How Late-Season Shifts Affect Your Skin & Gut – And What You Can Do

Even as the peak summer heat begins to ease across Europe, many people still feel its lingering effects—irritated skin, bloating, or restless sleep—especially after travel, eating out, or inconsistent routines.

If you’re wondering why you don’t quite feel “settled” in your body, Ayurveda offers a gentle but powerful explanation: your inner elements are shifting, just as the weather around you is.

Summer to Early Autumn: The Transition Phase

In Ayurvedic wisdom, this is a critical time of seasonal transition. You’re moving from the hot, intense Pitta season (Fire + Water) toward the dry, cool, and mobile Vata season (Air + Space).

When this transition is ignored, it can lead to:

• Skin sensitivity or eczema flare-ups
• Poor digestion, bloating, or irregular bowel movements
• Fatigue, restlessness, or disturbed sleep

A general sense of being off-track or ungrounded
disrupts this balance because:

• The days are still long, but cooler evenings affect sleep rhythm
• You may be returning from holidays, feeling heavy, irregular, or sluggish
• Dietary choices often include cold, sweet, or processed foods—ideal for heat but destabilizing for early Vata
  

Without the right care, this transition creates what Ayurveda calls “elemental confusion.”

🔅 The 5E Balance Method: Aligning with Nature’s Shifts

The 5E Balance Method helps you align your body with seasonal energy, by balancing the Five Elements within you—Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Space.

Let’s look at how each element behaves during late summer and how it can affect your skin and gut:

 What This Means for Your Skin & Gut

If your body still holds excess Fire and Water, and Air is rising (as it is now), you may notice:

• Acne or eczema return
• Unsettled digestion, especially in the evenings
• Cravings for snacks, sweets, or emotional eating
• Feeling unfocused or having “no routine” after summer ends

This is where a seasonal reset is essential—not a harsh detox, but a gentle method to bring the elements back to balance.

The 5E Seasonal Reset: A 3-Step Approach

1.  Know Your Imbalance

Through Ayurvedic consultation or assessment, you’ll discover which elements are driving your symptoms right now—so you don’t treat the wrong root cause.

2.  Stop the Aggravation

In this late-summer period, here’s how:

• Begin adding warm, easy-to-digest meals (soups, stewed veggies)
• Use herbs like coriander, cumin, fennel, and gentle bitters
• Rebuild routine—regular sleep and meal times calm Vata
• Apply cooling oils to soothe the skin and nervous system

3.  Stay Clean from the Inside

Use DIY Ayurvedic detox techniques to support your body:

• CCF tea (Cumin-Coriander-Fennel)-To make CCF tea, boil 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin, coriander, and fennel seeds in 2 cups of water for 5–10 minutes, then strain and sip warm.
• Gentle seasonal detoxes
• Advanced cleansing (like Panchakarma) if deeper intervention is needed

Bringing It All Together

Seasonal transitions are nature’s way of asking us to adapt. When we respond with awareness—supporting our skin, digestion, and mind through small, consistent changes—we create resilience that carries us through the cooler months ahead. The late summer shift isn’t a time to push harder or ignore what your body is telling you; it’s an opportunity to recalibrate, nourish, and ground yourself before autumn fully arrives.

If you’d like to explore how to balance your elements year-round and discover natural ways to keep your skin healthy from the inside out, join our Natural Skincare Community. You’ll also learn more about the 5E Balance Method and how it can help you feel truly at home in your body—no matter the season.