Holiday Survival Guide: 9 Tips for Great Skin This Season

Steps You Can Take For Picture Perfect Skin During the Holidays

The holidays are upon us and when you combine the cooler weather, delicious treats and added stress from the preparations and family gatherings, you create the perfect recipe for breakouts and dehydrated, dull skin. Ain’t nobody got time for that!

But, with a little help from this holiday survival guide I’ve created for you, you can eat, drink and be merry…without wrecking your skin!

Healthy Skin Holiday Quick Guide

Don’t slack on your skin care routine!
Stay hydrated, both internally and exteranlly
Practice good sleep habits
Make healthy food choices
Stick with your exercise routine
Check your stress levels
Give yourself an at-home facial
Wear SPF! Even on cold, cloudy days
Don’t stop at your face, treat the whole body

Don’t Skip Out on Your Skin Care Routine!

We’ve all been there! You stayed up too late catching up with your cousins or kicking some booty at family game night. It’s late. You’re tired. The last thing you want to do is go wash your face. Girl, go wash your face!

It’s super important to maintain your routine and wash the day off before you go to bed. Your skin heals and detoxes while you sleep. Help it stay fresh and rejuvenated by keeping it clean and feeding it the nutrients it needs to fight off the stressors of the season by applying high-quality, active ingredients with your favorite products.

Keep Your Skin Hydrated

Enjoy your favorite bubbly or seasonal concoction, but don’t forget to balance your intake with some good, clean water! But, don’t stop there!

Your skin is probably craving moisture this time of year and that is easily remedied by adding an oil-based moisturizer to your regimen. If you tend to be oiler or you just love your current moisturizer, adding hyaluronic acid to the mix can help lock in moisture and give your skin the extra boost it needs for the colder weather.

Make Good Sleep a Priority

I know this is easier said than done, especially this time of year. There’s just too much to do, right?! But, your skin will definitely be glowier and more youthful if you get your recommended 7-9 hours of zzz’s.

Not only can the lack of sleep cause your skin to look older and dull, but your whole body operates at a lower level causing you not to feel your best and you tend to wear down faster. This can cause elevated stress levels that can further aggravate the skin and cause breakouts, hives, and flare-ups of skin conditions like rosacea, eczema, and psoriasis.

Get your beauty sleep! It really is that important.

Be Intentional About Food Choices

The good news is, there are plenty of good choices on the table around the holidays. Items like turkey, cranberries, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, and spinach are packed with skin healthy antioxidants, enzymes and nutrients.

The bad news… there are usually lots of not-so-good choices too. Limiting things like cookies and deserts filled with refined sugar and white flour can help avoid triggering a breakout or an un-even complexion. Super salty foods can lead to excess fluid retention in the skin, causing your face to look puffy.

Although, there’s probably no way for you to completely avoid these things, nor would you want to (What fun would that be?!). Remember, the key here is balance and moderation. Be intentional and your skin will thank you.

Move Your Body

If you currently have an exercise routine, stick with it as much as possible. Moving your body increases circulation which helps the skin with nutrient absorption, plus it adds a healthy warmth to your complexion helping it look more youthful and vibrant.

Don’t have an exercise routine? Grab your favorite family member and do some catching up while you take a walk! Exercise doesn’t have to feel like a workout for it to be beneficial. You just have to move your body!

Relax a Little

This time of year can be taxing, draining and stressful, if you let it. Go into the season prepared with easily implemented tactics to help you keep your cool. Find something you enjoy doing and incorporate it into your weekly schedule.

Did you know that your stress level can impact your skin’s appearance? Stress causes inflammation, which shows up externally and can dramatically age your skin. In my article, Why Stress is Aging Your Skin Faster, I give you some easy to follow steps for keeping your skin ( & your mind) calm to ease the effects of stress.

Do an At-Home Treatment

You can boost your skin’s youthfulness and resiliency by giving yourself an at-home facial once per week. Include a great exfoliation product, hydrating treatment masque, and serums and moisturizers filled with ingredients like antioxidants, ceramides and hyaluronic acid for fresh, glowing skin.

Slap a masque on, sit back and enjoy a little you time. This could be your weekly ‘thing you like to do’ to relax a little. Skin and mind rejuvenation = a win, win!

Don’t Forget the Sunscreen!

Sunscreen may be the last thing you think about as the days begin to shorten, but truth is, you should be applying it year-round. You may not ‘feel’ the sun as much during the cooler months, but I assure you those UV rays are still strong enough to cause skin damage.

Choose a high-quality SPF that is light-weight and can be worn under your makeup easily. Keep in mind that the SPF factor in your makeup is NOT enough on its own. I hate to tell you, but that SPF 15 on your makeup label is just a marketing ploy to get you to pick up their bottle and feel good about it.

Skin is Not Just on Your Face

Well, duh! You already knew that. But, did you know that most women focus only on their face and neglect the rest of their body? It’s true! Time to change that. Here’s what to do.

As humidity levels and temperatures drop, your skin (all over) starts to feel dry and itchy or irritated. A weekly, light exfoliation and a little daily hydration can remedy this and keep your skin feeling fresh and healthy.

Don’t forget about your lips, hands and feet! They will likely need a little extra TLC, too. Carry a hydrating lip balm and some hand cream in your purse so you can pop it on when you’re feeling dry.

Do All the Things!

Have the parties, eat the food, and enjoy the time with family and friends. Just remember to create balance in all the craziness the season brings. Take time for you and take care of your skin!

Following these tips will have you headed down the path to picture perfect skin for the holidays. If you need help putting together your perfect, seasonal regimen, reach out! I’d love to hear from you! Shoot me an email HERE.

~ Dana Lee, L.E.

My favorite product recommendations for boosting hydration and skin health during the holiday season:

MEGA-PURIFYING CLEANSER (antioxidants & hydration)
CBD B-3 AGE DELAY FACIAL DEW (brightening & age-fighting)
SKIN BLISS HYDRATING MASQUE (deeply hydrating & plumping)
SPF 30+ CREAM (moisturizer & sunscreen)
ALPHA THERAPEUTIC ULTIMATE BODY SCRUB (exfoliating & hydrating)

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Do you have a helpful tip on keeping your skin healthy for the holidays? Share it in the comments below!

Holiday Survival Guide: 9 Tips for Great Skin This Holiday Season