Wondering what you can do to get your skin glowing just in time for the holidays? Here are our top tips to get your started!
1. Stay Hydrated
Did you know your skin is your largest organ in your body? Drinking plenty of water improves your body’s overall health but also does great things for your skin. Swap out a cocktail for water, bubbling water, tea and your skin will thank you this holiday season! As a general rule you should be drinking at least half of your weight in ounces of water each day.
2. Exfoliate the Right Way
Old, dead skin cells can make your skin look dull and depleted, especially as we age and our skin cells do not turn over as fast as our younger skin. Light chemical exfoliation on a regular basis can help brighten the skin by loosening the bond between cells, lifting the dull, dead skin cells. Why chemical exfoliation over mechanical scrub exfoliation? Scrubs are more superficial whereas chemical exfoliation is "active" and offers more benefits such as even-toned skin, smoother skin, clearer skin (you can supplement a chemical exfoliant with a mild scrub 1-2x per week). We love Vivant’s daily repair pads which contain both a BHA (salicylic) and an AHA (mandelic acid) for refining and smoothing the skin or Nourishing Toner which contains hydration, rose and a mild AHA (mandelic) for serious skin nourishment and a glow. Worried about irritation? If your sensitive, steer clear of glycolic acid which has a smaller molecular structure and can easily lead to over exfoliation.
3. Add a Antioxidant Serum to Your Routine
Oh, how we love antioxidant serums! If you have time to do only do one thing on this list, add in a an antioxidant serum with vitamin c for an instant glow! We love Rhonda Allison C-Peptide serum and Face Reality Antioxidant serum for normal or breakout prone skin, One Love Organic's Vitamin C facial serum for drier skin and Vivant Spin Trap Corrective Antioxidant serum for all skin types.
4. Add a Collagen Supplement to Your Routine
Our clients know that topicals are only one piece of the skin puzzle. One of the biggest signs of aging is loss of firmness and wrinkles. Collagen is basically the bricks of our skin, holding up and keeping our skin firm. It is produced in our dermis, the lower layer of our skin. As we age collagen levels drop and our skin starts to lose firmness, droop and form lines. You can encourage collagen production inside with collagen rich drinks such as bone broth and collagen supplements. Studies are still mixed if they really help, but we see that they really do make a difference! Together, with corrective topicals, results can be quite noticeable. We like Vital Proteins Bovine formula Collagen Powder. It is acne safe, dissolves easily and has no taste.
5. Add a Hydrator to Your Routine
Moisturizers occlude moisture in your skin. But if you live in cold weather, our skin loses water via TEWL (transepidermal water loss) quickly so often we are dehydrated and lack water in our skin so moisturizers are limited. Do you find yourself re-applying moisture throughout the day and still feel your skin is parched? Using a hydrator under your moisturizers will replenish topical hydration and give you an instant drink of topical water, reducing dullness as well. You can use a spray/mist hydrator such as Rhonda Allison's Cucumber Spritz with cucumber, heavy water and hyaluronic acid which holds 1,000x its weight in water and Jane Iredale hydration sprays (both if these can be misted on over makeup and throughout the day) or gel hydrators such as Rhonda Allison's Growth Factor Gel or Skin Theory's Deep Blue Hydration - both are amazing for thirsty skin and acne-safe.
Bonus!: Get a Facial
Get your glow started with a mild corrective facial. A good one to start with before a big event is an oxygen facial to nourish, hydrate, smooth and firm the skin. A mild chemical exfoliation facial such as our Go & Glow Express Lunchtime Facial or our Seasonal Glow Facial both offer mild chemical exfoliation to reveal smoother, healthier skin along with needed hydration and nourishment to have your looking your best.