your teeth year round. Marjuszycz offers sound advice, “prevention is far more important than correction –  a facial every six to eight weeks is ideal”. Without regular assessments, it’s hard to diagnose changes and we often misunderstand why our skin is acting up. 

We all have combination skin, but it’s a matter of figuring out what combination and understanding that the combination is always in flux. If you take up running in the winter, or start doing bikram yoga, that will affect how your skin behaves, reminds Marjuszycz. A trusted aesthetician can help you get to know your skin and advise you on the most beneficial and effective ways to treat it through these changes.For ideal in between facials maintenance: drinks loads of water, exfoliate weekly with an AHA product (toss that junk made of ground nuts, it just rips tiny tears in the skin - even though it feels like you’re giving your skin a good scrub, it is damaging, cautions Marjuszycz) and invest in a good mask.

To those of you who use the spa as a place to repent skin sins, it is time for a reform. Head over to Elmwood Spa and start taking care of your skin before the damage is done. To help you get into your new facial routine, Elmwood Spa has an amazing special offer: pre-book and pre-pay for any two facials, and your third is on them (equal or lesser value). Book by November 30 and use all three by February 28, 2014.

Call 416.977.6751 to book your facials or click here for more details. And while you’re at it, visit Elmwood Spa via Facebook and on Twitter.