Festive Glow 101: Get Your Skin in the Game
While we eagerly anticipate the arrival of our beloved relatives during the festive season, there's one visitor we'd rather avoid – the unwelcome guest of dull and dry skin. While indulging in the delicious treats and fried delicacies this season offers, it also creates the perfect environment for opportunistic bacteria to take residence in our skin.
So, what should you do to keep your skin healthy during this time of year?
Yep, you guessed it right – it all starts with your diet.
Our favourite festive treats can sometimes be major contributors to skin breakouts and sebum formation in our pores. Does this mean saying bye-bye to our favourite knick-knacks? Absolutely not! The key to maintaining radiant skin during this season lies in the micro-choices we make in our diet.
So here’s a list of diet do’s and don'ts for the festive season, to ensure your skin maintains its glow amongst the festive cheer.
Do’s:
1. Hydrate. Hydrate. And then hydrate some more.
Hydration is key for a reason – from internal processes like digestion to external ones like maintaining the quality of your skin, water plays an extremely important role in your life. No wonder everyone is constantly trying to get you to sip on enough H2O. However, it's easy to unintentionally minimise our water intake. Ensure your celebrations include ample hydration, not just for your body but also for your skin's inner glow.
2. Eat more seeds
While you probably already know that seeds and nuts are a healthful snack, they are also a beauty food, as they’re loaded with Vitamin E. Vitamin E keeps the skin young, fresh, and supple. So, sprinkle those sunflower, pumpkin, flax seeds, or chia seeds into smoothies and fruit salads, or soak them in almond milk overnight for a satisfying dessert.
3. Snack on fresh fruits
Embracing a diet rich in raw foods isn't just a boost for your energy levels; it magnifies the impact even more for your skin and hair. A quick tip: while offering fruits for religious ceremonies, consider setting aside a portion for your own consumption and prioritise eating at least five pieces of fresh fruit every day. You’ll be thanking us later.
Moving on to the Don’ts:
1.Overindulgence
Excessive indulgence, whether in rich, sugary treats or deep-fried delights, can unleash havoc on your skin. Striking a balance between your laddos and, steering clear of excessive oily delights like Murukkus, can be a key factor in maintaining that healthy glow. Remember: moderation is your BFF.
2. Binging on sugary drinks or alcohol
Yes, it’s true, your skin can get hangovers, too. Cue inflammation, dehydration, dullness, breakouts, eye bags, blotchy skin – the list can go on. Fizzy drinks reduce your vitamin A levels, which is a powerful antioxidant and plays a key role in the production of collagen. Switch to more natural alternatives like hibiscus, lavender, or turmeric in your drinks and give your skin a break from those hangover blues.
3. Late night snacking
Leave it to dermatologists to ruin late-night snacking for all of us. Yep, this is one of the major reasons our skin puffs up and looks dull during the chaos of the festive season. Atypical meal times mess with our body’s biological clock impacting its ability to rejuvenate and maintain optimal skin health. Prioritise timely meals whenever possible, allowing you to indulge in that rare 1 a.m. ramen without excessive guilt.
In addition to these skincare do's and don'ts, prioritising adequate rest, plenty of sleep, and always remembering to remove your makeup before hitting the pillow, is paramount! Remember, the festive season is a time of joy, celebration, and, undoubtedly, yummy indulgence. Make sure your celebrations are full of nutrient-rich foods, coupled with a few conscious choices and you’ll be good to go.
Wishing you all a joyous, glowy, and healthy festive season!