6 Tips For Beautiful Holiday Skin

As the holiday season approaches, so does the hustle and bustle of shopping, family gatherings, and colder weather. It’s a wonderful time of year, but the stress, rich foods and long days can take their toll on your skin. November is the perfect month to start thinking about your skin’s needs to keep it glowing and healthy through holiday stress and winter’s chill.

Cold weather, sudden changes in diet and exercise routines, fluctuating moods, exposure to different climates and environmental stressors due to travel; all of these factors contribute greatly to the appearance and vitality of our skin. Here’s how you can get a head start on holiday skin prep and protect your skin as temperatures drop.

1. Prep Your Skin for Holiday Events

Between holiday makeup, late nights, and holiday travel, our skin can take a hit during the busy season. Preparing now can make a world of difference, helping you look refreshed and radiant for every celebration. Here are some tips to keep your skin holiday-ready:

Hydrating Facials and Treatments: A professional facial can give your skin an instant hydration boost, making it look smoother and brighter. Treatments like chemical peels or gentle microdermabrasion can also help remove dead skin cells, allowing your skin to better absorb moisturizers.
Brightening Ingredients: Start incorporating products with ingredients like vitamin C and hyaluronic acid to maintain hydration and brighten skin tone, creating a fresh, glowing look that will hold up even after a long night.
Maintain a Simple Routine: It can be tempting to try new products for a quick glow-up, but holiday season is not the time to experiment. Stick with what you know works, and introduce any new products gradually to avoid potential irritation.

2. Guard Your Skin Against Winter’s Cold

With cooler weather comes a new set of challenges for our skin. As the air gets drier, your skin’s natural moisture can quickly deplete, leading to dryness, flaking, and irritation. Here’s how to protect your skin:

Moisturize Generously: Swap lightweight summer moisturizers for richer creams that contain ceramides, glycerin, or squalane. These ingredients help lock in moisture and support the skin barrier.
Limit Hot Showers: While it’s tempting to turn up the heat, hot showers can strip your skin of its natural oils, leaving it feeling dry and tight. Aim for lukewarm water instead and apply body moisturizer immediately afterward.
Invest in a Humidifier: Combat indoor dryness by using a humidifier at home. This can help replenish moisture in the air, preventing your skin from becoming overly dry as you spend more time indoors.

3. Renew Your Skin with a Chemical Peel

If you have been considering a skin rejuvenating chemical peel, the end of the year is the perfect time to try one out. Increased sun exposure and time spent outside during the summer can flare up certain conditions including blemishes, fine lines, wrinkles, and brown spots. Winter is also an ideal time for chemical peels, because we advise staying out of the sun following certain peels.

4. Combat Dull Skin with Dermaplaning

Dermaplaning is a great treatment to brighten the skin and is perfect for all those holiday pictures! Dermaplaning removes unwanted facial hair and is the ideal solution for ridding our complexion from dry, flaky skin caused by cold weather.

Dermaplaning exfoliates the top layer of skin making it glow and increases the absorption of our favorite skincare products.

5. Increase Volume and Smooth Wrinkles with BOTOX® or fillers

Injectables such as BOTOX® and fillers are a wonderful option for making quick and long-lasting changes in our skin. They are performed quickly and offer reliable results. Injectables help to boost and highlight our best facial features. A combination of dermal fillers and Botox offer a minimal-downtime treatment with instant results that reduce volume loss and lift areas to help you feel and look your best while enjoying friends and family.

6. Stress Less With Self-Care

Between prepping for Thanksgiving and Christmas shopping, stress levels can rise quickly. Unfortunately, stress can take a toll on our skin, leading to breakouts or dullness. Incorporating small self-care practices into your routine can make a big difference.

• At-Home Masks and Treatments: Take 15-20 minutes to unwind with a hydrating sheet mask or a clay mask that targets pores and breakouts. This can give you a spa-like experience from the comfort of your home and give your skin a healthy boost.
• Mindful Breaks: Incorporate mindfulness practices like deep breathing or meditation to help manage stress. Even a few minutes of mindful breathing can help you reset and reduce the stress hormone cortisol, which may impact skin health.
• Book a Skin Check: December is a great time to book a skin check if you haven’t already done so this year. Routine checks with your dermatologist are an important part of overall skin health, helping you catch any concerns early and keep your skin looking its best.

Quick Holiday Skin Tips

• Combat dry winter skin with an oil-based moisturizer
• Limit the alcohol: enjoy your favorite bubbly then switch to water
• Keep your skin clean: remove all your makeup before going to bed
• Get a good night’s sleep: target 8 hours a night
• Make healthy food choices, limiting the cookies and holiday desserts
• Practice relaxation: the holidays can be stressful, which can exacerbate psoriasis, acne and other chronic skin conditions
• Treat yourself to a professional facial before attending that big holiday event
• Stay hydrated: drinking plenty of water keeps you healthy from the inside out
• Stick to your exercise routine: it helps with stress and working off those extra holiday calories
• If you’re a smoker, make a New Year’s resolution to quit; in fact, why wait: quit now!
• Help prevent acne flare-ups by maintaining your daily skin care routine
• Keep hand cream and lip balm in your purse or pocket, and use it often
• Don’t forget your feet: moisturize nightly and be ready for those fun holiday shoes
• Exfoliate once a week to keep that head-to-toe healthy glow

Get Ahead of Holiday and Winter Skincare Needs

One of the greatest advantages of the holidays is that many of us are afforded extra time off from our work, schooling, and otherwise busy schedules. This extra time allows patients to more comfortably navigate the effects of certain aesthetic treatments. Don’t let the stress of the holidays show on your skin. Planning ahead can help you feel more confident, comfortable, and prepared for the holiday season.

From simple skincare adjustments to taking time for self-care, your skin will be better equipped to handle the extra demands of the season. Need help tailoring your skincare routine or want to schedule a treatment? Our team is here to support your skin health and holiday glow goals. Reach out to book an appointment or ask any questions about protecting your skin this season!