Blogmas Day Seventeen – 5 tips for Healthier Skin this Christmas

Hi everyone – how are you all today?? 

So I hope you don’t mind, but I’m trying to move away from the super Christmassy posts just a little so that you don’t get too annoyed with me yabbering on about Christmas movies, Christmas foods, holly jolly merriment and all the rest. Don’t worry I still plan to do more of those posts, but I thought some posts that are more ‘in the realm of something to do with Christmas’ than overtly Christmassy might be a nice refreshing break. 

So I was originally going to post about some skincare tips for winter, but then I realised … that wouldn’t be such a great idea because I’m not having Christmas in Winter, and many people spend the holiday season in shorts and shirts battling the heat instead of bundled up in blankets, snuggled up inside. Thus, I have changed gear a little with the direction for my skincare tip post. Instead of linking it to one specific climate or season, my skincare tips today are going to be all about Christmas!! Here are 5 tips from me for how you can look after your skin and have healthy skin this Christmas – I hope you enjoy!! (okay maybe I didn’t sway too much from Christmas but it’s the thought that counts right?) 

Always take your makeup off. 

It’s been a long day. It’s late, and you’re tired, and all you want to do is crawl into bed and pass out. I know how much effort it can be to drag yourself up and remove your makeup, but it’s honestly well worth the effort. No matter how tired you feel, get that makeup off so that your skin can breathe. Going to sleep with all that stuff on your face will block your pores and just lead to breakouts, sensitivity and dehydrated skin. It only takes a minute or two to get off – less time than brushing your teeth. 

Just have a bite 

Sadly when it comes to skin, the old saying of ‘you are what you eat’ has a little more truth to it. Sugar is evil, and we know how bad it is – not only because it’s unhealthy, but because it’s addictive. If you struggle with limiting your sugar intake, I’m with you. I love sweet things, and I’m continually working to flush unnecessary sugars and sugary foods out of my diet and replace them with good stuff like fruit and veg and natural products. Sugar ages the skin and damages collagen fibres (this is what keeps our skin looking young and healthy). When you’re faced with a table full of desserts or get offered just one more glass or cookie while you’re enjoying the festive merriment, I think there are very few of us with such strong willpower to be able to say no. A way to beat this is to have just one bite. That way, you get a taste of that delicious treat or a sip of a drink, but you don’t devour an entire slice/plate or bottle. You get a taste, without ruining your healthy eating plan and your skincare – sounds like a win-win to me. You just need to tell yourself that you’re strong enough to stop after only one bite (having a partner/family member/friend to remind you helps just warn them that they may get their head bitten off once or twice). 

Drink water with alcohol 

For a lot of people, there is usually an increase in alcohol consumption over the holidays, and that’s not a bad thing (so long as everyone is drinking responsibly!!) Even if you’re not a big drinker, you’re still likely to indulge a little more than you usually do. Now there’s nothing wrong with enjoying a few drinks but alcohol can be damaging to the skin (it dries skin out a lot), but it also dehydrates us generally which is also not great for our skin. So, make sure to stay properly hydrated, especially if you plan on drinking. For every alcoholic beverage you have, match it with a glass of water (you can alternate between the two if it helps). Also, drink a nice big glass of water before you go to bed to help with hydration while you sleep. Water is often undervalued as a skin care remedy, but I promise you it isn’t a myth and it certainly isn’t overrated so if you take one tip away from this post, remember to drink lots of water!

Try to keep your skincare routine. 

Breaking your skincare routine (oooh I know – how rebellious!!) happens. It does – and sometimes that can’t be helped. For instance, when I travelled back home for Christmas, I couldn’t take my big bottles of daily cleanser and stuff home because I bought them specifically for uni. There would be no point hauling them home just to bring them back in three weeks, especially since I have the products at home too. Sadly though that’s meant I’ve had three days plus 24 hours plus of travelling without my skincare routine and believe me I can feel the difference. As much as possible, try to stick to your skincare routine. It will help keep your skin feeling and looking amazing during all the festivities (whether it be of the jolly or frustrating variety) 

Pay attention to your skin (and the season) 

As I said, I was tempted to write this post with winter being the season in mind, but of course, we all spend Christmas in different climates, and all require slight adjustments to how we look after our skin. So, pay attention to yourself and your skin this Christmas – our skin has a very clear way of showing us when it’s unhappy (those breakouts I get if I’ve eaten too much sugar or do a drastic climate change … they don’t make me happy but it’s my skins way of telling me to pay attention and do something different). Search for tips relevant to the season you’re in so that you can look after your skin, and listen to your skin’s needs like exfoliating or moisturising or simply cutting back a little on dessert (not entirely – I know it’s Christmas, but just a bit). 

And there you have it!! It took me so long to realise the importance of skincare and treating your skin right (well I mean my mom always emphasised it and ‘forced’ me to follow a skincare routine, but I don’t think the value of it hit me until I was much older, so mom thank you for the kick in the butt I needed when I was a more stubborn 13-year-old). Our skin is an organ, and it needs our love and attention, and as much as we’d all like to think it, sadly it doesn’t give us a free pass just because it’s Christmas (much like our weight … but that’s a gripe for another day). I really hope you enjoyed this post, and it’s given you some helpful tips for looking after your skin this Christmas. If there are any other tips that you use that you think are really great that I have missed out on, please share in the comments section!! Also, I’d love to chat with you all about your skincare routine in general as I’m always looking for more tips and to learn things I never knew, so let’s chat. 

Other than that, that’s all I have for today, so I wish you and your skin a Merry Christmas, and I will see you both tomorrow!

Lots of Love

Blondey on a Mission xxx (and the tiny pimple that has appeared spitefully on my chin – his name is Jeremy)