Tis the season for holiday parties and face to face gatherings. In this era of cell-phone and digital cameras, your friends and family will capture and share your face again and again--with many candid, bare-faced shots included. Are you ready for your close up? If not, don't fret. A few simple changes in your skin care regimen and your daily habits can help you navigate the festive weeks ahead and look great, with or without makeup, all season long! Challenge:
Harsh winter cold and dry indoor heat can cause skin to feel tight and itchy.
Solutions:
Exchange your exfoliating cleanser for a gentle cleanser several times a week and splash with cool water after cleansing to make sure there’s no residue left on skin. If you already use a gentle cleanser, use it at night . AM – massage and rinse your face with cool water and apply your AM moisturizer.
Also, layer a serum under your regular moisturizer or change to a moisturizer with hyaluronic acid, the most powerful natural moisturizing ingredient known to science.
Challenge:
After work gatherings can be fun but late nights and alcohol can contribute to dark circles under the eyes. Sugar overload can make morning eyes puffy.
Solution:
Drink plenty of water with lemon throughout the day to help flush toxins from your system and take extra vitamin C to keep cells healthy. Use a hydrating eye and neck crème for sensitive skin.
Challenge:
Your big party is tonight but your make-up looks flaky and your blush is blotchy.
Solution:
Remove makeup and gently cleanse. Apply a 10 minute enzyme mask with HA to loosen dead cells, rehydrate and smooth skin. Remove, moisturize, reapply makeup and -you’re good to glow!
Challenge:
Lips are dry, chapped, cracked and sore. Lipstick and lipgloss make it look worse.
Solution:
Moisten the dead skin on lips, apply a gentle exfolient for 1 minute only. Gently wipe the loosened dead skin from lips being careful not to pull the skin. Apply a lip butter with hyaluronic acid and healing emollients to help heal lips and prevent dryness. Find some mistletoe and …pucker up!
Lifestyle Do’s and Don’ts for winter skin:
-Don’t take long hot baths or showers ..it increases moisture loss and dehydration. And reduce the number of baths or showers that you take.
-Don’t use harsh soaps or cleansers and reduce your use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers.
-Don’t use fragrance(the number one irritant) in soaps or lotions on dry, sensitive or cracked skin.
-Do hang hand-washed clothing in your bedroom to help increase humidity.
-Do treat cracked skin on hands and feet ASAP to hydrate and protect it. Left untreated it could become infected .
-Do turn down thermostat at night- and use a cool-mist humidifier in your home or office to maintain proper humidity.
Stay Beautiful & Happy Holidays,
Millie
