How to Undo Holiday Havoc and Rejuvenate Your Skin for the New Year

Posted on: January 3rd, 2022 by Kristen Chang

Here’s one new year’s resolution you’ll be happy to keep. Start off 2022 the right way by rejuvenating your skin, especially if you’ve put self-care on hold during the happy, but hectic, holidays. Late nights and sweet treats, as well as plenty of hosting and toasting the season? Wonderful, yes but not so wonderful for your skin. Add stress to the mix and the result could be tired, worn-looking skin. Or even flareups of acne, rosacea or eczema.

First, take a deep breath. Relax. Simply by reading this article you’re taking a step towards a clearer, fresher complexion. Here are some easy-to-follow suggestions from your California Skin Institute board-certified dermatologists on how to put your best face forward for the new year!

The Issue: Lack of Sleep

The dark, shorter days of winter can throw off your body’s circadian rhythm and make it more challenging to regulate your sleep, mood, and food cravings. Late nights, travel to other time zones, as well as upticks in your caffeine and alcohol intakes can interfere with a good night’s sleep. Sleep is when your skin repairs itself. Chronic sleep deficit plays out on your skin as dark circles, “bags” under the eyes and a bleary, haggard look.

The Fix

Now’s the time to prioritize a sleep and exercise schedule you can stick with. Seek sunlight during the day. Natural light sends signals to your brain that optimize hormone functions. Take a walk outside. Regular exercise can help reduce stress and anxiety and aid in better quality sleep. At night, dim the lights, power off electronics, and perhaps read a book 30 minutes before you go to bed.

The Issue: Make-up Overload

It’s natural to want to look, well, less natural during the holiday season — to glam up with make-up that adds sparkle and shine. And it’s fun when you’re out shopping with your friends to try and buy lots of different products on a whim. But new products, especially glitter makeup, foundation, and greasy make-up pencils, may have triggered skin irritations and aggravated sensitive skin. Going to bed with makeup on may have further clogged pores and caused breakouts.

The Fix

Put your skin on a post-holiday detox diet. Create new beauty rituals for your skin based on simplicity and purity. A good way to start is to schedule an appointment with your licensed practitioner. Tote along your makeup, lotions and potions for them to review and evaluate in terms of your skin’s needs and requirements. They can also help you select the best options for your skin concerns among CSI’s dermatologist-approved products expertly formulated with scientifically researched non-comedogenic ingredients. Your skin will thank you by looking refreshed and renewed.

The Issue: Holiday Food and Drink Excess

Oh, the charcuterie boards, eggnog, sugared and spiced nuts, chocolates, and champagne… we could go on, but we won’t. We’ve all been there. Who can resist? But even if you don’t have food allergies kickstarted by common triggers such as wheat, soy, dairy and nuts, too much of certain things like cheese may cause a breakout. Other offenders are highly processed foods and meats, sweets full of refined sugar, salty foods like chips and crackers, and dishes loaded with refined carbs.

Eating too much of these foods can also cause puffiness and excess oiliness. There is even some thought that excessive amounts of sugar can contribute to skin sagging and wrinkling through a process called “glycation.” Plus, alcohol dehydrates the skin and dilates blood vessels, which can cause facial redness and spidery broken capillaries on the nose and/or cheeks.

The Fix

Drink lots of water. Eat lots of leafy greens, lean proteins and fresh fruit. Avoid crash diets or extreme fasts that can further deplete your skin of necessary nutrients. Consider a gentle chemical peel or laser resurfacing treatment to strip away the dulled top layer of skin. Getting the surface skin professionally exfoliated can increase cell turnover, boost collagen production and restore your skin’s healthy glow. At home care products containing antioxidants, like Vitamin C, can also help exfoliate skin cells and enhance your skin’s texture. If spidery blood vessels emerged, California Skin Institute can help zap them away for you.

The Issue: Nonstop Stress

Not all stress is bad. Stress is part of life and sometimes even things that make us happy can cause stress, like shopping for the right holiday gifts for friends and family or waiting for the first guests to arrive at your party. But all stress contributes to wear and tear on your skin. And nonstop stress allows precious little time for your skin to rebound. If you suffer from seasonal affective disorder, depression or social anxiety, the holiday season can feel extra overwhelming. Stress can age you and amplify any tendency your skin has towards dryness and wrinkles, or oiliness and breakouts. Acne, rosacea, perioral dermatitis, and other chronic skin conditions can all get worse due to stress.

The Fix

If you’re experiencing a flareup of acne, rosacea, eczema, perioral dermatitis or any other chronic skin condition, make an appointment to see your CSI dermatologist. To undo some of the adverse effects of stress on your skin, use skincare products such as antioxidant-rich serums, barrier treatment creams or complexion boosters that help hydrate the skin and have anti-aging properties.

Make California Skin Institute your first stop on your new self-care journey for the New Year. We’ll help you undo any telltale effects of holiday season excess and help you look your best for the new year ahead.