Holiday Skin Care: all links so far

holiday skin care

• Alcohol: What drinking does to your skin (new!)

• Holiday Hangover Helpers

• Holiday Recovery Program: Part I

• Holiday Recovery Program: Part II

• Resolutions for the new year—Body, Mind & Soul

Alcohol: What drinking does to your skin

Why is alcohol bad, and what does drinking do to my skin?

As much as alcohol can add to a situation, like helping you to relax or otherwise enjoy a social event, there are many reasons why it isn’t great for your skin. I wouldn’t classify alcohol as “bad” per se, but it certainly isn’t helping to keep your skin hydrated and healthy-looking. Depletion is the operative word for what alcohol does to your body in general and specifically to your skin.   

First of all, alcohol is a diuretic, so drinking it depletes your body’s supply of water. A good rule of thumb is to drink two glasses of water for every alcoholic drink. Then you are helping to replace water you will lose from drinking.

Next, alcohol depletes vitamins and minerals, including B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12, C, choline, inositol, magnesium, and potassium at the very least. Vitamin C and B-complex are both water-soluble vitamins, meaning they are easily flushed out of your system, especially by alcohol. If you are drinking alcohol on any kind of a regular basis, be aware you may be lowering the vitamins stored in your body. I’m not saying never have a glass of wine. But if you drink, I think it would be beneficial to know what it is doing to your body, which ends up affecting your skin.

Alcohol takes the mineral calcium from bone and reduces your body’s ability to metabolize iron; both of these processes are especially bad for women. According to Dr. Christiane Northrup in her book, Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom, alcohol increases the amount of free-floating estrogens in the bloodstream and has been linked in some clinical studies to an increased risk of breast cancer.

Alcohol is toxic, so when you drink it, your eliminating organs swing into high gear. You may be feeling tipsy from your libation, but your kidneys and liver are hard at work trying to filter out and release the toxins found in that glass of whatever you are drinking.

Finally, alcohol impairs your judgment. Without going into great detail, making poor choices can be catastrophic, like getting behind the wheel. If you drink, don’t drive. Poor choices can also be as minor as not washing your face before going to bed. Better choices? Drink lots of water when you are drinking alcohol and drink a lot of water the following day to help your body (especially your kidneys and liver) process the alcohol.

I like to live my life by this saying: Everything in moderation, including moderation. If you want to have some wine with dinner after a hard day’s work or at a party, don’t stress out about it. Your skin isn’t going to be ruined by a few drinks. But if you drink regularly or even infrequently, I highly recommend taking supplements and other health-producing measures when you do indulge.

Hangover? I’ve written a few articles on things you can do to help keep a hangover to a minimum. Even if you only have one glass of wine, try the suggested cures to help your body recover from the toxic effect of (even a little) alcohol. 

For more information, see:

• Holiday Hangover Helpers
• Hot water and lemon to the rescue
• Emergen-C—a little effervescence for your health 
• Sugar, wine, and breakout

Holiday Recovery Program: Part II

In Holiday Recovery Program: Part I, keeping your skin hydrated during and after the holidays was discussed. Breakout is another common problem you may face when all the holiday commotion has died down. Some of the culprits are:

• Sugar and fatty foods can overload your system and cause your skin to break out. Holiday cookies, pies, and candied foods individually may not give you blemishes, but because these kinds of foods are so plentiful during the holidays, you may not even realize how much of them you have eaten. 

• Stress weakens your immune system, which can cause all kinds of problems including poor elimination. Since your skin in the largest organ of elimination, breakouts are common when you are under stress.

• Even a lack of sleep can put excess stress on your body and therefore your skin. Consistent restful sleep will be reflected in the healthy look of your skin.

• And don’t get me started on those of you who may have gone to sleep with makeup on. This is a skin care no-no and will inevitably cause congestion in your pores leading to breakouts.

There are several good treatments to help clear breakouts and clean up your skin. Using a clay mask on your entire face will help clean out the pores as well as stimulate blood circulation, which helps to eliminate toxins and brings out a healthy glow. You can even dot the mask on your blemishes and leave it on overnight to give any infections extra attention, helping breakout to heal faster. Geranium (or lavender) essential oil is another solution for problem skin. Due to its antibacterial properties, geranium will help speed up recovery time on any red, infected places. Drinking water is another key step to keeping your skin clear. Helping to flush toxins out of the body, water helps with the overall health of (all) cells as well as assisting with detoxification.

Tired, depleted skin is usually a result of a lack of rest combined with poor skin care habits, both common during the holidays. The solution?

• Breathe! Finding time to “relax” during a hectic day may seem impossible, but even slowing down and taking a couple of deep breaths every now and then can help calm down the chaos in your life (and mind).

• Take a nap. Lack of sleep is one of the primary causes of dull-looking skin. Giving your body a break—even for 15 minutes—will help keep you looking radiant throughout the new year.

• Water is essential for healthy tissue, so drinking water will always help to revitalize your skin. (It helps with weight loss, too.) 

• Take a bath. Lock the door to the bathroom, put on some soothing music, add aromatic bath salts to the tub, light some mood-enhancing candles, and R E L A X—you deserve it! You made it through the holiday madness and now it’s time for you.
  

• Get a facial. There is nothing better for your skin than a professional skin care treatment. In the hands of a pro your skin will come to life again, even if you overindulged in holiday cheer.

You can incorporate any and all the suggestions from both Part I and Part II of the Holiday Recovery Program any time during the year. Doing extra things for your skin (and body) right after the holidays will go a long way to help your health, inside and out, all year round.

For more information, see:

• Sugar Addicted? Try a three-day sugar fast
• Tips to help you Drink More Water!
• What is a clay mask and why use one?
• Solutions for Stressed Skin

BE WELL, and have a safe and healthy new year!

Resolutions for the new year—Body, Mind & Soul

Greetings and Happy New Year!

To start the year off, I am working with the theme of Body, Mind, Spirit (Soul). I’m doing this because life truly is wholistic (my unique spelling); it is composed of the whole of who we are: Body, which includes a healthy skin care routine; Mind, made up of healthy lifestyle habits, which are controlled by the mind; and Spirit, connecting with nature to feed your soul as well as being conscious of your inner nature.

BODY (SKIN)

Do you have a plan for your skin in the new year? How about trying to tackle just one thing starting out. And one of the most important things you can do to improve your skin, now and throughout the year, is to exfoliate. Exfoliation is simply removing dead cells from the surface of your skin. This can be achieved in several different ways:

1. Try using Yonka-Paris’ wonderful Gommage (303 or 305). This is my favorite exfoliator and one I recommend using at least once or twice per week. 
2. A facial scrub is a common way to exfoliate. Less effective than the gommage, it will still get rid of a layer or two of dead skin. Use it in the shower to avoid too much mess. Always use a scrub on wet (moist) skin.
3. My least favorite way to exfoliate, although very popular, is using AHA products. My concern is alpha hydroxy acids can cause redness in most peoples’ skin. However they do remove dead cells without having to do much more than apply the product.

No matter what you choose to use, exfoliate more often. This will help with the hydration and texture of your skin all year round. For more details, see:

• What is Gommage?
• What are AHAs? Miracle ingredients or not?
• Exfoliation Quick Tips for Facial Scrubs 

MIND (HABITS)

Starting new lifestyle habits is synonymous with January 1st of any year. No matter when you are starting or ending habits, I recommend going slowly. Why? Historically neither deprivation nor overdoing it works. Hasn’t this been true for you? If not—congratulations!

If you aren’t drinking enough water, for instance, don’t go for eight glasses every day at the beginning of your overhaul. Try doubling what you are doing to start with—or less. If you’re drinking two glasses of water a day, try to get in four; if you drink four, go for six. And if that seems too daunting, simply drink one more glass a day for a week, then go for two more. 

There are no hard and fast rules for change. It’s better to go slowly and add one thing at a time vs. doing too much and throwing in the towel before getting through January—the first month of your new start. Eventually you can graduate to the levels you want in your daily life—whether adding or subtracting habits. Going slowly will give your body time to adjust to the (healthy) change. And your mind won’t feel like it’s having to make drastic changes while you’re making new choices.

Also see:

• Tips to help you Drink More Water!
• Holiday Recovery Program: Part II

SPIRIT/SOUL (NATURE)

Spending time outdoors, in nature, is an important component to healthy body, mind, and spirit. The main reason I moved to Boulder was to be close to the mountains—close to nature. Truly, “nature” is everywhere, so you don’t have to live in the mountains and go hiking every day to enjoy being outside.

Being out-of-doors—out of the confines of the office, home, or wherever inside—is as important to your health as being inside protected from harsh environments. You don’t have to exercise out in a snow storm, but do try to get out and enjoy the great outdoors—even in weather that isn’t picture perfect. And if you don’t have a lot of time, try to get outside for even 5 or 10 minutes. The more fresh air you can get the better, and something is better than nothing.

For more articles, see:

• Relaxation—Can you dig it?
• HEADSPACE: Get your meditation on

4th of July Trail in CO

Are you sensing a theme here? Selecting just one thing to change at a time; changing slowly to ensure a habit’s success; and doing something rather than nothing, even if it isn’t as much as you’d like to do. Work with these as suggestions and see if you have success with any resolutions you’re looking to make in the new year (or any time). Taking smaller steps may be a better way for you to succeed in making changes.

Wishing you ALL THE BEST in the new year. May happiness, health, wisdom, and lots of love follow you throughout the new year and beyond.

Holiday Recovery Program: Part I

Did you go to a few too many holiday parties? Stay out late, drink too much, eat too many sweet or rich foods, and did you even go to bed with your makeup on? Not to mention the in-laws spending the holidays with you, getting all the presents bought and wrapped, and to top it off—looking good throughout the process! Or maybe you caught a cold or came down with the flu. Well, if you can relate to any of the above, you’re not alone.

The holidays are usually a time of letting go of your normal routine and letting yourself indulge in all the heavenly treats this time of year brings. And if you went a little overboard or just stayed the course and still suffered some stress getting through the holidays, no doubt your skin is showing the signs of neglect, and I have some tips on how to put your face back on the road to recovery.

Dehydration is the most common side effect encountered at this time of year and can be caused by many factors. Here a just a few:

• Drinking too much alcohol. Alcohol is a diuretic and leaches water out of your body leaving all of your organs, including your skin, without adequate hydration.

• Simply not drinking enough water can be detrimental to your skin. Water is essential at a cellular level. Without enough water, your body has a tougher time releasing toxins and all of your organs (including your skin) have to work harder to keep up their normal functions.

• Indoor heat is a leading cause of surface dehydration. It dries out the air inside your home, leaving your skin (every inch of it—face and body) feeling itchy and scaly and looking as rough as an alligator’s skin.

• Even the cold, dry air outside can cause your skin to feel like it needs to vacation in a rain forest.

• If you got sick this winter, your skin probably paid the price. Sometimes medication can cause dehydration. And usually when you’re sick, your daily routines don’t get accomplished, including your daily skin care routine.

There are two easy solutions for surface dehydration: Exfoliating and using a hydrating mask. Exfoliation is the number one problem solver when it comes to dehydration. Getting rid of the surface dead cell buildup will allow your skin to retain moisture more efficiently; smooth out the rough texture associated with dehydration; give your skin a healthy glow, due to the circulatory benefits of exfoliating; and better enable you to have clear skin, since it’s dead skin and oil that clog the pores.

Using either a scrub or a soft gel peel (gommage) will immediately lift off surface dead cell buildup and reveal healthy, vibrant skin underneath. Applying a hydrating mask will quickly and easily add moisture to your skin. (Don’t have a hydrating mask? Simply apply a thick layer of your favorite day or nighttime moisturizer.) Leave it on your face for 10-15 minutes then remove the mask and enjoy softer, smoother skin instantly! Create your own at-home facial by exfoliating, using a mask, then hopping into a warm tub full of bubbles and letting the stress release from your body.

Incorporating some or all of these suggestions will help your skin look and feel more hydrated during and after the holidays and keep it looking good all year round.

For more information, see:

• Holiday Recovery Program Part II
• Holiday Hangover Helpers
• Help for a winter (or anytime) cold
• At-Home Facials—A DIY How-To

Holiday Hangover Helpers

Overindulging during the holidays is inevitable for many of us. Overeating, staying out past our bedtimes, and drinking too much are commonplace. And alcohol has a definite effect on your skin. If you’re going to drink, incorporating the following steps will not only help replace lost nutrients and water in your alcohol-depleted skin, these suggestions will also help curb some of the “morning after” problems you may encounter.

It is preferable to attend to this the night you do the drinking instead of waiting for the morning after. But in case you weren’t able to get to your cure the night before, take these steps in the morning, first thing after waking if possible. Nothing will completely eliminate the ill effects alcohol can have on your skin (and your entire body), but hopefully these suggestions will help lessen the negative effects and make the next day a productive one.

WATER. Try to down two glasses of water for every glass of alcohol you drink. Although this method is optimum, it may be an impossible request. So at least try to get one glass of water for each alcoholic drink. Alcohol is a diuretic and causes dehydration throughout your entire system. Add to that the toxic nature of alcohol, and your body is in serious need of fluids. And the body’s fluid of choice? Plain, clean water. Even if you’re just having a glass of wine with dinner, drink a few extra glasses of water. It will help to replace what is being taken out of your body (and your skin) from alcohol consumption.

EVENING PRIMROSE OIL is another wonder cure for a hangover. Many friends and clients have marveled at how effective it is on hangovers. Evening primrose oil is an essential fatty acid (EFA). Alcohol blocks the absorption of this “essential” body building nutrient, so getting extra EFAs is important. Taking several capsules (6-10) before bed can go a long way to curbing a hangover. Most health food stores carry evening primrose oil 500mg capsules. 

EMERGEN-C is a wonderful hangover helper that I talk about in my book. It is a powder that you mix with water. I highly recommend taking it before bed and upon arising after a night of drinking. Even if you didn’t drink heavily, Emergen-C contains vitamins, minerals, and electrolytes that are lost through the consumption of alcohol, no matter how little. If you’re hungover, the fizzy nature of Emergen-C can help to quench the inevitable thirst that hits you in the middle of the night and the next morning. Hopefully you drank enough water during your night out to help keep dehydration at bay, but Emergen-C will help to replace lost elements and hopefully get you back on your feet again. It can also be found at most health food stores. 

I am in no way advocating drinking alcohol and certainly not overindulging when you drink. I am, however, a realist, so if you are going to drink at least take some steps to help reduce the ugly morning after monster. Go to the store and get stocked up on Emergen-C and evening primrose oil—and of course good, clean water. 

For more information, see:

• Tips to help you Drink More Water!
• The Many Uses for Evening Primrose Oil 
• Emergen-C—a little effervescence for your health
• Hot water and lemon to the rescue

Enjoy your holidays!