The holidays are the perfect time to indulge in sinful food, alcoholic beverages, endless TV series marathons, and at least for this past holiday season, all-night zoom parties. Now that we're past the celebrations, it's time for some detoxification from all the overindulging we've enjoyed. For a clean slate at the beginning of this new year, follow these steps for glowing skin.
Start from within.
Excess sodium, fatty food and large amounts of alcohol can cause our skin to look dull, puffy, and irritated. Going back to a healthier diet can bring the balance back and restore our natural glow. Holistic aesthetician Amity Murray tells Coveteur to drink lots of water and to eat clean until you can see your skin clear up once again. Load up on green, leafy vegetables, fruits, and clean proteins, such as tofu and fish. Murray adds that you should also consider juicing. She likes combining carrot, celery, and ginger whenever she feels like her body needs a good detox.
Adjust your skin care routine.
As the holidays can also be a stressful time, especially when you add Covid-19 in the mix, stress hormones also wreak havoc on skin so you may need extra help to combat flare ups. Byrdie suggests double cleansing. Use an oil-based cleanser to remove grime and makeup then follow up with your favorite cleanser. If you're new to cleansing oils, Allure recommends Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Oil, Neutrogena Ultra Light Face Cleansing Oil, No7 Radiant Results Nourishing Micellar Cleansing Oil, Sulwhasoo Gentle Cleansing Oil or Tatcha Pure One Step Camellia Cleansing Oil.
Also read: How To Keep Your Skin's pH Level Properly Balanced
Exfoliate.
No detox is complete without exfoliation. Exfoliation gets rid of deep-seated dirt, makeup residue and dead skin cells. While stress and fatigue may make skin more sensitive, start slowly by using your tried-and-tested chemical exfoliant just once a week. If you've run out of your favorite exfoliating products, try The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution which is meant to be used only once a week anyway.
Steam away.
For very sensitive skin that do not take chemical exfoliation well, try a more natural method of cleaning pores: streaming. You don't need fancy equipment for this (although you can get one). Start with a clean face. Then fill a large bowl or small basin with hot water, place a large towel over your head and lower your face over the bowl of steaming water. Wait for five to ten minutes then apply a hydrating serum of moisturizer afterwards. To rebalance skin, look for ingredients like hyaluronic acid in serums or moisturizers. Women's Health's top suggestions are L'Oréal Paris Revitalift Derm Intensives 1.5% Pure Hyaluronic Acid Serum, La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Serum with Hyaluronic Acid and cult favorite and budget-friendly The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5.
Catch up on your sleep.
While Netflix has a bunch of new shows, it's important to prioritize sleep over binge-watching. Getting the right amount of sleep allows our skin to regenerate and replace dead skin cells with fresh ones. Sleep also rebuilds collagen and elastin to restore skin's natural glow and elasticity. As always recommended by doctors, get eight hours of shut eye.
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