Detox Your Skin

Detox Your Skin

Remedy post-holiday skin with these complexion savers

Much like hitting the gym is a New Year ritual to counteract holiday excess, our skin also needs some TLC to detox from an over-indulgence of alcohol, rich foods and late nights during the holiday season – all of which leave skin dull, puffy, dehydrated and prone to breakouts. Here are some solutions:

Maximize moisture

Drinking a lot of booze during the holidays can zap moisture from the skin, making fine lines more apparent and skin less radiant. The biggest offender is red wine, especially to those people who are prone to redness and rosacea. It can cause inflammation in the blood vessels, resulting in flushed, irritated skin. To boost your skin’s moisture levels and combat redness add a hydrating, fragrance-free face mask to your nighttime moisturizing routine. Wear the mask for at least 15 minutes to allow the benefits to reach the skin. Follow it with a hydrating serum and rich moisturizer to lock in softness.

Try: Dermalogica Multi Vitamin Power Recovery Masque.

Boost radiance

Skin can look dull after piling on a full-face of makeup night after night (and admit it, most of us get a little lazy about removing it before bed). To revitalize skin and make sure pores don’t get clogged, try an at-home chemical peel that has lactic acid or glycolic acid. These ingredients accelerate the skin’s natural exfoliation process to clear pores and reveal fresher, smoother and more radiant skin underneath. For optimal and long-lasting results, incorporate a peel into your skincare routine about twice a week for one month.

Try: MD Skincare Alpha Beta Daily Face Peel or Neostrata Peeling Solution.

Eye spy

Lack of sleep due to late-night holiday parties takes a toll on your eyes. To combat puffy eyes and dark circles use a moisturizing eye cream both morning and night that contains anti-oxidants like vitamin E and C. A good trick to reduce puffiness and darkness is to actually store your eye cream in the refrigerator. The cooling action will help to constrict blood vessels and minimize any obvious circles or puffiness.

Try: Lancôme Génifique Eye Youth Activating Eye Concentrate

Sun damage RX

If you’re like many sun-starved Canadians who escape to tropical destinations over the holidays, chances are your skin needs to detox from UV rays. UV rays cause free radical damage to the skin, resulting in discoloration and premature wrinkling. Load up on antioxidants in your moisturizer, like vitamins A, C, E and green tea. If you have experienced a severe sunburn, your skin needs time to repair and heal so stay away from microdermabrasion and glycolic peel treatments. These could potentially further damage tender skin. Instead, soothe skin with fragrance-free lotions or a simple aloe vera gel.

Try: Consonant Organic Body Lotion.