It’s that time of the year we’re depending on looking our most beautiful for all of the festive occasions in the diary. We want to look our best representation of ourselves when catching up with old friends and distant family members. Glowing skin, immaculate manicures and a killer outfit, yes please! In reality, this can sometimes feel an unachievable goal. It’s the end of the year, with deadlines fast approaching, tax return to be completed, shopping gift lists to conquer, little sunshine and of course lack of sleepy time! Luckily you have me to give away some of my top skincare tips, so you can at least feel confident in the skin department this Christmas.
I’m going to start with my top concern this time of the year, undernourishment. If our skin is undernourished it can become so vulnerable. Redness can appear, capillaries can pop out and the dreaded spots can surface. Your skin is susceptible to all these flaws when the natural oil levels are low. This can be due to external factors like temperature changes, with the heating on full blast and cold weather. If you find you’re sensitive, at the end of the day your skin can often tingle and sting if you’ve been exposed to particularly chilly conditions. I would advise building up the layers of quality products, like hydrating serums and comforting moisturisers.
Each day I reassure my clients that feeding your skin with products will not result in breakouts. If the product doesn’t suit your skin or if the ingredients are bad then yes, this can cause problems, however if you have the correct product you should be able to confidently apply plenty of it. Is make up so bad? This natural minimal, clear skin look has been a big thing, for quite some time now. Lots of us aim towards not wearing makeup at all. I’m going to be a controversial facialist and say that in fact, during the winter periods i know it’s even better to be wearing a tint, foundation or cc cream. Ultimately, it’s another layer protecting our skin from pollution, free radicals and various harsh temperatures.
The beauty industry isn’t how it used to be, we currently have some pioneering makeup brands with fabulous formulas. Why not take advantage? A few reliable make brands i love and can recommend are Hourglass, Fench girl, Giorgio Armani and all time classic Kevin Aucoin.
The hydration levels around this time of the year can be lower than Summer as we naturally gravitate towards hot drinks, clasping onto caffeinated tea or coffee. Lemon and ginger tea is how I start the day, then around 10am I treat myself to an English breakfast. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t tempted to then drink copious amounts of caffeinated tea, it’s so easy instantly boil up another. I’ve had days where i’ve done exactly that, but then by the afternoon you’re left feeling tired, thirsty and your sleep is really disturbed that evening. Honestly guys, get on the herbal teas or more hot lemon, your skin will feel plump and your energy levels will be much better for it. I tend to get my herbal tea from T2, they have so much variety, you’ll never feel it’s a chore to consume liquids. It’s also wise to grab a huge bottle or jug of water, pop in some nice fruit, mint, cucumber or rosemary then watch that baby go down throughout the day. There’s nothing more motivating than a little hydration skin challenge.
If you’re an office based babe, have no shame and get on the spritz to replenish the skin. My top three favourites are Tata Harper, Liz Earle and Caudalie. This will add moisture to parched skin, making your skin feel more comfortable and hydrated throughout the day. I have a really close girlfriend in Korea, we skyped the other day whilst she was at her desk. I was seriously impressed with the girls in the office! The skincare desk essentials were top of the game. A few even had a humidifiers. I hope eventually us modest British girls can aspire to be as committed to skincare as the Korean beauty queens!
Too much mulled wine, sherry and snowballs can result in puffy, hungover and dehydrated skin. So much fun, but not a pretty look at all! This is where you can really test your self love and get going on some morning after facial massage. Apply a little drop of oil into your palms, warm up the product and massage the oil into beautifully cleansed skin. Don’t stress about the movements, there is really no right or wrong. As long as your energetically working the skin and pumping the circulation, you will be oxygenating the tissues and stimulating collagen production. If you wanted to be a real pro, concentrate on draining outwards towards your ears and temples, this will encourage lymphatic drainage. Immediately reducing the puffy appearance before the next party. If you’re too hungover to use your hands, reach out for a cold jade roller or Gua Sha tool as this is so simple and easy, you can even do it whilst watching love actually. I keep mine in a cup of water in the fridge so it’s super cold to soothe the skin and reduce any lingering head aches.
I’ll be back with some New Year Detox skincare tips but for now enjoy this magical season and let your glowing skin be your gift to yourself this Christmas.
Love Rhian x
