With the festive period almost on our doorsteps, everyone is getting geared up. However, for those who suffering from common skin conditions such as acne, rosacea, dry, itchy skin and eczema and cold sores, the Christmas period can be a time when Christmas skin conditions flare.

 

The stuffy heated environments indoors, cold biting winds outdoors, increased alcohol, a change in diet and less sleep and more stress than normal, are all triggers for potential Christmas skin mares. Add to that new cosmetics, skincare products and perfumes that often comes as gifts at Christmas and your skin could be freaking out this Christmas.

 

Here are our top 6 tips to help you avoid Christmas skin problem triggers and not let a skinmare ruin your festive fun.

 

  1. Make it simple

Calming sensitive skin prone to rosacea and break outs down before the festive period is essential to staving off a flare up or break out over Christmas and new year. The best way to do this is by simplifying your skincare regime.

For a few weeks before the festive period is to try and cut out as many chemicals and perfumes being applied to skin via skincare products.

Try and switch to chemical and perfume free skincare products and reduce your skincare to the bare minimum in the run up to Christmas. The less products you use the better.

Many people do the opposite in a bid to try and get clearer skin for the party season by increasing their skincare with facials, exfoliants and face masks, but this can do more harm than good for sensitive and problem skin.

Using a de-sensitising moisturiser that is free from chemicals and perfumes can dramatically help calm skin down in the run up to the festive season.

 

  1. Save your sebum

If you suffer from acne and breaks outs its often tempting to try and ‘dry up’ greasy skin with sebum blocking products in preparation for the party season.

However, this can have the opposite effect because skin can become more sensitive when drier and also with new cosmetics and skin care products often applied over Christmas often means skin becomes more sensitive which means more break outs.

Sebum is actually nature’s best protector for your skin, so keeping it flowing over the festive period will help keep your skin more robust and protected against dry central heating, new and heavier cosmetics and the general stress, lack of sleep and over-indulgence that come with the festive season.

 The key is to keep your sebum pure and not let it get contaminated with bad bacteria as it reaches the skin’s surface, which is what leads to pimples, acne and breakouts 

In the run up and over the festive season use a sebum purifier rather than sebum blocking products to keep your skin purer, hydrated and protected over the festive period.

 

  1. Do some lip service

Anyone who gets cold sores (which is approximately half the population) will be painfully aware how common it is to get a cold sore over the Christmas period.

But rather than just waiting in dread for the first tingle to appear, take action and use prevention methods in the run up to Christmas to help reduce the risk of getting a cold sore over the festive period.

Avoid eating crunchy baguettes, salted crisps or anything abrasive or sharp a week before Christmas. Also avoid sipping on very hot drinks.

Avoid dark coloured, mattifying or flavoured lip sticks or glosses and never let lips get dry during the day.

Avoid any lip treatments such as fillers or any trauma to the lips such as lip exfoliants for at least two weeks before Christmas.

Use a cold sore preventing balm 2-3 times daily up to two weeks before Christmas.

 

  1. Boost your bacteria

Skin has good and bad bacteria and put quite simply, the more bad bacteria you have on your skin the more vulnerable your skin is to break outs, acne, redness and flare ups. The more good bacteria you have on your skin the stronger and less sensitive your skin is.

So, it’s a good idea in the run up to Christmas to fortify your skin by boosting your good skin bacteria.

This can be achieved in two ways, by reducing he amount of chemicals and preservatives on your skin (by following tip 1) and using a good bacteria promoting skincare product for a few weeks before and over the festive period.

 

  1. Switch down your haircare

When talking about sensitive skin and skin conditions everyone always talks about skin care.

But, in fact, what you use on your hair can also drastically affect sensitive skin as well as cause itchy scalp.

Hairdressers are typically booked out over Christmas and New year with people rushing to have their hair done for the party season.

So before you head to the salon for that festive new do, switching to a more natural and clarifying hair care product for a few weeks before Christmas will give your skin and your scalp a much-needed break to calm down before the party season.

Its also helpful to avoid blow dries for at last a week before the party season kicks off.

It doesn’t mean you have to have simpler flatter hair forever, it just helps prepare your skin and scalp for the onslaught of styling products and blow dries over the party season.

 

  1. Get a bit dirty

It may sound like the opposite of what you envisage for the party season but preparing your skin to reduce the risk of dryness and eczema flare ups means washing a little less than normal.

Dry and sensitive skin and skin prone to eczema suffers from too much washing, so slightly reducing your washing regime in the few weeks before the festive period might significantly help your skin retain more of its natural oils in preparation for the party season when you are likely to be grooming and washing more often.

Dry to reduce face washing as much as possible and use a natural water free cream cleanser instead to remove dirt and cosmetics.

If showing, have quick tepid showers and use a natural body wash.To avoid any intimate itching, discomfort and vaginal dryness use a separate natural intimate wash. 

If bathing, use a moisturising and skin smoothing bath soak in every bath for a few weeks before Christmas.

Shave less than normal.

Heavily moisturise skin with chemical and perfume free ultra moistursing salves for very dry skin twice daily in the run up to the festive season.