The holidays are upon us once again and between the shopping, decorating, cooking and get-togethers, it can get pretty stressful. All of that celebrating can really takes its toll. To help keep you looking and feeling your best throughout the holidays, we’ve compiled some helpful tips to get you through.
Tired, swollen, bloodshot Eyes: Place a cold gel eye mask or cold cotton balls over your eyes for 10 minutes. This will reduce swelling. Artificial tears will refresh dry, irritated eyes and reduce redness. Avoid drops that boast they take the red out. These contract the blood vessels but can make eyes even redder later on.
Breakouts: People who are prone to breakouts who don’t have overly sensitive or dry skin can try preventing them with regular use of a cleanser that contains benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid. One week before an important event, use a 5 percent benzoyl peroxide cream every night on any area where breakouts occur. If a pimple does appear, place an ice pack on it for 5 to 10 minutes to reduce swelling, then pat the area dry and apply benzoyl peroxide cream or gel with a cotton swab.
Flushed Face: Keep your cool while prepping for gatherings by chewing on ice chips or draping a slightly damp cold towel around your neck. Fill a bowl with whole milk and ice cubes, dip a cloth in the solution and pat your face with it. The lactic acid has an anti-inflammatory effect. Too late to prevent redness? Brush on a yellow-based loose or pressed powder to neutralize and cover the red.
Stained Lips: Red wine, dark lipstick and dry lips don’t mix. If you wake up with last night’s Cabernet clinging to your lips you can remove it by exfoliating the outer layer of skin. Don’t have a lip exfoliator? Wet an extra-soft toothbrush with warm water, then gently rub the lips with a circular motion. Rinse your lips, pat them dry and apply a moisturizing lip balm. You can also gently rub your lips with lemon juice, rinse, dry and apply lip balm.
Achy Feet: Alternate warm and cold foot baths – soak your feet in a tub of warm water infused with a few scoops of sea salt for 10 minutes, then place them in a tub of cold water for 10. Repeat. The warmth eases soreness while the coolness takes away swelling. Afterward, elevate your feet above heart level to help drain the fluid that builds up after long hours of walking and standing. Before bed, massage your feet with a peppermint foot lotion to stimulate circulation.
