Skin Care Routine...

Holidays and Your Skin Care Routine

It’s that time of year again when the holidays are upon us. For many of us, that means a increase in three things: stress, the amount of makeup we put on and a “time out” from our normally responsible eating and hydrating habits. All of this can play havoc with your skin care no matter what skin products you’re using. Whether you have acne prone skin or are trying to combat the signs of aging, making sure you address the three areas of the holidays that can lead to less-than-lustrous skin will mean a happier New Year!

Stress and Your Skin

Stress can aggravate acne breakouts as well as contribute to the early signs of aging. We know it’s probably not reasonable to expect you to feel no stress this holiday season, but it’s important that you do what you can to minimize it. Not only so that you have beautiful skin all holiday season, but also for your personal mental health! Take breaks for yourself, shop during off-hours so you don’t need to battle crowds, enjoy herbal tea, early bed times and maybe even treat yourself to a massage! Don’t let the stress of the holidays get to you (or to your skin).

Holiday Party Makeup

You will certainly put on more makeup during the holidays. Some of this will be for the holiday parties that we all love! But you’ll also find yourself putting on more makeup because of family photos, visits from friends and relatives you don’t see that often and even possibly just because you feel holiday-special. If you’re wearing more makeup, particularly if you have acne prone skin, be responsible about removing it every night. Also, buy good quality makeup made with natural ingredients and with good online reviews. Cheap and poor quality makeup can clog pores, irritate your skin and even increase the depth and appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

The Holiday Diet

We all do it! We all eat poorly (both because we’re often busy and in a hurry and because we’re tempted by all of the “holiday treats”), workout less and drink less water and more sugar-based and alcohol-based beverages. Perfect skin comes from the inside out, so it’s important to watch these habits. You’ll certainly be off your normal eating and drinking routine during the holidays, but make every effort to stay hydrated and eat foods that are good for your skin (you can learn more about these in Dr. Murad’s best-selling book, The Water Secret).

The holidays can be equal parts fun and frustrating. However, we all want to go into the New Year feeling good about ourselves. Be aware of bad holiday habits that can take the glow from your skin and make good decisions, and you’ll be the one with glowing skin on New Year’s Eve!