my skin has clearly not read the calendar

Honestly, every September I think this year I'll be prepared and then my face just does whatever it wants anyway. The bit that always catches me out is the central heating going back on. Outside it's still warmish, inside it's suddenly Sahara, and my skin just... gives up. Gets tight round the jaw, a bit flaky near the nose, and I start looking like I haven't slept in a fortnight even when I actually have. I'm 50, so I'm already dealing with the menopause doing its thing to my skin — less elasticity, dryer than it used to be — and then autumn piles on top of that. Brilliant. What I've actually found helps (for me, right, I'm not a dermatologist) is switching my moisturiser earlier than I think I need to. Not waiting until I'm already dry and desperate. Basically the moment the mornings feel different I go heavier, and I layer a facial oil underneath at night. No idea if that's the correct order but it works for me. The collagen powder in my morning drink has been part of my routine for a while now and tbh my skin does feel less papery than it did this time last year — though obviously talk to your GP or a consultant if you're thinking about that kind of thing, especially around menopause, because everyone's situation is different. Also I switched from coffee to matcha a few months back because the hot flushes were genuinely unbearable and coffee made them worse. Whether that's helped my skin or just the rest of me I couldn't say. Probably just me though.