Late nights, stress and poor dieting – it all shows on your skin after a while. Holly Barter explains how to reclaim your glow
A month or two full of stress, late nights and dietary indulgences can certainly mess up even the calmest of complexions. As you get back into the swing of things, you’ll want to make sure your skin is in tip-top shape to take on work, play and everything you’re looking forward to.
Here’s a few tips on how to achieve glowing, healthy skin and to recover from any flare ups you might be experiencing as a result of a bit too much fun (or too much stress!).
Back to basics
Even if you’ve received a gift voucher for a deluxe facial or skin treatment, or you’re dying to try out that brand new serum sitting on your bathroom counter, it’s important to take stock of how your skin is behaving before incorporating anything new into your routine.
Keep an eye out for redness, a ‘tight’ feeling to your skin after cleansing or a general sensitivity to products you would normally use without an issue – your skin may be sensitised and require extra TLC.
Pare back your usual routine to a gentle cleanser (ideally nothing foaming), a hydrating moisturiser and some physical sun protection (look for zinc-based options that are soothing, compared with chemical-based sunscreens that may aggravate skin).
Remove retinol or exfoliating products for the time being and until your skin feels back to normal.
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!
It’s not original, but it’s essential to hydrate your body for healthy skin. This means subbing out your coffee and tea for water with all your meals and sipping across the day. Internal hydration alone won’t impact truly dehydrated skin, so look for ingredients like hyaluronic acid in your moisturisers.
Boost your routine with a hydrating mist across the day and switch to lighter make-up options (like a tinted moisturiser or BB cream) over a full-coverage option which may cling to dry patches.
Your water doesn’t just have to come from fluids, think about water-rich fruits and vegetables like cucumber or watermelon and snack on these across the day – the vitamins in these foods will also benefit your skin.
Go high-tech
Increasingly, we can give ourselves a taste of a professional skin treatment at home. Anything involving dermarolling, laser or skin peels should always be handled by a licensed aesthetician or skin professional, but there are plenty of tech options that you can use from the luxury of your own bathroom that will boost your applied skincare.
LED skin therapy has been used in NASA for increased wound-healing, bacteria-killing and boosting collagen in the skin, and you can find at-home red and blue-light therapy devices that allow you to treat your skin. Red light is ideal for anti-ageing, and for breakouts blue light is the way to go.
By layering this kind of treatment with quality skincare (coupled with good sleep and a mindful attitude), you’ll find your skin bouncing back from the festive months in no time and develop healthy skin habits that will last you 2020 and beyond.
About the author
Holly Barter is a lifestyle and beauty writer, and founder of veganskincare.com.
