Christmas is a time to enjoy ourselves. It’s practically the rules to overindulge.
And while we should enjoy this period for the delicious food, drinks and relaxation that is synonymous with December there are some simple ways to tweak your regime, to maintain healthy, strong skin through the festive period and into 2019.
You’ll thank us come January!
1. Your Favourite Christmas Tipple
When you drink, your body’s ability to absorb essential vitamins is impaired as it instead focuses on metabolising the alcohol. This effects the skin as your body has to use up essential stores of vitamins instead and on top of this the diuretic actions sees depletion of these stores further.
When it comes to the skin, the lower levels of vitamin A see the biggest effect. Vitamin A is essential for cell turnover, renewal and collagen production, so when you wake up lacking this essential nutrient your skin responds with dull, lackluster skin.
To combat this, look to incorporate retinols. The vitamin A derivative will help stimulate collagen production and keep skin plump and looking fresh.
2. Sugary Treats
Most of our Christmas treats are laden with sugar. Whether it’s party cocktails, advent calendar chocolates or Christmas cake, they taste delicious however glycation affects our skin in a big way.
Glycation is when the sugar we digest, becomes glucose and then attaches to the proteins in our bodies such as collagen to form AGEs. This process results in premature aging, inflammation and pigmentation.
The good news is that an SPF can help limit this glycation process, but avoiding that extra drink or sneaky chocolate is your best option!
3. Up Your Vitamin D
In Winter, the nights may feel cosy, but the long hours of darkness can result in lower vitamin D levels as our bodies are stimulated by sunlight to produce it. Vitamin D not only helps our immune system but also skin cell growth and repair.
A retinol will help stimulate this cell renewal and production through the winter period, ensuring your skin continues to glow into 2019.
