Festive Skincare Survival Guide
Many of us indulge in the festive season – but it doesn’t mean that our skin has to suffer! However you decide to celebrate, we’re here with some expert advice on tips on how to keep your skin on track!
Festive skin sin: Too much alcohol
Alcohol comes freely during the party season, but as a diuretic, it increases the production of urine and zaps the moisture out of your skin, leaving you with a dull, unhealthy-looking complexion. You may also spot the dreaded “drinkles,” which is our Nerdie code for dehydrated wrinkles. Alcohol consumption can additionally cause tissue inflammation and trigger inflammatory skin conditions, which can lead to flushing.
Solution: Hydration is key for rehydrating and tackling those drinkles. You can also try increasing your intake of omegas, which can be found in oily fish, nuts and seeds as well as in supplement form.
Festive skin sin: Christmas chocs a plenty!
Most of us love the part where the Quality Streets are brought out but the aftereffects of those sugary sweets and treats can be less desirable and can include glycation. Glycation is a natural, biological process that happens when excess glucose (sugar) in the body binds to skin proteins such as collagen and elastin, leading to the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) that can contribute or accelerate various signs of skin ageing. To get nerdier, as collagen and elastin make up part of the skin’s natural structural support, the degradation of these proteins can lead to reduced suppleness, with skin appearing less plump and youthful. As glycation can impact the epidermal and dermal layers of skin, the process can lead to a reduction in lipid content and impair the skin barrier function, resulting in skin with a dry appearance. Other effects can include thinning of the skin, discoloration and pigmentary issues.
Solution: Adopting an anti-AGE diet, which is low in sugar and rich in antioxidants, can help slow down the process of glycation. For now, select low-sugar beverages and treats to minimise the chance of a haggard complexion the next day. You can also try using hydrating facial spritzes throughout the day and drinking plenty of water to rehydrate.
Festive skin sin: Not removing your makeup before bed
This is always a skin sin but more understandable over the festive period when your evening cleanse can seem a bit too much after a night of partying.
Solution: To avoid congestion, clogged pores, and breakouts do your best to stick to your cleansing regime, even if it means simply removing makeup during a pre-cleanse. If the festivities are starting to wreak havoc and you have woken up to a spot or two, try an active cleanser or mask containing salicylic acid to declog pores and clear congestion.
Festive skin sin: Back-to-back late nights
Sleep is essential for healthy skin and too many late nights can take their toll on your complexion. As sleep affects the regeneration process and the skin’s healing ability, you may find that it takes longer to ‘bounce back’ to looking and feeling refreshed after several nights of poor rest, with tell-tale signs including puffy eyes and a dull complexion.
Solution: If you do find yourself burning the candle at both ends, try to find some time for rest and recouperation. A good sleep habit is vital in regenerating the body, regulating hormones and also for aiding immunity and repair. In the short-term, revive tired eyes with the help of a cooling facial tool or eye mask to depuff and reduce any swelling.
Buying skincare for others?
Skincare can make a wonderful gift if you take a few important factors into consideration:
Focus on self-care: Spoil your nearest and dearest by choosing a product or gift set that encourages them to relax and have a pamper. Soothing bath soaks and shower oils are fail-safe gifts that encourage your giftee to slow down and dedicate some time to self-care.
Forgo trends: ‘IT’ ingredients don’t work for every skin. Consider what products are likely to suit your giftee’s complexion before splashing out. For example, as a general guide, peptide-based formulas deliver essential anti-ageing nutrients and vitamins to the skin, making these ideal for mature skin. Radiance boosting sets can be popular presents but look for those including enzyme-based exfoliators (such as papaya, pineapple), rather than scrubs that can be harsh on skin.
Look for pro-ageing ingredients: Regarding ageing as a privilege, I advise my clients to work to address the signs of accelerated external ageing as opposed to fighting the inevitable intrinsic ageing that happens to us all. Vitamin A is a fantastic pro-ageing ingredient that can be applied to the skin topically to help keep us looking youthful for longer. Retinyl Palmitate is an example of a way to introduce vitamin A into your regime and is recommended if your giftee has not used vitamin A before. Retinyl palmitate is the gentlest derivative of vitamin A, which needs to be converted into retinoic acid by the skin to work its magic. A true rockstar ingredient that’s antioxidant in nature, retinyl palmitate speeds up cell turnover and increases collagen production for smoother, tighter and brighter skin. Whilst every retinoid aims to give the same effect on the skin, the more potent forms tend to be more effective but can present more side effects. Because vitamin A comes in many forms, here is a breakdown on the different types to look out:
Retinyl palmitate and retinyl acetate: The most stable forms. As these ester forms have a fat attached to them, they tend to be gentler on the skin.
Retinol: The alcohol form and converts to retinaldehyde on application to the skin before transforming to retinoic acid. Retinol is the most popular form of vitamin A and is clinically proven to increase the rate of cell turnover.*
Retinaldehyde: The aldehyde form is a transitional form of vitamin A and is created when retinol is converted into retinoic acid.
Retinoic acid: This active form is the only type that makes direct changes to the skin. Because it’s the strongest form of vitamin A, retinoic acid such as Tretinoin is only available via prescription.
Retinyl retinoate: An ester of all-trans retinoic acid and all-trans retinol which works directly on our skin cells.
Protect: Everyone requires the daily use of sunscreen and therefore a gift set containing a SPF saves them splurging and shows you care about their long-term skin health! Select one that is labelled as broad-spectrum, which means that there is protection against both UVA (ultraviolet A radiation) and UVB (ultraviolet B radiation) rays. Why do you need protection from both? Well, for a start, UVA rays are present all year round and can even penetrate through glass (which is why you need to wear sunscreen even if you are staying indoors). They are also able to penetrate deep into the skin and are responsible for photo-ageing, such as wrinkles, loss of elasticity and more worryingly, can cause or contribute to skin cancer. UVB rays are at their strongest in the summer and are responsible for 96% of sunburn cases. Although not as deeply skin-penetrating as UVA rays, UVB light is powerful, which explains why it causes most sunburns. It can also cause discolorations and skin cancers. All in all, protection from both is vital and should be a non-negotiable on everyone's list – call it skinsurance!
If your giftee is a skincare obsessive or has a particular concern, it may be worth investing in a skincare consultation. A one-on-one appointment allows your giftee to get personalised advice from a skin expert, who can then recommend a product or regime and help you both to avoid wasting money on products that don’t work for their skin. The Skin Nerd offers online skin consultations, making the appointments ultra-convenient to book and do!
Festive skin sin: Too much alcohol
Alcohol comes freely during the party season, but as a diuretic, it increases the production of urine and zaps the moisture out of your skin, leaving you with a dull, unhealthy-looking complexion. You may also spot the dreaded “drinkles,” which is our Nerdie code for dehydrated wrinkles. Alcohol consumption can additionally cause tissue inflammation and trigger inflammatory skin conditions, which can lead to flushing.
Solution: Hydration is key for rehydrating and tackling those drinkles. You can also try increasing your intake of omegas, which can be found in oily fish, nuts and seeds as well as in supplement form.
Festive skin sin: Christmas chocs a plenty!
Most of us love the part where the Quality Streets are brought out but the aftereffects of those sugary sweets and treats can be less desirable and can include glycation. Glycation is a natural, biological process that happens when excess glucose (sugar) in the body binds to skin proteins such as collagen and elastin, leading to the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) that can contribute or accelerate various signs of skin ageing. To get nerdier, as collagen and elastin make up part of the skin’s natural structural support, the degradation of these proteins can lead to reduced suppleness, with skin appearing less plump and youthful. As glycation can impact the epidermal and dermal layers of skin, the process can lead to a reduction in lipid content and impair the skin barrier function, resulting in skin with a dry appearance. Other effects can include thinning of the skin, discoloration and pigmentary issues.
Solution: Adopting an anti-AGE diet, which is low in sugar and rich in antioxidants, can help slow down the process of glycation. For now, select low-sugar beverages and treats to minimise the chance of a haggard complexion the next day. You can also try using hydrating facial spritzes throughout the day and drinking plenty of water to rehydrate.
Festive skin sin: Not removing your makeup before bed
This is always a skin sin but more understandable over the festive period when your evening cleanse can seem a bit too much after a night of partying.
Solution: To avoid congestion, clogged pores, and breakouts do your best to stick to your cleansing regime, even if it means simply removing makeup during a pre-cleanse. If the festivities are starting to wreak havoc and you have woken up to a spot or two, try an active cleanser or mask containing salicylic acid to declog pores and clear congestion.
Festive skin sin: Back-to-back late nights
Sleep is essential for healthy skin and too many late nights can take their toll on your complexion. As sleep affects the regeneration process and the skin’s healing ability, you may find that it takes longer to ‘bounce back’ to looking and feeling refreshed after several nights of poor rest, with tell-tale signs including puffy eyes and a dull complexion.
Solution: If you do find yourself burning the candle at both ends, try to find some time for rest and recouperation. A good sleep habit is vital in regenerating the body, regulating hormones and also for aiding immunity and repair. In the short-term, revive tired eyes with the help of a cooling facial tool or eye mask to depuff and reduce any swelling.
Buying skincare for others?
Skincare can make a wonderful gift if you take a few important factors into consideration:
Focus on self-care: Spoil your nearest and dearest by choosing a product or gift set that encourages them to relax and have a pamper. Soothing bath soaks and shower oils are fail-safe gifts that encourage your giftee to slow down and dedicate some time to self-care.
Forgo trends: ‘IT’ ingredients don’t work for every skin. Consider what products are likely to suit your giftee’s complexion before splashing out. For example, as a general guide, peptide-based formulas deliver essential anti-ageing nutrients and vitamins to the skin, making these ideal for mature skin. Radiance boosting sets can be popular presents but look for those including enzyme-based exfoliators (such as papaya, pineapple), rather than scrubs that can be harsh on skin.
Look for pro-ageing ingredients: Regarding ageing as a privilege, I advise my clients to work to address the signs of accelerated external ageing as opposed to fighting the inevitable intrinsic ageing that happens to us all. Vitamin A is a fantastic pro-ageing ingredient that can be applied to the skin topically to help keep us looking youthful for longer. Retinyl Palmitate is an example of a way to introduce vitamin A into your regime and is recommended if your giftee has not used vitamin A before. Retinyl palmitate is the gentlest derivative of vitamin A, which needs to be converted into retinoic acid by the skin to work its magic. A true rockstar ingredient that’s antioxidant in nature, retinyl palmitate speeds up cell turnover and increases collagen production for smoother, tighter and brighter skin. Whilst every retinoid aims to give the same effect on the skin, the more potent forms tend to be more effective but can present more side effects. Because vitamin A comes in many forms, here is a breakdown on the different types to look out:
Retinyl palmitate and retinyl acetate: The most stable forms. As these ester forms have a fat attached to them, they tend to be gentler on the skin.
Retinol: The alcohol form and converts to retinaldehyde on application to the skin before transforming to retinoic acid. Retinol is the most popular form of vitamin A and is clinically proven to increase the rate of cell turnover.*
Retinaldehyde: The aldehyde form is a transitional form of vitamin A and is created when retinol is converted into retinoic acid.
Retinoic acid: This active form is the only type that makes direct changes to the skin. Because it’s the strongest form of vitamin A, retinoic acid such as Tretinoin is only available via prescription.
Retinyl retinoate: An ester of all-trans retinoic acid and all-trans retinol which works directly on our skin cells.
Protect: Everyone requires the daily use of sunscreen and therefore a gift set containing a SPF saves them splurging and shows you care about their long-term skin health! Select one that is labelled as broad-spectrum, which means that there is protection against both UVA (ultraviolet A radiation) and UVB (ultraviolet B radiation) rays. Why do you need protection from both? Well, for a start, UVA rays are present all year round and can even penetrate through glass (which is why you need to wear sunscreen even if you are staying indoors). They are also able to penetrate deep into the skin and are responsible for photo-ageing, such as wrinkles, loss of elasticity and more worryingly, can cause or contribute to skin cancer. UVB rays are at their strongest in the summer and are responsible for 96% of sunburn cases. Although not as deeply skin-penetrating as UVA rays, UVB light is powerful, which explains why it causes most sunburns. It can also cause discolorations and skin cancers. All in all, protection from both is vital and should be a non-negotiable on everyone's list – call it skinsurance!
If your giftee is a skincare obsessive or has a particular concern, it may be worth investing in a skincare consultation. A one-on-one appointment allows your giftee to get personalised advice from a skin expert, who can then recommend a product or regime and help you both to avoid wasting money on products that don’t work for their skin. The Skin Nerd offers online skin consultations, making the appointments ultra-convenient to book and do!