skin actually changes with the seasons and I keep forgetting this

Every single year I act surprised when my skin goes a bit weird in late spring. Like genuinely baffled. You'd think six years of working in nutrition would mean I'd have this figured out by now. Basically what happens is — the humidity shifts, your skin barrier has been in defensive mode all winter (drier air, central heating, all of that), and then suddenly the environment changes and it doesn't know what it's doing. Oil production can spike. Or for some people it goes the opposite way and gets randomly tight and patchy. Both are normal, both are annoying. From a nutrition side, the things I actually find move the needle - Omega-3s — not glamorous but the research on skin barrier function is solid. Oily fish, walnuts, flaxseed. Not a quick fix, mind you, takes weeks - Zinc — worth knowing if you're breakout-prone in seasonal transitions. Pumpkin seeds, legumes, meat. Real data: low zinc is associated with increased sebum and inflammatory skin responses - Hydration from food — cucumber, courgette, watermelon when it's in season. Drinking water helps but food-sourced water does something slightly different for cellular hydration, honestly - Collagen — I have it in a smoothie most mornings. The evidence for dietary collagen supporting skin elasticity is building, it's not definitive but it's not nothing either What I'd push back on is the idea that you need a completely different skincare routine four times a year and a totally different diet. That's a lot. Small adjustments, give them actual time to work. That's it really.