Read on for tips and shop the products!
1) During the upcoming holidays – with the parties, family gatherings, alcohol, etc. – it is extra important to make the effort to prioritize your daily skincare regimen. Foods with a high glycemic index (sugars) can cause acne flares and alcohol dehydrates the body (including the skin) as it is a diuretic – meaning it causes your body to lose water, making the skin on your face appear more luster-less and hollow/sunken-in. Try to replace this extra loss of water in your body by drinking a glass or two of water for each glass of wine or cocktail that you drink.
2) No matter how much fun that holiday party is, always remember to use a good facial cleanser to wash your face and remove make-up before bed. Having acne in family holiday portraits will haunt you for years. . . it’s simply not worth it to skip these essential evening skin care steps! he best skin cleanser has to do with what type of skin you have. If you are oily and acne-prone, a cleanser with salicylic acid is best. If you have combination skin, a cleanser that has added exfoliating beads (I.e. ZO’s Exfoliating Cleanser) is great to get rid of those dull skin cells that tend to cling on and make the skin look dull.
3) Even though it might be cold and cloudy outside, that doesn’t mean that you don’t have to wear sunblock every day. . . ultraviolet (UV) light easily penetrates clouds and leads to sun damage as well as premature aging of your skin. So, while you are getting dressed in your cute ski-bunny outfit, remember to take a moment to also apply your oil-free, broad-spectrum sunblock to all areas of your skin that will not be covered by clothing.
4) To keep your skin looking polished and flawless for all of your upcoming holiday events, you should get into the habit of using a product that mechanically exfoliates the skin every day (like ZO’s Offects Exfoliating Polish); this is in addition to your twice daily facial cleansing. I’ve found that it’s easiest to rinse this off of my face (after massaging it into my skin for about 30 seconds) while in the shower. I also recommend using a product with salicylic acid (like ZO’s TePads) once to twice daily to shrink your oil glands (preventing new acne from arising) and decrease the size of your pores.
5) Avoid the urge to over-moisturize! Putting on moisturizer actually weakens your skin – your body senses moisture on the skin’s surface and therefore stops producing moisture from within. In other words, any product that you apply to your face should have at least one active ingredient that serves a specific purpose, such as repairing sun damage, stimulating collagen growth, or repairing damaged DNA. So, even though your skin may feel dry. . . step away from the moisturizer!
1. Murad Oil Free Broad Spectrum Sunblock // 2. ZO Offects Te Pads // 3. Arcona Peptide Hydrating Complex // 4. ZO Offects Exfoliating Polish // 5. Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash
To learn more about the Obagi Skin Institute or Dr. Kiripolsky: http://www.obagiskin.com