Skin Suffering from the Holiday Festivities?

The gluttony of yummy foods during the holidays can definitely affect the look and feel of your skin. Large amounts of sugar, dairy and unhealthy fats often trigger breakouts, inflammation, or other skin concerns. Below are a few practical steps you can take right away to help improve your skin’s condition.

·       Hydrate: Staying hydrated helps maintain your skin's elasticity and helps flush out toxins that could lead to skin issues. Alcohol, coffee and other things can dehydrate your body, making your skin look dull and feel dry.

·       Try to Avoid Dairy: Some people find that dairy can worsen acne or cause other skin issues.

·       Get Your Omega-3s: Healthy fats like omega-3 fatty acids can reduce inflammation in the body, which can benefit your skin. You can find omega-3s in fish, flaxseeds & walnuts.

·       Consider Supplements: Some supplements can support skin health, like:

• Vitamin C: Helps with collagen production and can improve the overall texture of your skin.

• Zinc: Known to help reduce acne.

• Probiotics: Good gut health is linked to healthy skin, so a probiotic supplement might help balance your gut bacteria.

·       Use Gentle Skincare Products: Make sure you’re using skincare products that work with your skin type. Harsh scrubbing or too many products can irritate your skin. Look for:

o   Gentle cleansers that won’t strip your skin.

o   Moisturizers with ingredients like hyaluronic acid to keep your skin hydrated. (Unless you live in a dry environment. Hyaluronic acid in a desert-like (low humidity) environment will dehydrate your skin even MORE.

• Practice Consistent Skincare: Establish a daily skincare routine that includes cleansing to remove excess oil and dirt, exfoliating once or twice a week (but not too much, as it can irritate skin) and using serums and moisturizing products to keep your skin barrier intact.

·       Exercise: Exercise improves blood circulation, which helps deliver nutrients to your skin. Just remember to wash your face afterward to avoid clogged pores from sweat.

The best thing you can do, though, is book a professional peel, facial, or microdermabrasion treatment for immediate improvement in skin issues, overall complexion, and texture. Our professional organic enzyme peels are gentle enough for even the most sensitive skin and are only $58 — plus they include L.E.D. light therapy, which enhances results and leaves the skin looking and feeling noticeably fantastic right away.

The Right Tool for T.E.W.L

Most of the skin problems (how it looks and feels) are due to overly dry skin.  Of course, drinking more water and eating water laden vegetables and fruit will help the situation, but you also need to use the right skincare products to combat TEWL.  Trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) is when the water inside you evaporates through your skin. We all lose approximately 1 pint of fluid each day from TEWL.  If you already have dry skin, you’ll lose more, leaving you open to dehydration and infection, as well as make you look older than you are.

TEWL and dehydration are caused mostly by not drinking enough water but also by the lack of humidity in the environment.  Winter dry air and the use of indoor heating increase water loss, drying skin out even faster. Using drying products for acne and oily skin, drinking too much caffeine, pool swimming, illness, hormonal imbalance, smoking, stress and travel are also moisture killers.  To repair the damage done and stop it from progressing, you need to be using skincare products that trap in water, while not clogging pores. 

For most, applying heavy creams can cause more problems: clog pores, acne, milia to name a few.  Try to find products that are well balanced with emollients and oils.  Emollients are ingredients that seal in moisture; my favorite is jojoba oil because it fights bacteria and won’t clog your pores.  Ceramides (lipids) in skincare are also extremely helpful for locking in water.

Once you find products that have the right ingredients, you then have to try them on your own skin to see if your skin reacts well. You need to try a new skincare routine for at least a month before seeing if it’s going to work for you.  Why one month?... because it’s the typical full cycle of your skin.

There is a lot to learn about ingredients: ones that are good for your skin, ones that are bad for your skin and overall health and ones that work well enough together to actually make a difference.  I have researched this for 13 years now, so if you would like specific advice on the right products and ingredients for YOUR skin, please set up a skin assessment and maybe a product assessment (I look over the ingredients of your current products).  There are thousands of brands out there, it pays to have a professional’s advice on skincare products.

Shelly Todd, LE

J Renee Organics
J Renee Skin Clinic
Georgia Esthetician: ES011069
Oregon Esthetician: FT-10153597