Facing the Holidays Beautifully: Keeping Your Skin Sensational

Save to notebook Email article Print article More articles

By Mia Bolaris-Forget

Well, between preparing the house for the holidays, perhaps doing the cooking, finding "just the right gift" for everyone on your list and dealing with some of your family (you know who they are)...you have to have a pretty thick skin during the holiday season. Still, that's no reason not to look GREAT or radiant . Keep your glow this holiday season and through the winter with the following tips and tricks.

* For Normal skin: Lucky girl....you skin is not too dry or too oily...it's just "right". In fact you rarely experience breakouts, redness and have small pores that are just about invisible (to the naked eye).

Keep up appearance with a daily routine of cleansing and moisturizing preferably with products containing antioxidants that help ward off free radical damage and keep the signs of aging at bay. Experts also suggest adding some retinoids or vitamin C to your regimen a few times a week to help increase collagen production.

Last but not least, make sure to moisturize, using product with sunscreen during the day and one without sunscreen for night.

*Dry skin damsels: You can expect redness, flakiness and even itchiness thanks to your skin's barrier layer that isn't very good at holding on to natural oils or water.

Keep skin satiated with cleansers and creams that contain emollient ingredients, such as hyaluronic acid and ceremides.

Avoid foaming face scrubs or cleansers and anything that contains harsh retinoids and alpha hydroxy acids.

For skin that's extremely flaky or peeling, use a face oil under your moisturizer to help even out your skin.

* Oily Skin: You are truly a "shining" star with a glowing personality....but you also suffer from blackheads and breakouts (and just around "that time of the month"). Your pores tend to be medium to large.

Keep your pore unclogged by scrubbing away dead skin cells daily using product that have salicylic acid or alpha hydroxy acids.

Also note that while you may be inclined NOT to moisturize, experts suggest the opposite is true. They suggest using oil-free lotions and sunscreens to help tone down your propensity toward glowing skin and acne.

* Sensitive Skin Senioritas: Be wary of products that contain harsh ingredients, fragrance or preservatives as they are likely to cause a reaction such as redness or stinging.

Instead rely on daily products that are gentle and mostly natural...and stay clear of those with added fragrance or scent, including eye cream which can be irritating.

Soothe itchiness and redness via products that contain anti-inflammatory ingredients such as green tea and licorice-root extract. And, make sure to protect your skin from the sun...just make sure to use products with gentle UVA-blocking ingredients such as zinc oxide and Mexoryl.

*Mature Skin Mademoiselles: As you experience a change (drop) in estrogen levels as you enter perimenopause, you can expect to see a decrease in skin-cell renewal and oil production...and that often means skin that looks lackluster and lacks elasticity. In addition, you may also notice some fine lines, brown spots and rough patches due to past sun damage.

Keep skin looking youthful by investing in products that contain antioxidants and retinoids, the former to help combat free-radical damage and the latter to bolster collagen production helping keep skin firm. You'll also want to use a weekly at-home peel to help slough of dead skin cells and bring back a youthful glow.