True Radical Honesty From Our Community

Tired, stressed out skin can be a real party pooper. So get ahead of the game and up the skincare love with these simple beauty hacks.

Are you guilty of neglecting your skin during the party season? OK, so maybe ‘neglect’ is too strong a word. But if you’re already experiencing beat up skin that looks like it needs a fortnight in the Caribbean, chances are your skin is feeling the burn of one late night too many.

The holiday season can be stressful enough, however, so why add to your woes by putting your skin under so much pressure that it repays you with a whole bunch of unwanted holiday gifts like redness, dry patches, pimples and dullness? If you ask us, that’s just one stress too much.

We say a big ‘NO’ to stressed, partied out skin. Not by declining all the invitations. Heck no! But with the following skin-loving hacks that require zero effort (check) but offer maximum pay-out (check).

1. Double Cleanse Before Bed

Our motto is that if your cleanser doesn’t feel like it’s doing a good enough job on its own, then you need to think about the formulation you’re using. However, like all good rules in life, this motto is made to be broken! And during these times double cleansing can be a real lifesaver.

At this time of year you’re likely to be wearing more makeup, more often thanks to a crazy social calendar. Not only that but the combination of late nights, more booze, less sleep and more rich food is going to quickly make your skin feel and look super tired. And this is when problems quickly arise. If you’re a rosacea or eczema sufferer, for example, flare-ups will occur lightning fast. If you have oily skin, on the other hand, your sebaceous glands can go wild, producing more oil than ever and possibly leaving you with breakouts just when you don’t need them. You see where we’re going here…

One of the best ways to keep your skin under control during the holidays is to treat yourself to a pre-bedtime double cleanse. As you sleep, your skin goes into full recharge mode, regenerating new skin cells and repairing environmental damage. But how can it successfully do this when it’s covered in makeup and grime? The short answer is that it can’t. Instead, it’ll punish you with poor, rough texture; dull, dry skin and dark, puffy bags under your eyes.

Double cleansing can take on many forms but it basically means cleaning your skin twice to remove both oil-based debris (makeup, sebum and sunscreen) and water-based grime like sweat. Your first port of call is to massage some kind of oil-based cleanser into your skin to remove the oil-based surface debris. Then you wash with a cream, gel or lotion to finish cleansing and treat your skin according to your skin type or concerns. It’s a fairly simple process – although a little lengthier than regular cleansing – but in times of need it can work wonders for your skin and pores. Just remember, it's unlikely to be necessary every night, and stay away from overly harsh, perfumed or alcohol-heavy products. Keep it gentle with our range of awesome cleansing giants.

2. Laugh In the Face Of Free Rads

When you’re putting your body under more stress than normal, free radicals like to have a wild party of their own!

But what are free radicals? Well, without getting too sciencey on you, free radicals are unstable, highly reactive atoms or molecules that form in your skin when it’s subject to things like sun damage, pollution, alcohol, stress or a poor diet. Due to their unstable nature, free radicals seek out electrons from other, unsuspecting molecules in your skin to try and stabilize themselves. This is bad news because it creates even more free radicals, leading to what's known in the skincare biz as oxidative stress. This is probably all you need to know about those little free radical devils but needless to say, oxidative stress can cause serious damage to all the good stuff in your skin – namely collagen and elastin.

The good news is that antioxidants are able to donate electrons to free radicals to neutralize them and stop them screwing up the other, more important components in your skin. Your body has its own, hard-working antioxidant defense system but (isn't there always a but?!) aging weakens it. No surprises there! This means there inevitably comes a time when your skin needs help from other sources like an antioxidant-rich diet or topical antioxidants in your skincare routine such as vitamin C, niacinamide, green tea and vitamin E.

Our party season go-to is Vitamin C Super Serum+. And the best news is you only need to use it two or three times a week for awesome results. We suggest you get on board, immediately!

3. Layer Up With Hydration

Dehydration is an absolute b*tch for letting your skin down, making it look dull and feel horrible. Of course, a little amount of dehydration is a given if you’re a fan of overdoing the G&Ts and don’t counteract it with plenty of water. So try to sip on H20 as much as possible.

Just as importantly for helping to curb dehydrated skin is to apply products that draw water to the surface layers. Our favorite humectants (the water magnets of the skincare world) are hyaluronic acid, glycerin and aloe so keep your skin in good supply of these through twice daily use of treatment serums and good quality moisturizers.

We have many superpowered serums like Hyaluronic Acid Facial Serum which is incredible for pumping up moisture, but we also love Multi-Vitamin Facial Serum which is one of the finest for boosting radiance and uplifting a gloomy, dehydrated complexion.

4. Perk Up Tired Eyes

What’s the first area of your skin to, without fail, give the partying game away? The skin around your eyes. The reason for this is that the skin here is slightly different to the rest of your face. It contains fewer sebaceous glands (cue dryness) and is around ten times thinner which makes it way more susceptible to the visible signs of tiredness and premature aging. Also, thanks to its natural thinness, underlying tissue and blood vessels become more prominent when you’re tired, causing shadows and dark circles.

But that’s not all. The skin around your eyes also contains a limited amount of fat and muscle which means collagen and elastin are even more important for maintaining strength and support. When your collagen and elastin become compromised thanks to too much partying, basically the poor skin around your eyes stands no chance of remaining its best.

So what can you do about pooped-out peepers? First, try to get early nights whenever you can. Obvs. Drink plenty of water day and night to reduce dehydration, and always keep a fabulous eye treatment in your refrigerator to apply morning and night to cleansed skin. Our new Depuffing Longevity Eye Cream is a real hero, or you could try Peptide Eye Gel which works like a dream on tired eyes.

5. Exoliate A Tad More Than Normal

Exfoliating too much can send your skin into a state of frenzy, but if you have strong skin and you feel like it needs a bit of a kick in the booty, a little extra exfoliation can work wonders.

If you like to use a scrub, try exfoliating once more a week during the party season, or try our new AHA, BHA and PHA Liquid Exfoliant which contains glycolic and salicylic acids as well as a gentle hydrating exfoliant called gluconolactone. It’s super effective yet gentle enough to use every day. Can we get an Auld Lang Syne for that?!

6. Feed Your Skin From The Inside

Finally, while you’re putting all manner of salty snacks and sweet treats down your throat, remember to save some room for plenty of good, nutritious foods. Fresh fruit and veggies are a given in any healthy diet, but also up your intake of lean protein and omega-3 fatty acids to help regulate oil production and nourish your skin. You’ll find omega-3s in things like oily fish, seafood, nuts and seeds.

While we’re on the subject of looking after your skin from the inside, now’s also a great time to try our new Collagen Boosting Skin Supplement which helps to promote quality natural collagen production while improving hydration and fighting off those naughty free radicals.

It’s the perfect antidote to living the good life ;)

‘Tis the season for parties, rich food, late nights and eggnog. Great! But, get this, the holidays can be hella hard on your skin.

It's true, living the good life can really mess with your skin. So, let’s nip that in the bud toute de suite by learning about the biggest holiday skin sinners, shall we?

1. Alcohol

A glass of wine every now and again and a few G&Ts on a Friday night are not going to cause your skin to totally freak out (there are far stronger forces to blame there) but frequent and excessive drinking, which is often par for the cause over the holidays, can definitely take its toll on your poor complexion.

So, exactly how does alcohol affect the skin – specifically in the short term? Well, for starters alcohol is a diuretic. This means it makes you pee more, causing you to lose more water than you would on a regular day without the booze. Losing an excessive amount of water can make you quickly feel dehydrated which is a bummer on the skin, sapping it of essential moisture, increasing dryness and dullness and intensifying the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles quicker than a flash.

Alcohol also screws up your sleep patterns (more on that in a minute), inflames the tissue and causes your blood vessels to dilate, exacerbating facial redness and making your skin feel hot and angry. Sure, this is not a massive deal in the moment (although it can ruin your makeup!) but continue to drink and over the years that temporary flush can become much more of a permanent fixture. No fun.

Your Holiday Action Points

Drink more water. Try to down a glass of water for every alcoholic beverage you drink. This’ll help minimize dehydration.

Give yourself alternate days off. This allows enough time for alcohol to leave your body. Damage limitations and all that.

Choose clear alcohol. Clear drinks like vodka and tequila leave your body far quicker than darker ones.

Hydrate your skin from the outside in. Use a moisture-binding serum like Hyaluronic Acid Facial Serum daily.

2. Rich Food

Everyone knows the benefits of a well-rounded diet that’s heavy on the fresh fruit and veggies and high in fiber and protein. And for the best part of the year it’s not that difficult to ensure you’re balancing lots of the good, healthy stuff with a few of the naughties.

But the holiday season is a whole different matter. Candy is constantly on offer while rich, heavy dinners are a given – not to mention the desserts. Oh the desserts!

Being informed of some of the effects of rich, festive food, however, goes a long way to helping you to resist over-indulging. Regular indulging, of course, is fine – it IS the holidays, after all. But completely overdoing it? Maybe not.

The main food fiends when it comes to the wellness of your skin are sugar, salt, fried foods and refined carbs. No surprises there, right? Sugar and processed carbs like white bread and pasta, for example, have been proven to lead to the accumulation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs). AGEs are harmful compounds that form in the skin when you bombard your body with too much sugar. This excess of the sweet stuff attacks your skin cells, latching onto collagen and elastin, and causing them to stiffen and weaken. You might as well just invite lines, wrinkles, sagginess and dullness to your holiday parties.

Your Holiday Action Points

Be mindful when you cook. Substitute white sugar with honey, don’t brine your turkey, reduce the amount of salt you add to your cooking, bake instead of fry your foods and choose wholemeal breads and brown rice.

Snack wiser. Instead of filling up your snack bowls with salted pretzels and heavily seasoned chips, choose unsalted nuts instead. Also lay out lots of berries to pick at. Then you won’t feel so bad for indulging on chocolate! 

Combat free radicals. Give free radicals a run for their money by applying topical antioxidants on the reg. Our hot holiday fave is Vitamin C Super Serum+.

3. Hot & Cold Temperatures

Winter equals cold weather and a real lack of humidity in the air. And this can mean only one thing for your skin – dryness.

In complete contrast, you are then faced with warmer temperatures inside, thanks to roaring fires and cranked up heating. This also sucks moisture from your skin and, not only that, but extreme temperature changes cause tiny capillaries in your skin to contract and dilate, resulting in redness and inflammation. Good grief!

Your Holiday Action Points

Turn the heat down in your home. It might feel cozy to crank up your heating, but try not to go too crazy. The ideal home temperature should be somewhere around 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

Limit hot baths and showers. Scorching hot water strips away the protective lipid layer from your skin’s barrier, sucking away moisture and leaving you with surface dehydration. Turn down the temperature and limit bath time to 15 mins.

Stick with super gentle cleansing. Harsh cleaning products will do your skin no favors, so go for mild formulations that care for your complexion. We love Soothing Cleansing Milk for nurturing holiday skin.

4. Stress

Are your holiday menus going to suit everybody's tastes and dietary requirements? Will your bestie love her gift as much as you want her to? And, shoot, you forgot to get those last-minute stocking stuffers for the kids! There are so many things to get stressed about during the festive season that, frankly, it’s a miracle any of us survive it.

Thankfully, we do live to tell the tale. However, your skin can really suffer during the holidays thanks to emotional stress. You see, stress throws your hormones totally out of whack. When you feel stressed, your nervous system releases a whole bunch of hormones into the bloodstream (think cortisol and adrenaline) which causes your heart to pump faster, your breath to quicken and your muscles to tense and get ready for action. This is great when you want to nail a scary job interview or shine on a first date, but when it becomes a regular thing, these stress hormones go into constant overdrive and your body has no chance to relax and go back to normal. This plays havoc with your emotions, your sleep and can result in any number of physical issues like headaches and nausea and often more serious concerns like heart or digestive problems. Then, of course, there’s your skin.

An overload of cortisol, the ‘stress hormone’ makes your sebaceous glands produce more oil (cue greasy skin and pimples). It also impairs your barrier function, accelerates inflammation, depletes collagen and interferes with your skin’s healing process. Not ideal for those pimples we just mentioned.

Your Holiday Action Points

Make lists. Lists are great, not only for helping you to remember everything you need to do/buy/make, but also for clearing your mind. Especially before bed. And especially at this time of year.

Take time out. If you’re feeling frazzled, go for a ten-minute walk or take yourself off to a private space to breathe and relax. It’s amazing what a little me-time can do for the soul.

Calm inflammation with soothing skincare. Aloe vera, green tea, rose water and niacinamide are awesome for stressed skin. Try a spritz of Rose Water Refreshing Facial Toner for instant zen.

5. Zero ZZZs

It’s party time. Yay! Good on you, enjoy yourselves. But… and it’s a big but… try not to overdo it at the expense of your sleepy time. Skin hates that.

The reason sleep is so important for the health of your skin is that while the brain goes into rest mode your skin gets kinda busy. Blood flow increases to nourish your skin with valuable nutrients; antioxidants kick in to help your skin recover from the perils of the daily grind; cell turnover accelerates to bring fresh, healthy skin cells to the surface, and collagen production revs up big time. And as you know, collagen is extremely important for your skin, maintaining strength, structure, firmness and volume.

Without the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep each night, your skin is going to miss out on all that good recovery and rejuvenation time. And it will suffer because of it, furnishing your complexion with anything from dull, sallow skin to full-on acne breakouts. You have been warned.

Your Holiday Action Points

Get an early night whenever you can. Ideally you should go to sleep and wake up at roughly around the same time each night. But heck, it’s the holidays. So don’t pass up the opportunity for partying, just get more sleep on those rare nights in.

Make your bedroom a sleeping paradise. Invest in some blackout curtains, get a humidifier, wear earplugs if noise is an issue and ensure your room is the perfect temperature for sleeping (65 degrees Fahrenheit according to The Sleep Foundation).

Treat your skin overnight. Ensure you never wake up with dry, sad skin by gently cleansing your face and neck then slathering Vitamin C Deep Hydration Night Cream all over.

Check everyone off your shopping to-do list with these awesome skincare gifts. Because everyone wants the gift of great skin, right?

‘Tis the season for gifting. Yay! Or… maybe not! While some people thrive on nailing the perfect gift for friends, family, neighbors and colleagues, others find gift shopping to be the worst part of the festive season. And we hear you. The holidays can be tough on us all.

But no need to panic because we’ve got your back. So if you’re in a bit of a festive frenzy right now and still have a ton of people to buy for, allow us to help you put a lid on your gift list and get your stockings stuffed with these fabulous skincare gifts.

1. AHA, BHA + PHA Liquid Exfoliant

Winter skin can be a real pain in the booty, especially when you throw in those extra festive skin enemies like rich, salty food; candy treats and eggnog. Hello dullness, my old friend! Or fiend, if you will. Thankfully, that’s where skin exfoliation comes to the rescue. Help your loved ones banish sad, holiday skin with this brand new (extra points right there!) and supremely crafted chemical exfoliant that laughs in the face of dead skin cells. Love that for them. And you, for that matter.

2. The Exclusive Kylie Bundle by Kylie Cantrall

This bundle of skincare joy will not be around for long, so nab it now and make someone very happy this holiday season. Containing three glow-getting top-sellers picked out by Kylie herself it includes our brand new Soothing Cleansing Milk, Rose Water Refreshing Facial Toner and everyone’s favorite (Kylie included!), the mighty Vitamin C Facial Serum. Skin friendly, with just a touch of red carpet glamor, it’s the ultimate throuple!

3. Tea Tree Super Cleanser+

Loved by everyone for its ultra-refreshing scent and skin-cleaning prowess, this high powered super cleanser is the perfect stocking stuffer for all. Why the ballsy statement? Because, for one thing, tea tree oil is a total skincare champ when it comes to balancing the skin. And when it’s combined with age-defying MSM, hydrating aloe and soothing chamomile it cannot fail to deliver. And, FYI, it never does. Fail, that is.

4. Multi Vitamin Facial Serum

Treatment serums that hone in on single, kick-ass ingredients like vitamin C and retinol are great if you know what your gift recipient is in to. But if you don’t? Then you need something a little more ‘one and done,’ if you get the drift. And have we got the best multi-use serum ever. Crammed with no less than 11 plant-derived vitamins, minerals and skin enhancing electrolytes this lightweight serum is packed, we repeat, packed with all the feels.

5. Depuffing Longevity Eye Cream

Looking for the cutest little stocking stuffer that’s tiny but ever so mighty? Then look no further than this newest addition to our eye cream range. Depuffing is its name and… well… depuffing is its game! Harnessing the invincible powers of coffeeberry extract to help reduce under-eye baggage, it also contains age-defying lingonberry stem cells, plus our new BFF bakuchiol – nature’s gentler alternative to retinol. Our advice? Add two to cart – one for them, one for you.

6. Super C Duo

This dynamic duo is like Santa and Rudolph – the perfect holiday couple. With a double dose of sodium ascorbyl phosphate, or ‘the gentlest, most effective vitamin C’ as it’s known to its friends (that includes you!) we love it for so many reasons. Fading dark spots, brightening dull skin, softening fine lines, it’s the whole kit and caboodle.

7. Firming Collagen Day Lotion

Know someone who is all about preventing the visible signs of skin aging? Well, aren’t we all? This was why we were psyched to launch a complete line of preventative healthy aging products earlier this fall. And this moisturizing whizz kid has already become a fan favorite. With a unique blend of collagen peptides (vegan, of course!), plus ceramides and nutrient-rich green algae, it’s the ideal day cream for restoring firmness while protecting collagen and supporting youthful-looking skin.

8. Vitamin C Deep Hydration Night Cream

Anyone who knows anything about skincare is well aware that day lotions don’t always cut the mustard when it’s time for bed. The reason is that your skin has different needs when you’re asleep, requiring more intense moisturization, support and restoration, rather than sun protection and oil control. Two words: night cream. Better than that, three words: THIS night cream. Soft, satiny and ultra-hydrating, fans call it their ultimate bed partner. We’ll take that.

9. Charcoal Clarifying Cleanser

An absolute legend for all ages and genders, this deep cleansing face wash is ideal for balancing oily skin and drawing toxins out of gunked-up pores. Something we all need during the holidays, for sure. Its super powers are all down to activated coconut charcoal which is a highly absorbent black powder that comes from burnt coconut shells. This might not sound particularly appealing but on the contrary. Activated coconut charcoal is awesome at binding itself to toxins, oil and bacteria,  whisking them clean away and furnishing you with the ultimate in fabulous skin, all year long. Because great skin is not just for the holidays.

10. SPF 30 Mineral Sunscreen with Vitamin C

Nobody wants to see the damaging effects the sun can have on their skin. It’s not cool and it’s not pretty, ranging from everything from deep-set lines to hard-to-shift hyperpigmentation. The good news is that sunscreen is the cat’s whiskers for shielding skin from the wicked ways of the sun. So spread the love and watch the thank you messages flood in by popping this broad-spectrum sunscreen in everyone’s stocking this holiday season. 

The holiday season is over, so now's the time to say goodbye to dull, exhausted-looking skin and hello to a brand new year.

December is known for many things – cold, blustery weather; chestnuts roasting on an open fire (although who even does that!) and panic shopping for holiday gifts to name just a few. It’s a great time of year for most of us, but when it comes to your skin? Well, not so much. In fact, boozy parties and sleepless nights can ruin your skin’s mojo. So, now the festive fun is over, the last thing you want to be stuck with is sleepy skin that looks and feels as tuckered out as you feel.

While nothing beats the magical powers of eight hours of beauty sleep, there are plenty of ways to put a pep in your complexion’s step. Here are five of our utmost faves. And no, finishing off your cleansing routine with blasts of freezing cold water is not one of them. Because that’s downright torture at this time of year. And we’re not quite that mean…

1. Exfoliate Your Skin

Dead, dulling skin cells can really pile up if you’ve had little to no zzzs and your skin has lost out on its vital regeneration time. Couple this with too much partying (read salty snacks and Prosecco) and it’s no wonder the festive season goes hand-in-hand with burnt-out skin.

The best way to amp up cell turnover and improve radiance is to exfoliate your skin. And exfoliation comes in two forms: physical and chemical.

Physical exfoliation includes all the obvious stuff like face scrubs, cleansing brushes and loofahs – basically anything that requires some kind of physical movement in order for it to work.

Chemical exfoliation is just as good as physical exfoliation, and can actually be a much better choice if you have sensitive skin that gets easily irritated by abrasive scrubs and the like. Chemical exfoliators are products that contain some kind of ingredient (usually acids like glycolic, salicylic or lactic) that help loosen the bonds between skin cells to encourage them to naturally slough away more efficiently. They don't require pressure or massage, they just do the job as par for the course. Clever, right?

Try our Vitamin C Super Serum+ which not only contains salicylic acid, but antioxidants galore. Apply it to cleansed, dry skin before moisturizing to help get your party glow on.

2. Get Your Daily Vitamin C Fix

Speaking of antioxidants, they’re vital at this time of year (and any time of year for that matter. Antioxidants work by nixing free radicals caused by stress, a less-than-ideal diet, alcohol and exposure to things like pollution and cigarette smoke.

Most experts agree that the absolute queen of skincare antioxidants is vitamin C. Why’s it so great? Ha, how long have you got? Seriously though, in a nutshell, vitamin C has not only been proven to slow aging by working on free radical-induced wrinkles, but it accelerates collagen production and is a bit of show-off when it comes to warding off dull, tired-looking skin. How so? Because it inhibits wayward melanin production which is what causes dark spots and patchy skin. So, there you go.

Apply Vitamin C Deep Hydration Night Cream to cleansed skin before hitting the sack to promote healthier, brighter skin as you sleep – no effort required. Got to love that, right?

3. Exercise More

An hour at the gym is not only good for your abs and pecs, but it stimulates blood flow to your skin, providing oxygen and nutrients to your cells and helping to give your complexion a fabulously healthy glow. And if gym sessions aren’t your jam, don’t fret because anything that gets you moving and your heart rate up will take care of business nicely. A brisk walk, Zumba class, even dancing around the kitchen… all good.

4. Stay Away From Smoking (And Smokers!)

You know smoking’s bad for you. We know you know that. But let’s just have a refresher course on just how tragic it is for your skin, shall we?

There are over 4,000 chemicals in cigarette smoke, many of which destroy your collagen and elastin fibers, which, as you know, are the key players when it comes to maintaining awesome skin. Cue lines, wrinkles, puffiness and an uneven skin tone. Nicotine, in particular, causes your blood vessels to constrict, reducing blood flow and depriving your skin of all the oxygen and nutrients it needs to stay bright and healthy-looking. And yes, secondhand smoke is just as damaging to your skin, maybe even more so, because the levels of nasties like nicotine, tar, carbon monoxide and nitric oxide are at least double the numbers found in firsthand smoke. Mic. Drop.

If you ever find yourself surrounded by a bunch of smokers, counteract the damaging effects of all those collagen-destroying enzymes by applying products that contain proven ingredients to increase collagen production in your skin. Things like vitamin C, retinol, MSM and peptides are the mutt’s nuts for this. In steps Retinol Facial Serum...

5. Try Your Hands At Facial Massage

There’s nothing better for waking up your skin in the morning than by giving yourself a two-minute facial massage as you cleanse. And honestly, a few minutes is all it takes to majorly boost your circulation and encourage toxin drainage.

Apply Vitamin C Brightening Cleanser to damp skin and work it all over your face and neck, using the pads of your fingers. Sweep your fingers down your nose a few times, across your cheeks from the center outwards, up and around your forehead, then from the middle of your chin out towards your ears. Finish with your neck, using the palms of your hands to perform light strokes from the base of your neck up to your jawline.

Don’t forget to shower your skin with love this Thanksgiving. Because it deserves your thanks just as much as the other fabulous stuff in your life.

We don’t know about you, but Thanksgiving is officially our favorite holiday. Time with family? Check. A day off work? Check. A great excuse to overindulge? Check. Most importantly it’s a time to reflect on the year and give thanks to everything you’re grateful for. Well, we bet that when you’re coming up with the list of things you appreciate, your skin’s not one of them.

And what a mistake that is.

Your skin is one of the most important parts of your body. You have around 21 square feet of the stuff and it’s not just there to plague you with lines, wrinkles, pimples and dark spots. It helps regulate your body temperature, prevents moisture loss and provides an essential barrier against injury, infection, trauma, disease and everything else the world likes to throw at you. So, give it a break already.

We understand it’s oh-so-easy to dislike your skin and complain about the bad stuff, but here’s the thing: you’re the only one who notices your so-called ‘flaws.’ Who else gets close enough to notice that tiny line between your brows? No. One. In fact, they’re way too busy coveting whatever it is about your skin they think they don’t have. Human nature. It’s a crazy thing.

Face it: your skin is pretty darn amazing. Every line, crease and freckle is a reminder of the roads you’ve travelled to get to this point in your life. And we think it’s time to celebrate that by showing your skin you care. Here’s how…

1. Be Positive About The Good Stuff

More importantly, don’t sweat the bad stuff. Sure, you might have a small acne scar on your cheek and yes, the skin around your eyes is nowhere near as smooth as it once was. But that’s just fine. So, instead of seeing only these things when you look in the mirror, smile at your reflection and be conscious of all the awesome features your skin has to offer. Maybe it’s looking particularly glowy today. And OK, you might have crow’s feet but what about that kick-ass smooth forehead of yours? Dang, you’re gorgeous.

Being positive will not only make you feel better, but it’ll immediately make you look happier, healthier and radiant. And showing gratitude has been proven to reduce cortisol levels in your body which will help balance and de-stress your skin. Cortisol is also known as the ‘stress hormone,’ you see. So, there’s that.

2. Shower Your Skin With Kindness

Treating your skin with a gentle, effective skincare routine is actually fairly simple. The motto is: less is more. Pare back the number of products you use (no, you don’t need 10 lotions, potions, essences and oils) and steer clear of nasty chemicals like parabens, sulphates, phthalates and PEGs which can upset the balance of your skin’s barrier function and exacerbate dryness, irritation and redness.

Start as you mean to go on with a super gentle cleansing routine using Vitamin C Brightening Cleanser and lukewarm – never hot – water. Hot water strips away the protective layer on your skin’s surface, sucking dry all those natural lipids and moisture that help keep your skin hydrated and healthy. After cleansing for a minute or so, rinse thoroughly and gently pat your skin dry with a clean towel. Vigorous rubbing is a major no-no.

The rest of your regime should consist of just three or four more products to work on your concerns and beautify your complexion. Of course, moisturizer and sunscreen are musts, but anything further is up to you. Our go-tos would be an antioxidant serum like Niacinamide Facial Serum plus an eye treatment like Peptide Eye Gel, but the choice is yours.

3. Try To Manage Stress

There’s no doubt life has been more stressful than ever these past few years, and this can take a real toll on your skin. Stress plays havoc with your sleep (more on that in a minute) and causes your body to produce higher levels of cortisol which encourages inflammation, depletes vital collagen and interferes with your skin’s healing process. Studies also show that stress compromises your barrier function making your complexion feel dry, dehydrated and exacerbating existing conditions like acne, psoriasis, rosacea and eczema.

Managing emotional stress is easier said than done, but small lifestyle changes can make a big difference. Meditation, for example, is an extremely effective way to relax your body and mind; even some simple breathing exercises are great for clearing your head and lowering your levels of stress. Our friends at the Mayo Clinic have some great breathing tips, right here.

Also, set aside half an hour (or more!) every day for a little me-time. Go for a walk, read a book, take a bath, whatever you need to do in order to take time out will be worth its weight in gold for your mental health.

Of course, if you’re feeling overwhelmed by stress, never be afraid to ask for help from a qualified health professional.

4. Get Plenty Of Quality Sleep

When you miss out on valuable zzzs, your skin is one of the first things to suffer. How so? Because sleep is the most important time for your skin to heal and regenerate. When you turn in for the night blood flow increases, transporting oxygen and nutrients to the skin to help nourish and strengthen it. Simultaneously, cell turnover accelerates to bring fresh, healthy skin cells to the surface; collagen production revs up and your natural antioxidant system kicks up a gear to reduce unwanted damage from the slings and arrows of daily life.

Sleep could not be more important for the health of your skin. End of. The National Sleep Foundation recommends between seven and nine hours every night for a healthy adult, so try to hit this sweet spot as much as possible. Your skin will thank you for it – especially if you cleanse thoroughly, then treat it before bed with Vitamin C Deep Hydration Night Cream to boost radiance and help your skin renew itself as you sleep.

5. Think About What You Eat

A balanced diet is important, you know that. But it’s not just essential for your health; it can play a vital role in the overall look and feel of your skin. A diet that’s packed with sugar, for example, will lead to the accumulation of advanced glycation end products in your skin. These damage a lot of important good proteins, causing them to stiffen and weaken. Oh, and they’re aptly named AGEs which speaks volumes.

Too much salt can also trigger dehydration, eczema flare-ups, acne breakouts and is a devil on eye bags. And don’t even get us started on fried food and refined carbs. Skin's mortal enemies, right there.

Anything in moderation is fine, for sure, but make sure you get way more good foods in your diet. The key is to ensure things like antioxidant-rich fresh fruit, veggies, beans, lean poultry, fish and nuts outweigh the bad stuff. 

Now smile, relax and enjoy your skin. And it will do the same.

Thanksgiving is synonymous with overindulgence. But what goes on your plate doesn’t have to screw up your skin. You just need to make good menu choices.

It’s time to be grateful for everything life has thrown at you this year. Sure, it’s been a tough one, but you’re here and you’re alive, so don’t take that for granted.

Thanksgiving is a time for friends, family and reflection. But it’s also a day to eat a little too much – which, frankly, is one of the things we love about it ;) So sue us.

The thing about overindulging, however, is that you often wake up the next day and totally regret it when faced with what’s staring back at you in the mirror. An excess of salt, sugar, processed foods and refined carbs (coupled with one too many pinot noirs) can make your skin puffy, dull, dry and dehydrated. And depending on what you’ve gorged on and how your body reacts to certain foods, your skin might even break out or certain conditions like eczema or rosacea could flare-up.

But it’s not all doom and gloom, people, because there's plenty of good stuff involved in your Thanksgiving dinner your skin totally loves. So, if you’re concerned about morning-after skin, cut down on your mashed potatoes and overload your dinner plate with the following…

Turkey

As long as you don’t brine it in a ton of salt, turkey is an excellent source of nutrients. It’s high in zinc and selenium, packed with protein and fairly low in fat. Together, zinc and protein play a vital role in the production and maintenance of your valuable collagen and elastin fibers which, as you know, are the backbones of healthy skin. Zinc also helps speed up cell turnover and may even keep your sebaceous glands in check so they don’t overproduce oil and make oily skin look super shiny.

Selenium, meanwhile, is a powerful antioxidant so it works hard to fight off damaging free radicals and protect your skin from inflammation and cellular damage. Gotta love that.

Finally, turkey is a great source of niacin (vitamin B3) which not only lends another helping hand in the production of healthy collagen and elastin, but also reduces inflammation and strengthens your barrier function to keep your skin hydrated and healthy (*immediately increases turkey order to largest bird possible).

Leafy Greens

There’s literally no part of your body that doesn’t benefit from a diet that’s rich in leafy greens like kale, chard, bok choi and spinach. Rich in chlorophyll ­– which gives them their beautiful, dark green pigment – leafy greens are critical for your heart, circulation, thyroid, the works. And your skin is no exception.

Greens have powerful anti-inflammatory properties so they’re an awesome choice if you suffer with inflammatory skin conditions like acne, rosacea, eczema and facial redness. They also contain a bunch of vitamins, minerals and nutrients including vitamins A, C, K and B9 (otherwise known as folic acid). Vitamin B9 helps build proteins in the skin and can also help reduce congestion so is super important for acne-prone complexions.

Looking for the biggest superhero of them all to add to your Thanksgiving feast? Then kale is your guy; it’s one of the most nutrient-dense veggies in the world. No exaggeration.

Sweet Potatoes

While white potatoes are certainly not terrible for you (they’re packed with potassium), sweet potatoes win hands down when it comes to the glycemic index (GI). What does this mean? Well, according to the Mayo Clinic, the glycemic index is a way of assigning carbs a number depending on how much they increase your blood sugar levels. Low is good, high is not so good. High GI foods include things like white rice, white bread, pasta and the aforementioned potatoes.

Sweet potatoes, on the other hand, have a relatively low GI, especially if you boil them and keep the skin on for extra fiber. They’re also rich in healing magnesium plus antioxidants like vitamin C, vitamin E and beta-carotene (a precursor of vitamin A). This makes sweet potatoes ideal for preventing pesky signs of aging such as fine lines, wrinkles, dark spots and sagging skin. Just don’t mash them up with oodles of butter and bake them with sugar-laded marshmallows – as tempting as that may be…

Cranberries

What’s Thanksgiving dinner without a good dollop of cranberry sauce? Well, good news, folks: cranberries are not only good for helping you lose weight and keep your heart in check, but they’re chock-full of polyphenols. Polyphenols are awesome antioxidants which aid in the ongoing war against skin-damaging free radicals. Free radicals are devils when it comes to breaking down collagen and elastin, so if you want to maintain your healthiest skin ever and help minimize unwanted lines, wrinkles and dark spots, antioxidants should be your BFFs. Evidence shows that cranberries have more free-radical neutralizing antioxidants than any other fruit or veggie out there. Take that, kale!

Cranberries are also full of vitamins C, E and K, packed with dietary fiber and are a decent source of calcium, manganese, amino acids and iron.

We recommend making your own cranberry sauce to control the amount of sugar – you could also try adding honey or maple syrup instead of white, refined sugar.

Pecans

Finally, let’s get a little nutty for a hot minute because we all know how great nuts are for your skin and overall health. But what’s the deal with pecans, in particular? Well, for starters they contain more than 19 vitamins and minerals including healing zinc and strengthening calcium, along with plenty of fiber and a good amount of protein. As you know, fiber is great for your digestive health, but it also works hard to process and eliminate toxic waste which goes a long way to helping keep your skin healthy and glowing.

Pecans also contain ellagic acid which is… guess what? Yes, say hello to yet another effective antioxidant. Ellagic acid, along with vitamins A, C and E is perfect for protecting your skin from oxidative stress and promoting collagen production. It’s also an anti-inflammatory so can be helpful in soothing and calming stressed out skin – which can be a real bugbear during the holidays when the pressure of the perfect day can be a tad overwhelming.

Now, time to get cooking folks… and happy Thanksgiving to both you and your skin.