Festive indulgence – namely, excessive eating and drinking – often means rules go out the window; after all, mixing margaritas is one way to pass the time during that strange no-man’s land period between Christmas and New Year. Unfortunately, it’s rather less cheery news for your skin.
When the body is exposed to high levels of glucose (or sugar) collagen and elastin proteins in the skin become impaired, causing a breakdown of its springy structure. As well as skin losing its elasticity it can also lead to increased sebum production, dehydration and a rougher, more uneven skin surface. Copious amounts of sugar in alcohol are also problematic for skin. Alcohol is a diuretic and leads to dehydration of our skin and body. It makes the blood vessels in our skin dilate and leaky causing flushing, redness and puffiness. Alcohol is also a known trigger for rosacea and psoriasis.
It’s not just our propensity for excess which can cause problems during the festive season;, a third of UK adults felt stressed or anxious in the run up to Christmas this year, while more than half were worried about the mental health of a loved one. When you consider the enormity of the year we’ve all endured and the reality of spending Christmas away from family and friends, it’s inevitable that stress will creep in. Stress increases stress hormones levels of cortisol and leads to inflammation, worsening inflammatory skin conditions such as acne, rosacea, eczema and psoriasis.
Cortisol can also indirectly affect the activity of oil glands and contribute to acne [and] stress increases the skin barrier permeability leading to increased water loss and dehydrated skin. Stress can also reduce collagen synthesis leading to a loss of elasticity and skin thickness. Stress can cause changes in the way we implement our skincare routines too. We shouldn’t underestimate the impact stress plays on our daily skincare routines which are often thrown by the wayside. Our skin thrives on having a daily routine and if this is interrupted for some reason, such as stress, then it can aggravate issues and cause flare ups. At times when we are under stress, we may find ourselves skipping out usual skincare routines… which negatively impacts our skin.
While the experts are divided on what the concept of detoxing actually means in relation to your skin – while your skin is adept at protecting itself from external irritants via the skin barrier, it’s not medically possible to purge toxins from the body via the skin – most will agree that all seasonally sluggish skin can benefit from a reset. “There’s no good evidence backing up any form of ‘skin detox. It’s a balance between looking at what you use on your skin in terms of active ingredients and cosmetics with the aim to calm and hydrate your skin plus looking at your general health and reducing known stresses on the skin such as lack of sleep, too much alcohol, unbalanced diet, smoking and pollution.
