In case you haven’t noticed, the weather is starting to get cold: so grab your flannel, your mini Uggs, your pumpkin spice latte — and maybe some good moisturizer, your skin is looking a little dry. But don’t worry, it’s fall, and everyone’s skin is starting to dry up — luckily for you (and maybe me too), Jennifer Colonero, an insanely talented licensed esthetician with more than 22 years of experience, is here to fix our skin right up so we can actually enjoy this fall.
Besides being a successful business owner, a mother of six, a senior makeup artist, and so much more, Jen has a love for facials and skincare. She explained that “as I was home during the pandemic, I found a new love in wanting to come back to facials. I changed the product lines and added new tricks like infrared lighting, stainless steel, cooling, globes, and jelly masks—I love that my facials are half medicinal and half holistic.” After numerous faces, product changes, new techniques and more, Jen has really cracked the perfect skin code, and even better, she’s willing to share.
Upon asking her what she would recommend her clients to do at home for the upcoming cold weather, she said, “I have such easy changes that will change your skin,” so let’s dive right in. First and arguably most important, face wash: “When in doubt, Cetaphil. It is a very sensitive and soothing well-known product that is not irritating or comedogenic, and it will help soothe irritations while washing.” My favorite part, it’s over the counter and not crazy expensive!
“Fall is the perfect time to get back on retinol routine,” Jen says, “because you are not in the sun as much as you are in the summer, but be sure to still incorporate SPF into your skincare routine when using retinol to protect that new skin.” Jen continued to explain that retinol helps shed dead cells and makes your skin smoother, which is perfect to reverse the side effects of dry skin. To match your retinol routine, “you should use a physical exfoliant once a week to remove the dead cells that are shaken up by the retinol. By doing this, you will not only begin to shed some of that dry skin, but it will also allow products you use (like moisturizer) to be able to penetrate the skin better.”
Lastly, Jen says that is very important to know that “night time is for treatment and day time is for protection, so load up on those heavy creams at night while your body works on cell turnover and soaks up the heavier product you may not want to feel during the day.” Heavy products at night, check, protection during the day, check. I think I might be starting to get this.
Coming from experience, Jen works wonders on your face and can truly transform your skin and completely boost your confidence. So listen to her and buy your retinol, your exfoliators, your Cetaphil, and your SPF moisturizer so we can all have soft, hydrated skin in this cold weather. Still don’t believe everything she’s saying? Check out her salon’s Instagram @alldolledupct and check out her facial reels and before and after pictures, and if you’re ever around Southington, CT make a quick pit stop at All Dolled Up — I promise you won’t regret it.
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