You have pictures to pose for and parties to attend. Ironically, though, your skin has chosen this time to break out, even though it is still feeling dehydrated and flaky. Winter, and particularly the holidays, can be a challenging time to keep your skin in optimal condition, for a number of reasons It isn’t impossible to keep looking amazing, though, if you keep these few easy tips in mind.
Keep An Eye On Your Alcohol Consumption
In addition to the obvious risks of alcohol consumption, it is also extremely dehydrating to the skin. So as a rule of thumb, for every alcoholic drink you consume, drink a glass of water to rehydrate. Not only will you feel physically better the next day (goodbye hangover!), your skin will retain its elasticity and glow.
Don’t Let Skip Your Usual Skin Care
Yes, you’re busy. But don’t let that be a reason to skip your basics skincare routine. If you have a late night party, don’t crawl into bed without removing your makeup — it’s murder on your pores, leading to blackheads and breakouts. And even once you get those clogged pores under control, it’s another thing entirely to get them back to their previous, unclogged size. At the very least, have some facial wipes on hand to remove your makeup (Dermalogica’s Precleanse Wipes and a little water are fantastic for this purpose) and slather on the moisturizer. Just a little extra effort can make all the difference between beautiful holiday skin and a breakout disaster.
Keep Up The Good Work – Even When You’re Not At Home
If you are traveling over the holidays, chances are you will be exposing your skin to a variety of new climates. Even if you’re staying indoors most of the time, heating and/or air conditioning are extremely drying. Think about what you might need in advance and have the right products on hand to deal with dryer air, a sunnier climate or high humidity. Planning ahead and packing a heavier or lighter moisturizer, face sunscreen for travel anywhere and more sunscreen for warm climates, and an additional eye and lip balm can save you hours of valuable time. Wouldn’t you rather spend your vacation time relaxing, touring, or spending time with friends and family, rather than searching for items you could have gotten at home?
Relax!
It seems contradictory that the time of year known as “the holidays” is usually accompanied by an inordinate amount of stress. And stress shows up in many forms, not the least of which is reflected in your face. On your skin. In the form of blemishes, dark circles, wrinkles and a host of other lovely characteristics. So remember to take time for yourself. Take a relaxing bath, read a book, relax by the fire, go to a yoga class… whatever it takes to unwind for just a little while each day, do it. Your body and your face will thank you, and you deserve it!
Go Easy On Those Goodies
Why is it that Halloween through New Years is one big food fest? The average person gains 5-10 pounds over that time period, and spends the time period after January 1 working on losing those extra pounds, all of which is terrible for your body and your skin. Obviously, the food that is consumed is, for the most part, unhealthy, and is reflected in in your skin in the form of a dull pallor, uneven tone and rough texture, to name a few. And then, when we finally begin to eat healthy again and lose the extra pounds, we don’t always lose that extra skin immediately, especially if we’ve been yo-yo dieting for a while. Do your face a favor and take it easy on the goodies.
Just a couple of thoughts/tips: keep a good eye cream on hand to use every morning and night. If you have puffy eyes, use one containing caffeine (which shrinks the capillaries), and keep it in the refrigerator to further reduce the swelling. Also, a serum containing hyaluronic acid is great for ANY skin type, as it hydrates without adding oil to the skin.
Be good to yourself, be mindful, and everything else will fall into place. Happy Holidays!