We are in the midst of the most wonderful time of year! The holiday season is almost certainly not wonderful for our complexions, however. These are our quick tips for ensuring your skin survives the end of the year and starts January off with a glow:
1. Drink Plenty of Water
Yes, we are always repeating ourselves with this one however it is particularly important to stay hydrated during this time of year. In between sleep deprivation, stress, sugary food and drinks and other environmental stressors, drinking enough water is the easiest way to keep things in balance – aim for 2-3 litres per day.
2. Maintain a Basic Routine
The temptation to fall asleep in your make-up may be strong but resist! This may not be a time for indulging in masks however maintaining at least a quick and simple skincare routine is essential. Using a gentle balm cleanser, or cleansing water if you're not wearing make-up, followed by a hydrating moisturizer will do the trick when in a rush.
3. Make-up
Avoid heavy and potentially pore-clogging make-up in favor of lightweight formulas packed with soothing and hydrating ingredients which will help keep your skin in tip top condition.
4. Don’t Squeeze Pimples
We all want perfect skin, especially this time of year! Breakouts can seem like the end of the world when you have a full social calendar, but pimples can easily be covered with make-up as long as they are not irritated or inflamed. If you are facing a very inconveniently-timed breakout, start by calming the skin down with a mud mask. Follow with a sheet mask for adding hydration to create a smooth canvas for make-up application, prior to moisturizing and priming.
Products formulated with snail mucin are especially effective in healing and speeding up the recovery of blemished skin. In order to avoid redness and inflammation, which is much more difficult to cover up, do not pick or squeeze any pimples unless they are whiteheads which are fully at the surface. Rather than squeezing, pull the skin around the pimple gently in an outward motion as if to stretch it out, which will prompt the whitehead to ooze out of the pore (satisfying!) Dab the area gently with rubbing alcohol then apply a spot treatment.
5. Using a Silk Pillowcase
To keep your hairstyle intact that little bit longer and save on precious styling time, nothing beats sleeping on a silk pillowcase. The smooth silk fibers reduce friction against the hair shaft therefore also reducing static, breakages and frizz. As a bonus, your skin will also stay more hydrated as less moisture will be absorbed from your skin by silk!
