There’s no other joyous time than the holidays. Who doesn’t love spending time with family, stuffing their faces with food, and planning fun winter festivities?
While the holiday season may be the most wonderful time of the year, it can also wreak havoc on your skin. Here we explain five ways the holidays affect your skin and how you can counteract it.
Alcohol Consumption
We all know that alcohol can dehydrate your body, but it also does a number on your skin. Alcohol is a diuretic that increased water loss from your body and your skin.
When your skin is dehydrated, it looks dry, feels less plump, and shows fine lines more easily. Also, excessive alcohol consumption dilates blood vessels under your skin. This makes your skin like red and makes dark circles more noticeable.
We’re not saying that you shouldn’t drink and be merry — but rethink your drink. For example, opt for red wine over hard liquors. Red wine has skin-healthy antioxidants.
Poor Sleep Quality
With all the excitement the holidays bring, it’s easy to miss a few zzz’s. Your skin repairs itself while you’re sleeping, and if you don’t get enough, it disturbs this process. This results in pale and dehydrated skin.
Not to mention, a lack of sleep also increases collagen breakdown. Less collagen accelerates the aging process — this means more wrinkles and decreased skin elasticity.
To ensure your skin stays healthy, try and get at least 7-8 hours of sleep. Before you head to bed, give your skin a little pick-me-up with a dose of antioxidants.
Our Q10 Protection Cream contains antioxidants vitamin E, panthenol, and co-enzyme Q10, which helps restore elasticity and reduce signs of premature aging.
Stress
Between doing last-minute shopping and planning get-togethers, the holidays can bring on significant stress. When you’re stressed out, your body produces cortisol — which makes your skin more sensitive and reactive.
The signs of stress come out on your skin in the form of acne breakouts, hives, and fever blisters. Stress can even cause flare-ups in skin conditions like eczema, rosacea, and psoriasis.
When you feel stress getting the best of you, take some time for relaxation. Yoga, deep breathing techniques, and meditation all are ways you can de-stress during the holidays.
Sweet Holiday Treats
We hate to break it to you, but your favorite holiday foods may be harming your skin. To explain, food with simple sugars and carbs causes inflammation in the body and skin. Too much sugar triggers a reaction in the body called glycation — a process when collagen and elastin break down.
No, you don’t have to give up Christmas sugar cookies for good. However, enjoy holiday treats in moderation. To keep your skin healthy this holiday season, it’s wise to snack on healthy antioxidant-rich foods like dark chocolate and pumpkin.
Traveling on Airplanes
Flying during the holidays is no fun, and it can also pose problems for your skin. What happens to your skin when you’re thousands of feet in the air? It gets extra dry. This is because airplanes lack humidity. Less humidity in the air, less moisture in your skin.
To keep your skin hydrated while you fly, use a moisturizer while in flight. Our Hydrating Cream with Hyaluron Complex locks in hydration and is the perfect size to pack in your carry-on.
Don’t Let Skincare Woes Ruin the Holidays
The holidays are undoubtedly the most wonderful and trying times of the year. Don’t let environmental stressors and unhealthy food put a damper on your skin. The tips outlined here will keep your skin healthy during the holidays and all year long.
Ashley Austin
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