Whether it’s a wedding, New Years Eve, Xmas drinks with friends, or a work function – the party season is well and truly upon us! With all that celebrating (and ahem…drinking), we need to make mindful when it comes to looking after our skin.
The combination of late nights, increased alcohol consumption, eating rich food and even stress – all can lead to our skin looking tired, dull, dehydrated and even breaking out. Fear not, we have put together a quick guide to taking care of your skin throughout the festive season to ensure your skin stays looking its absolute best!
Hydrate to keep on track!
The number one skin-rule, this season without exception, is to keep yourself as hydrated as possible. It sounds so incredibly simple but keeping your skin as hydrated as possible not just throughout the “silly season”’ but year-long is vital to the long-term health of our skin.
Obviously increased alcohol consumption can lead to our bodies being dehydrated and this includes our skin. Alcohol dehydrates our bodies and will lead to dry, tired and dull-looking skin. Drink as much water as you can – it truly is one of the best things you can do for your skin.
Topically, pack your skin with as much hyaluronic acid (HA) as you can. Serums and sheet masks are always a quick way to plump up dehydrated skin. As a humectant and hydration-hero product, HA will immediately plump up skin that’s in need of a good drink, helping to hydrate and replenish lost moisture.
Exfoliate for glowing skin
If there’s ever a time your skin needs some exfoliation, now is the time. Coming out of the cooler weather, quite often our skin has been left on the dryer side and helping to remove dead skin cells as well as any build up dirt or grime will ensure our skin looks refreshed and rejuvenated – the perfect canvas for makeup application.
AHA’s such as Glycolic and Lactic acid are terrific at sloughing off any dry nasty bits and helps to speed up our skins cellular turnover. If you are new to exfoliants, the addition of a cleanser with these ingredients can be a great way to introduce them to your routine.
Top tip: don’t forget your lips! If you plan on wearing lipstick to any events you have coming up, this is vital. A sugar scrub to exfoliate, followed by a lip mask to plump and hydrate! Don’t forget SPF when out and about during the warm sunny days!
Book a facial or skin treatment:
A great pick me up is to treat yourself to a Hydro/microdermabrasion treatment. Hydro microdermabrasion machines are great for deeply exfoliating the skin and thoroughly clearing out pores. The treatment involves manual exfoliation whereby a diamond tip and/or crystal gently buffs and polishes the skin by removing the top surface layer, along with any build-up of dead skin cells, dirt, excess oil etc. Great for congested skin (clogged pores) and removing blackheads.
One of the pluses for this type of treatment are the immediate, visible results, making it the perfect pre-party treatment. Treatments help stimulate and promote new collagen growth and skin will feel softer, appear smoother, brighter, fresher with a more uniform, radiant complexion. Hydrodermabrasion can improve clarity, tone, and texture, great for dull-looking tired skin, as well as being able to help with superficial acne scarring, sun damage and fine lines.
Elise Andrews, head of education at The Global Beauty Group says:“Microdermabrasion is suitable for all skin types and can treat multiple concerns such as sun damage or fine lines and wrinkles whilst at the same time improving your skin’s cellular turnover, promoting collagen production and increasing circulation. Combining in clinic treatments with skincare, diet and lifestyle factors, you will enable you to reach your skin goals much faster”
Banish those last minute spots:
There is nothing worse than battling breakouts when the party season hits and quite often this is the time they will rear their ugly heads! A breakout or re-occurring acne can have a serious impact on our self-confidence and we all want to look and feel our best when we catch up friends and family over the holiday season.
Whilst there are a quick at-home remedies you can try such as spot treatments containing sulfur or benzoyl peroxide – they can be extra harsh so try to only apply directly to actual spot as they can dry out the surrounding area.
Another treatment you can try that is great for reducing acne is IPL therapy. Acne management programs with IPL machines are great for any pesky spots that surface as the treatments kill acne-causing bacteria deep within the skin, without affecting the surrounding dermis. IPL therapy does this by targeting the sebaceous glands, stopping them from producing too much sebum or oil.
IPL can slow down oil production, dry up active acne, as well as helping to reduce inflammation/redness or tenderness around the active acne. IPL can also help with post-inflammatory pigmentation or scars caused by previous acne.
Don’t neglect your skin!
Finally, try not to get lax when it comes to your skincare routine over the coming festive season. If anything, your skin is going to need extra TLC in the coming months so try to stick to your regular cleansing, treatments, masks etc.
On a final note – no matter how tired you may be after a big party or night out – ALWAYS remember to remove your make-up before bed. Keep a handy pack of wipes or micellar water beside your bed for those times when you cannot fathom getting up to run to the bathroom. Your skin will thank you later – trust us!
