Overeating and drinking during the holidays can take a toll on your waistline, but have you ever stopped to think about how all those festive cocktails, addictive appetisers, decadent desserts and other guilty pleasures might affect your skin?
Dullness, puffiness and skin redness are but a few of the telltale signs that holiday indulgences can leave behind. But you don't have to miss out on the fun to emerge from the holiday haze with happy, healthy skin! Just follow these tips from Dermalogica skin care experts:
The Indulgence: Meat and cheese appetisers
The Effect: Too much protein can lead to thicker, more stagnant lymphatic fluid, which plays a role in puffy, dull skin and dark circles.
The Better Choice: Trade a few of those pigs in a blanket or cubes of cheese for veggie sticks to help limit your servings of meat.
The Skin Care Rx: Increase fluid drainage to help reduce puffiness and dark circles with Stress Positive Eye Lift. Using a circular motion, lightly massage the product into your skin, moving towards the bridge of your nose.
The Indulgence: Cookies, candies, cakes and pies
The Effect: Glycation from sugar leads to premature skin ageing in the form of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) which are toxic by-products that cause deterioration of the skin and induce free radical damage. The end result is loss of elasticity and wrinkles.
The Better Choice: Indulge your sweet tooth with fresh fruit or a small piece of dark chocolate to reap more antioxidant benefits.
The Skin Care Rx: Apply MultiVitamin Power Recovery Masque up to a few times a week to nourish your skin with the peptides and AGEs that help stimulate collagen production.
The Indulgence: Alcohol and salty or processed foods
The Effect: These offenders cause dehydration, which can lead to a pasty appearance, puffy skin and more visible fine lines. When it comes to alcohol, white wine and spirits contain a lot of sugar, which can exacerbate signs of skin aging and puffiness; and red wine releases histamines that can increase skin redness flare-ups.
The Better Choice: Moderation is key. Drink plenty of water and choose colorful raw vegetable appetisers to ensure you receive enough hydration, and essential vitamins and minerals.
The Skin Care Rx: Skin Hydrating Booster is like a tall drink of water for your skin. Apply it directly over dehydrated areas or layer it under your prescribed Dermalogica Moisturiser.
The Indulgence: Dairy
The Effect: Too much dairy can increase blood levels of androgen, a hormone that drives excess oil production and increases the skin's potential for breakouts.
The Better Choice: Again, moderation is key. Reach for dairy alternatives, such as almond milk and fruit sorbets, when possible.
The Skin Care Rx: Use a cleanser like Active Clay Cleanser, which helps remove excess oils, or Clearing Skin Wash, which contains Salicylic Acid and Tea Tree Oil to help purify skin and prevent future breakouts.