From smart skincare to skin boosting superfoods, get your complexion camera-ready with these top products and nutrition tips
When it comes to party season, a mixture of late nights and early starts, stress and chilly weather can make a complexion feel anything but camera-ready. Are there really ways to safeguard your skin and keep festive skin freakouts to a minimum? By using the right products and eating the right foods, the answer is thankfully, yes.
From skin boosting nutrition to smart streamlining skincare, there’s a range of ways in which to feed your skin from the outside in and the inside out. Want to know what ingredients to pop on your wish and shopping lists? Read on to find out.
1. Make hyaluronic acid your hero ingredient
As far as hero skin ingredients go, hyaluronic acid is among one of the most highly regarded - and for just cause.
With an impressive capacity to hold onto vast amounts of moisture in the skin, it’s one of the most effective hydration boosters out there for a range of different skin types - from the dry to the oily. In order to harness the full potential of this potent ingredient, opt for skincare products that include both low and high molecular weight hyaluronic acid. Why so? To ensure better penetration to the deeper layers of the epidermis and tackle wrinkles on a more intense level. For a multi-tasking dose of both, Eucerin Hyaluron-Filler CC Cream Light , £28, delivers anti-ageing prowess and wearable pigment in equal measure, (just what’s needed the morning after a pretty late night before). Furthermore, its other key ingredient, bio-active Glycine-Saponin helps support the skin’s own production of hyaluronic acid too, to provide both short and long-term wins all-round. All Eucerin products are also clinically proven to be suitable for use with sensitive skin.
Properties also possessed by Eucerin’s Hyaluron-Filler Eye Cream SPF 15 , £22, this cocktail of ingredients also serves as the most effective of wake-up-calls for fatigued peepers too. Our present go-to, its fast-become one of our favourite eye creams to help iron out wrinkles and crow’s feet while also reducing premature ageing too. The result? Brighter, more awake eyes and skin. We’re sold.
2. Hydrate from within
As well as hydrating skincare, upping your water intake by the glass full will also give your party season skin plans a significant boost in the right direction. If you’re looking to make your water a bit more exciting though, make coconut water another of your festive tipples of choice. Containing antioxidants and electrolytes to help both rehydrate and provide welcomed hangover mitigation too, it gives your trusty cup of water an easy yet effective upgrade.
3. Up your good fats
“Foods such as brightly coloured vegetables, dark green leafy vegetables and good fats are a must for any skin boosting programme,” says Zoe Stirling, nutritionist and co-founder of healthy food haunt, Squirrel . Upping your intake of the right fats in particular could help skin look noticeably springier. “Avocado, oily fish (such as salmon, mackerel and sardines) as well as flaxseeds and chia should be regularly consumed during party season,” recommends Zoe. “This goes hand in hand with good hydration – keep a stash of artichoke or Pukka’s Detox Tea , £2.49, in your desk drawer at work and never be without a water bottle, ever!”
4. Try acai
The term ‘superfood’ gets bandied around a lot these days, however the protective abilities of the acai berry makes it one of those rare finds whose list of benefits may actually make it worthy of the title. “Acai is a berry that originates from Brazil and is well known for its antioxidant properties,” explains Zoe. “It’s therefore perfect for including during party season as it will support general skin health as well as prevention of collagen breakdown.”
5. Boost skin with baobab
Another worthwhile ingredient worth incorporating into your skincare food plan is baobab thanks to its list of impressive vitamins and minerals. “Baobab is the fruit taken from the baobab tree in Africa and often comes in powdered form,” says Zoe. “It contains more vitamin C than oranges as well as minerals such as calcium, potassium and magnesium - great for supporting collagen production and alkalising the body.”
6. Cleanse quickly but effectively
When it comes to fast cleansing that doesn’t compromise on quality to ensure maximum sleep but minimum faff, micellar waters are the skincare solution that have quickly achieved a cult following. Counting us as fans, you’re certain to find Eucerin DermatoCLEAN 3 in 1 Micellar Cleansing Fluid , £9, adorning our bedside tables. Removing all eye and face makeup, it works as a sure-fire way to dissolve all remnants of a heavy night out for times when you’re particularly time-short. Containing gluco-glycerol and hyaluronic acid to leave skin soft, not stripped and a complex that aids ultra mild cleansing, it acts as an effective short-cut on nights when you’d rather go to sleep sooner rather than later.
7. Grab an on-the-go gadget
For a thorough weekly treat that fits into the smallest of bags, look no further than the Foreo Luna Go , £85, for on-the-go face-cleansing. T-Sonic technology radiates through its soft silicone touch-points, making it a small yet mighty piece of hygienic beauty tech that’s great in tackling dirt and oil, makeup residue and dead skin cell build-up. Its useful ‘anti-ageing’ mode also makes for a unique feature for directing lower frequency pulsations towards fine lines and wrinkles, making it a great addition to anyone’s beauty gadget artillery.
8. Bags? Apply tea bags
They say a cup of tea fixes anything - but did you know it can also help diminish your dark circles too? If a series of late nights have taken a toll on your eyes, some trusty tea bags could help turn back the clock. “If you’ve had a late night, then try camomile tea,” advises Zoe. “Not only is it great for soothing the digestive tract after a few (too many) cocktails, but you can also use the teabags as an eye mask to help de-puff. Soak the teabags in cold water and then put in ice and place over your eyes for 15 minutes.”
9. Buy a balm
Particularly weathered winter skin? You’re not alone. Late nights, early mornings and the distinct chill in the air can cause skin to become chapped, cracked, dry and damaged. To ensure you’re never caught out, a travel-friendly sized balm can provide a much-needed dose of relief when you need it most. As far as SOS skincare goes, you’d be hard-pressed to find one that’s better value for money than Eucerin Aquaphor Soothing Skin Balm , £9. At under a tenner, it conditions and soothes skin in one fell swoop thanks to a rich and nourishing combination of panthenol and bisabolol to help support skin’s normal functions and glycerine to intensely moisturise. You won’t find our handbags without it.
10. Meet your matcha
For the ultimate top up to your mid-afternoon cup of tea, look no further than a mug of matcha. “Matcha is 100% natural green tea leaves ground into a fine powder,” explains Zoe. “It’s a concentrated form of green tea containing flavonoids and phytonutrients that have an antioxidant-like effect. Swap out your coffee for a matcha latte through party season and notice the difference it will make to your skin,” she recommends.
11. Try some magic mushrooms...
...but not the ones you’re thinking of. These are more of the skin rather than the mind altering kinds. “Reishi is also known as the ‘mushroom of immortality’ and rightly so!” says Zoe. “Its health benefits are numerous but in the context of skin, it’s an anti-inflammatory and an adaptogenic, so it’s useful for any hormonal issues, especially breakouts. It’s also thought to be anti-ageing for the skin too.”
12. Top up with a good skin supplement
If you’re looking for an extra defence during the Christmas period, a seasonal skin supplement could act as a handy complexion pick-me-up. Zoe’s top pick? “During the party season, my go-to supplement is Equi London Beautiful , £62,” she recommends. “It’s a one-a-day multi-vitamin powder specifically aimed at boosting skin health. It does this through stimulating synthesis of deeper cells to boost cell turnover, while also nourishing more superficial layers of the skin for more youthful, glowing skin.”