This is a post about skincare over the Christmas period. At this time of year, it's easy to forget about looking after your body but it can be done with a little bit of extra effort! Many of us are going to spend time drinking lots of alcohol, eating too much and not getting enough fresh air, so let's just think for a minute about the little things we can do to stop ourselves getting too run down when all the festivities are over. These are just my own personal tips, and even I will have to pull myself together and make some sort of effort to follow them (I hate when people pretend to practice what they preach!):
1. I can't stress how important it is to at least try to drink some water every day at any time of year (I know I know, heard it all before!), but it's especially important at this time of year because we're drinking a lot more alcohol than usual, and alcohol just really dehydrates your body. It will start to show in your skin, it will appear dull and not so plump (if you gently pinch your cheek between your fingers and it appears dimply, it is probably dehydrated!). Not just your skin though, your body just needs it to keep it going as regular. It's not always recommended to drink fluids with your meals, so I recommended sipping a glass about half an hour before you eat your big Christmas lunch (this has another benefit which I'll mention later!). I usually feel very thirsty if I haven't drank enough water in a couple of days and take this opportunity to knock a pint of water back - I instantly feel better afterwards. So if the only way you're going to drink it is knocking back a glass when you think of it, go for it! Try to alternate your alcoholic beverages with glasses of water too, even if you only manage a glass or 2 more than usual, it's better than nothing!
2. One thing that's very easy to forget and is very common is taking off your makeup before you go to bed! I can honestly say I DO do this, no matter how many drinks or how tired I am. Because my skin is very blemish/spot-prone and oily, it does me no good at all to sleep in my makeup. Even if you don't have this sort of skin type, it will benefit you so much to take off your makeup. Your skin is at work when you are asleep, it's why we have different products specifically designed for use at night-time, so by sleeping in your makeup you're not giving your skin the best chance to breathe, rest, recuperate. Even from a cosmetic point of view, makeup can sit in your fine lines and wrinkles and exaggerate them, effectively aging you prematurely. So if nothing else, think about that when you come in from a night out and head straight to bed! Even using a makeup wipe to take the bulk of it off will help a bit but I'm usually against them because they just don't work well enough - if you're going to cleanse with a lotion, soap, whatever you use, make sure you do it twice (once removes the day, twice removes the makeup!).
3.In regards to what I was saying about drinking water before your Christmas lunch, or any meal for that matter, a non-skin related benefit it has is to stop you eating so much! It's a well known trick that dieters use to help them lose weight, drinking water fills up your stomach and you won't feel up to eating quite so much! The best thing about it is, the bloating effect is only temporary and surprisingly, drinking water can actually help keep your stomach flatter!
4. Do make sure you get a decent night's sleep, we all have time off over Christmas and use it to your advantage! In saying that, try to have a good balance - if you go to bed late, by all means get your 8 hours, but don't lie in bed all morning and waste your day moping around the house! It's not good for your mind, skin and body to stay indoors all the time (and I know, I spend more time that I'd like to at home on my own :( ). Fresh air does your body so much good, whether it's after the big dinner or you're feeling a bit hungover, maybe go for a little walk. It doesn't have to be a power walk, a little stroll will clear your head, help your food digest and get your lungs breathing fresh air rather than the stale air circulating in many houses (it's too cold to keep the windows open for very long!). You'll find you get a great night's sleep afterwards too, WINNING!
So to wrap up, I know it's easy to get lazy and forget to look after ourselves but even just doing these few things will help and they don't require a lot of time or effort. The tips I've given are very general because it's hard to tailor them to everyone, but you can vary them to suit yourself. Your body and skin will thank you for it in the long run! Hope you all have a lovely Christmas and come out the other side in one piece ;)
Thanks for reading!
Suzie
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