Get Holiday-Ready Skin... My 4 Best Tips

Red and flaky skin can have you sulking through the season, looking more like Rudolph than a glowing party princess. Plus, parched, dehydrated skin? That's a hallmark of winter.  But no matter, I'm going to give you a few of my favorite skin-saving tips to have you looking fabulous for the decadent, festive season. Here we go:

1. Turn to hyaluronic acid. This is a “goo” molecule that's a primary player for hydration in skin, particularly helpful when the barrier has been compromised by cold days, travel, and too many drinks (alcohol and caffeine!). It can be used liberally, even in acne-prone skin because it does not clog pores. My favorite formulas include supercharged bonus ingredients such as Vitamin B5 for skin repair (as in Skinceuticals B5 gel) and growth factor peptides (Neocutis Bioserum) to really plump the skin.

2. Change up your facial lotion for a more emollient cream, which can help combat stressed-out skin. See, when we eat too many carbs, skimp on sleep, and stress out, we “sugar-coat” our cells. That’s right: we add a sugar molecule to our cells in a process called glycation. Think of a Snicker-doodle, all cracked and rough textured on the surface! This is what sugar looks like on our skin cells too, making us look older than our years. Minimizing white flour and sugar, breathing deeply, and retiring early are all ways to minimize glycation of all our tissues. One rich emollient, specifically targeting the sugaring of skin cells, is the aptly named Skinceuticals A.G.E. Interrupter (Anti-Glycation End-product). It takes the “crepe” out overnight.

3. Calm the Rudolph effect. For red flaky and swollen skin, I’ll sometimes recommend a very light topical steroid lotion for three or four days.  My favorite is a super smooth Aquanil-HC lotion (Pearson and Covey). In general, a steroid lotion is a quick fix, not a daily solution (long term use can cause thinning of the skin). Hyaluronic Acid gel is, again, very helpful here. For redness I like a formula with extracts of thyme and cucumber, which cool down inflammation. Skinceuticals Phyto-Corrective Gel is my go-to for reddened stressed skin.

4. Finally, don’t forget your sunscreen this winter. Even though the days are cooler, the UV factor remains high in Charleston year-round. I prefer a mineral-based formula, which also protects from wind burn. My fave is a product created locally by Gail and Steve Solomon, a.k.a.: Mission Essentials. It is our staff favorite!