Skincare Tips: How to Prep Your Skin for a Natural Radiance Before the Holidays
Hot summers and humid monsoons can leave your skin looking dull and lifeless. With the holiday season fast approaching, it’s time to prep your skin for a natural glow.
The monsoon season is coming to an end, which means festivals are coming. From cleaning your house to clearing your skin, you’ll be doing a lot in no time to get ready for the festivities. It also helps intensify your skin care
after a humid rainy day and imparts a natural glow that will leave everyone wondering the secret behind it.
The trick is using the right products, practicing good skin care, and being patient. And it doesn’t have to burn a hole in your pocket. Ready to pick up some holiday skincare tips? You can easily achieve the glow you crave by
using the right skincare routine, watching your diet, and using makeup for that extra glow.
What are you waiting for?
Let’s dive into some of the best ways to get your skin ready for the holidays. Health Shots has enlisted renowned dermatologist Dr. Rinky Kapoor to share some simple but effective tips to get your skin ready for the holidays.
Holiday Skincare Tips: Keeping Your Routine Right. Here are some ways to easily prep your skin for the holidays, as Dr. suggests. Kapoor recommends:
1. Start cleaning: Cleansing must be the first step in any skin care routine. Be sure to cleanse your skin morning and night. Use a good quality cleanser that will remove dirt and pollutants without drying out your skin. Regular
cleansing helps keep skin fresh and supple, says Dr. Kapoor.
2. Exfoliation is key! Exfoliate twice a week while improving cell turnover and improving blood circulation to the skin. Regular exfoliation can help remove dead skin cells. You can even use physical peels at home or discuss
microdermabrasion (an invasive procedure used to rejuvenate skin cells) with your dermatologist. You can also use chemical peels for a deep peel.
3. Massage your face once a day. A light facial massage now and then can help revive your complexion. It also helps improve blood circulation, providing more oxygen to skin cells and helping them regenerate. You can also use
facial oils rich in hyaluronic acid, vitamins C and E, and other antioxidants. Massage your face upwards with a jade roller as recommended by your dermatologist.
4. Treat yourself to a facial. The sweltering heat of summer and the rainy season leaves behind tanned, discolored skin. It damages the skin and its texture, making your skin look dull. You can opt for a multivitamin-rich
whitening facial. It helps reduce sun damage, removes blackheads and whiteheads, and gives your skin a flawless glow, perfect for the holidays.
5. Use a vitamin C serum. Vitamin C serum is good for the skin. Not only do they help protect the skin, experts explain, but they also reverse underlying damage, leaving skin radiant, just like you’ve always wanted.
6. Choose the right moisturizer. Moisturizer is essential to plump skin. It keeps the skin hydrated and keeps the outside elements out. Choose a moisturizer with ingredients like hyaluronic acid, vitamin C, and aloe vera to keep
skin looking radiant and smooth. Apply moisturizer after serum and before sunscreen. Experts recommend an ultra-light cream for an instant radiant face.
7. Cover it up. Immediately revitalize your skin with a face mask. No beauty routine is complete without applying a nourishing face mask every few days. Try this serum mask with Vitamin A, Activated Charcoal, Avocado, Vitamin C
and Niacinamide to revitalize your skin in just minutes. The effects of most masks only last about 15 minutes.
8. Use ice cubes. Have you ever heard of applying ice to your skin? Everyone from Katrina Kaif to Alia Bhatt is using this trick! It’s a proven method that can do wonders for your skin and is popular with many actresses and influencers.
If you’re feeling like your skin is looking dull ahead of your big day, ice cubes are the perfect quick fix to tone your skin right away, says Dr. Kapoor. Do you want to know if it works? Well, experts say cold ice boosts blood
circulation and gives your skin a natural rosy glow in minutes.
9. Exercise every morning. It goes without saying that exercise can make or break your health. In this case, even your skin! All you have to do is set aside 40 minutes each morning for a good workout, including cardio and
strength training.
You can also do yoga three times a week. It clears out pore-clogging toxins and brightens skin effortlessly, adding a little extra radiance. It’s a healthy and easy way to detoxify your skin and give it a healthy appearance.
10. Eat Nutritious Foods. Healthy skin depends largely on what you put in your gut. What you eat shows on your face. With the holidays coming up, you should start incorporating fresh fruits and vegetables into your diet.
These include foods rich in omega-3s, such as walnuts, avocados, beets, sweet potatoes, and salmon. Avoid oils and sodas and switch to healthy beverages like lemon or orange water, says Dr. Kapoor
11. Hydration Drinking water every few minutes is the only beauty elixir your body needs. It can treat a range of issues such as hyperpigmentation, acne, dullness, eye bags and puffy skin. Whether you’re attending worship or
throwing a party, it’s important to stay properly hydrated.
12. Give your skin some love If you love makeup, strobe creams, highlighters, and liquid brighteners to give your skin a glow, don’t forget to remove your makeup. Finally, avoid stress and tension during the holidays. It can
show up on the skin and make it dull. Maintain a relaxed, casual vibe and practice meditation regularly, she adds. While these holiday skincare tips are recommended by experts, your skin type may be different, and some of them
may not work for you. It is best to consult a dermatologist before using these tips.
DQH Knowledge drop: In your 20s, your skin cell turnover decreases. (Cell turnover is a key component in keeping your skin youthful.) You know what else slows down? Your collagen production. Starting in your 20s, collagen decreases by about 1 percent per year. Should you want to prevent fine lines and wrinkles, start by eliminating behaviors that contribute to premature aging. “If it’s bad for you, it’s bad for your skin,” says dermatologist Michel Somenek.
“Cigarette smoking reduces blood flow to the skin and causes premature wrinkling and a dull skin texture. Making the repeated pursed motion to inhale can also cause smoker’s lines. Alcohol and recreational drugs are toxins for the skin that damage its cellular structure and DNA,” Somenek tells us. “The faster you eliminate vices while you are young, the better chance your skin and body have to recuperate.” Also, adopting an anti-aging routine in your 20s is key. After all, the best offense is a good defense. We spoke to Somenek and experts Joshua Ross and Audrey Kunin to find out more.
Keep reading for the best anti-aging products for your 20s, according to skincare professionals.
Sunscreen
“We all know that the sun is the number one cause of skin aging and starting the prevention in your 20s is very important,” Ross says. “The majority of your sun damage won’t start to appear until you’re in your 30s, so don’t wait until you see it surface or you’ll be behind the curve. Stay ahead of it with a good-quality zinc-based sunscreen worn daily.”
Farmacy Green Defense Daily Mineral Sunscreen
An invisible sunscreen with SPF 30, plus botanical extracts meant to protect skin with tons of antioxidants. Bonus: It’s clean and fine to use under makeup.
Bareminerals Complexion Rescue™ Tinted Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30
Although we recommend you use your SPF and moisturizer separately, we also understand moments when you don’t have time or energy for that extra step. For those times, this bareMinerals moisturizer is a great thing to have on hand.
Vitamin C Serum
“A great introduction to anti-aging is to start with a vitamin C serum in your morning skincare routine,” Ross says. “It’s a powerful antioxidant that will neutralize free radicals and brighten the skin.” He adds that it’s a great way to counteract the effects of the sun’s harmful rays, which, as previously mentioned, are among the biggest causes of premature aging.
Drunk Elephant C-Firma™ Vitamin C Day Serum
The Drunk Elephant C-Firma is a lightweight serum that promises to give skin a glow by combining the brightening powers of vitamin C with ferulic acid, l-ascorbic acid, and vitamin E. The included sodium hyaluronate is meant to replace hydration loss, so you shouldn’t have to deal with any irritation.
Sunday Riley C.E.O. Rapid Flash Brightening Serum
This potent serum is jam-packed with vitamin C (15 percent, to be exact), which means it’s a potential superstar at both brightening skin and dousing it in antioxidants.
Peptides
Using peptides on your skin has many benefits, says Somenek. “The skin barrier is what defends the body against pollution, UV rays, bacteria, and toxins. It can be damaged by several everyday factors. Using topical peptides aids in building a stronger barrier,” he says. “Peptides comprise elastic fibers, which are a type of protein. These fibers help to make skin appear taut and firm. Peptides can also help repair damaged skin, relieve inflammation, and even out skin tone. Some peptides can kill acne-causing bacteria that is common in 20-somethings.”
Kunin agrees, saying, “Peptides are an excellent entry point for supporting collagen.” She recommends looking for face and eye treatments that contain these collagen-boosting powerhouses.
Charlotte Tilbury Magic Eye Rescue Cream
This Charlotte Tilbury super-emollient eye cream has a base of coconut oil and shea butter (read: it’s incredibly hydrating). Botanicals plus peptides are meant to help reduce dark circles and boost collagen, respectively.
This creamy moisturizer serves up potent collagen-boosting peptides and pycnogenol, and antioxidant-rich vitamin C. “Instead of sitting on top of the skin, peptides penetrate the outer layer so they go deep. The ‘signals’ they send tell the cells to produce elastin and collagen, which are needed for youthful-looking skin,” explains Somenek.
At-Home Peel Pads
Remember that skin cell turnover fiasco we talked about earlier? One way to help support it is by exfoliating. “Exfoliation is important to help keep skin fresh and luminous,” Kunin says. She recommends using at-home peel pads as an easy and effective way to exfoliate.
“The goal in your 20s is to fight the slowing pace of cell turnover. It is wise to use products that gently exfoliate, yet still remove oil and other impurities. Products that have Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA) or Beta Hydroxy Acids (BHA) are a good choice.”
According to Somenek, you should only exfoliate two to three times a week. “People of all ages are guilty of over-exfoliating and that can be too much of a good thing,” he says.
Dermadoctor Kakadu C Intensive Vitamin C Peel Pad
A few swipes of this Derma Doctor powerful peel pad promise to leave your skin glowing and smooth, thanks to the seven (yes, seven) types of chemical exfoliants, including AHA and BHA. It also contains vitamin C via Kakadu plum extract for added brightening and antioxidant protection.
KEY INGREDIENTS Kakadu plum extract is sourced from the Kakadu plum, a fruit grown in northern Australia. It contains vitamin C, which restores the skin’s natural barrier, increases collagen production, and soothes irritation.
Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta® Universal Daily Peel Pads
These are the gold standard of peel pads, with a cult following and over 900 five-star reviews on Sephora. They’re easy to use and contain a blend of anti-aging exfoliating acids.
Emollient Night Cream
“In your 20s, you need to start upping the hydration in your skincare routine. You may have been cautious of over-moisturizing because of acne in your teens, but as you enter your 20s, your skin transitions and becomes drier,” Ross says. “I recommend an emollient night cream added into your evening skincare regimen.”
“Twenty-somethings need to make sure that they are not using creams that will clog their pores and cause excess oil production,” says Somenek. Opt for non-comedogenic products.
Cerave Skin Renewing Night Cream
One great choice is the CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream, which is a non-comedogenic night cream that leaves skin soft and glowy. It combines the moisturizing powers of ceramides and hyaluronic acid.
RoC Retinol Correxion Max Hydration Creme
“The best night cream ingredients contain retinol, benzoyl peroxide, and/or salicylic acid or hyaluronic acid. The goal is to moisturize, yet remove excess oil,” says Somenek. This Roc Retinol Correxion cream fits the bill as it contains both hyaluronic acid and retinol so it promises to moisturize while also being non-comedogenic.
