Party-Prep, the Do’s and Don’ts!
Sometimes the thought of a big event can stress us out -- what to wear, where to go, your thought process, the internal battle of “I am going” and then a minute later saying, “I am not going!” The intricacies of planning what goes into the event can feel like it takes ages and that you have planned everything down to the last millimetre between wine glasses. Yet, once again who is last on the list – you!
We all know ‘tis the season to be jolly is just around the corner, but party prep can be required all year round. There’s so many occasions we want to celebrate throughout the year – a first date, a wedding, that interview you’ve just managed to get for the company that you want to work so desperately for, at the school reunion (it’s been 30 years, since you last saw so many of them) – and for all these occasions, you want everyone to notice how fantastic you look so naturally, you want to feel as confident as your skin looks!
So where to start? Some events you have such advance notice that by the time they come around, you’re now actually feeling quite stressed, so that lovely luminious skin you pride yourself on has suddenly become pimple prone and appears really flat with a dull, grey-toned complexion – it’s like your usual dewy glow has marched right out the front door! So, get ready to read on for four party-prep solutions to great looking skin: The hero hydrator, the glow getter, the eternal exfoliator and this winter’s must have marine cleanser.
The good old motto, “fail to prepare – prepare to fail” is rule number one within your party prep. Treat your skin needs regularly, and not just before a big event. Exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate -- it is the key to every glowing skin’s success. You can exfoliate with a daily cleanser and chemical exfoliator, which is frequently a blend of alpha hydroxy acids (AHA’s) combined with beta hydroxy acids (BHA’s) or you can use natural ingredients to assist desquamation such as citric acid throughout your daily skincare regime. Even manual exfoliation 1-2 per week in front of the mirror will have a positive effect on your skin. A monthly microdermabrasion, professional chemical facial peel or spa-inspired facial can also do the trick.
Removing the dead skin cells from the surface skin is vital for vibrant, healthy-looking skin. Naturally, the skin sheds, and the oldest, most dry dead skin cells sit upon on the skin’s surface as a layer, also known as the Epidermis. It is your protective layer of skin, the one that holds everything together, the natural glue, first line of defence as well as the layer of skin which creates the version of you that everyone sees. The word exfoliation according to Wikipedia comes from the Latin word “exfoliare” (to strip off leaves) and this is precisely what we do when we exfoliate, we strip back the dead layers of skin which now reside on your skin’s uppermost surface, the ones which can cause skin to look dull, make the surface skin texture feel uneven, and prevent light from bouncing back off your skin too.
It is paramount to remove dead surface skin cells regularly, as when they are left (especially if you have an oilier prone skin type) those dead skin cells combined with sebum/oil production in the skin, sweat, and daily dirt and debris can also cause blockages in the skin, creating blackheads, pimples, and pustules.
Desquamation is the body’s natural process for shedding old skin cells which have worked their way up to the skin’s surface. It is the way our amazing and clever skin functions to make way for new skin’s cells. Like many other bodily processes, this one slows down as we age. The process of cellular renewal starts with a cell being born, it then grows, matures, and finally dies as the cells work their way up through the epidermis. No matter what your skin type, skin renews on average and approximately every 28 days. However, if your skin is prone to being very dry, then this can take much longer by taking up to 90 days for the cells to turn over, and if you’re at the other end of the spectrum with a young and oily prone skin, then this could be more rapid and as frequent as every 20 days.
So, now you know why rule number one of getting your skin party prepped and ready to glow is exfoliation. Now you just need to choose which product will work best for you, what type of texture you like the most and ensure that you will continue to use week in, week out.
Natural daily rejuvenation with a little helping hand from citric acid, which is a natural Alpha Hydroxy Acid derived from citrus fruit, can gently exfoliate and remove dead skin cells revealing a brighter, fresher complexion. Doctors Formula Marine Collagen Wash Away Everyday Cleanser and Doctors Formula Dragons Blood Sensitive Anti-Bac Cleanser both utilise a daily dose of Citric Acid to keep dead skin cells at bay.
Neutrogena Refreshingly Clear Daily Exfoliator – a daily facial scrub which contains pink grapefruit & Vitamin C for a clearer radiant complexion. Using natural exfoliators to unclog pores, The formula deeply cleanses to help prevent imperfections without over-drying skin
Elemis Gentle Rose Exfoliator -- a gel with tiny exfoliating Jojoba beads to brighten and smooth your skin for a naturally radiant glow. This exfoliator is gentle enough to use every day on all skin types- especially sensitive or mature.
Find your very own hero hydrator – for great looking skin, no matter how stressed, tired, or run down you are feeling. When your hydration levels in the skin are kept topped up, your skin looks naturally healthier. Boosted hydration levels in the skin keeps our skin looking plumper and more youthful. It also aids all the skin’s natural processes from desquamation to keeping your skin’s natural barrier function more protected and supple. So healthy skin really is hydrated skin!
Keeping hydration levels boosted is not all about applying your favourite topical serum and moisturiser, although they are an everyday necessity. Diet, fluid, and nutrient intake combined with exercise also play an indispensable role in the overall health of your skin and indirectly its hydration levels. Finding your very own hero hydrator is key – active ingredients like Hyaluronic Acid in an everyday serum or moisturiser have such a positive impact on your skin. Renowned hyaluronic acid can hold up to one thousand times its own weight in water and naturally forms within the skin. It works like a trooper to keep every aspect of skin stable, protected, and constantly renewed. Another badge of honour for Hyaluronic acid is that it is also a humectant, which means it has the ability to attract and bind moisture from its surroundings. So, it can keep skin hydrated for longer by attracting moisture from the atmosphere – it is such a simple, yet clever skincare ingredient. Incorporating Hyaluronic acid into your everyday skincare regime makes a positive difference to the way our skin behaves and reacts, so starting to use this a few weeks prior to the big event will keep skin calm, supple, and fresh looking.
Hyaluronic acid is a feature of many skincare products -- look out for Sodium Hyaluronate in your skincare ingredients, as the salt form of skin-replenishing ingredient hyaluronic acid is considered to be more effective for skin than pure hyaluronic acid due to its greater compatibility. Doctors Formula Power Actives Hyaluronic Acid Serum uses both Sodium Hyaluronate combined with citric acid for a combination of skin renewing, skin-replenishing and hydration boosting actives to plump and refine at the same time – win-win for everyone who uses this!
L'Oréal Paris 1.5% Hyaluronic Acid Revitalift Filler Serum - Formulated with 1.5% Hyaluronic Acid, the serum strives to restore radiance and moisture to your complexion. This product contains L’Oreal’s highest concentration of the beauty industry’s most sought-after ingredient, working to deeply nourish and hydrate your skin.
The Ordinary Hyaluronic acid 2% + B5 is a skin treatment hydrating serum with ultra-pure, vegan hyaluronic acid for intense hydration. Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 is a hydration support formula with ultra-pure, vegan Hyaluronic Acid by Deciem.
If you are already a slave to hydration and are looking for a glow getter ingredient, then reach for the age-defying active ingredient Vitamin C. Long associated with skin vitality, Vitamin C is renowned for its antioxidant ability and is an essential nutrient involved in the repair of tissue and the production of collagen. Drink it, eat it, take it within a supplement and slather it daily all over your face, neck and decolletage for some sensational skin glow!
Vitamin C, otherwise known as ascorbic acid, is both an antioxidant and an anti-inflammatory. It helps to fight and neutralise free radicals attack on the skin and calm those inflammatory response signal in the skin, ultimately leaving you with a more even skin tone, a radiant glow, and less redness. A vital component in collagen and elastin synthesis as well as a skin brightener, it is the ultimate skin saving ingredient when you need a rosy glow. By helping to target pigmentation within the skin and prevent further pigmentation as it inhibits the enzyme tyrosinase, it helps prevent melanin production. It is a skin saving, age defying ingredient which adds a glow to your daily skincare routine.
Doctors Formula Power Actives Vitamin C Serum is a powerhouse of vitamins to brighten & revive skin, whilst improving the signs of environmental ageing. Gentle enough to be used both morning and evening while it brightens dull and tired skin, this serum is combined with active ingredients to mimic natural moisturising agents found in the skin and maintain hydration levels. This product is an expert hydrator to normalise, rebalance and help in achieving great glowing skin.
SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic - This topical antioxidant serum neutralises free radicals, while C E Ferulic improves signs of photo-damage, the appearance of lines and wrinkles, and the loss of firmness.
Perricone MD Vitamin C Ester Brightening Serum - Promoting a brighter, more even toned complexion, this lightweight Vitamin C serum delivers smoothing and illuminating properties, targeting uneven tone and discolouration to inspire a healthy-looking, balanced complexion.
Now both prior and post the event, there is one step of your daily routine which simply cannot be skipped. No matter how much of a rush you are in to get out the door nor does it matter how rapidly you want your head to touch the pillow when you return. Cleansing needs to be done, both pre and post party! Remember, “Fail to prepare…?”
I am not sure how many times in the past I have wanted to roll my eyes when someone was investing in their routine and purchasing skincare after a treatment or consultation, only to tell me that they do not use soap to clean their face (polishing their halo at this point) then let me know that they use wet wipes. My heart sinks! Fact. A wet wipe really does not cut it -- they simply smear whatever was on your skin, such as sweat, dirt, dust, grease, and grime, into your now hours old make-up, swirling it all over the skin and helping to breed a few more bacteria. You then go on to apply serum and moisturiser and sleep with all those lovely non-beneficial bacteria all night. Need I say more? Well, let us just agree that is it is certainly not marine clean.
Seriously, you would be surprised at how much dirt and debris your skin accumulates throughout the day, so going to bed without a thorough cleanse is not an option if you want healthy-looking skin. Throughout the night, our skin naturally switches into healing mode. During the day, your skin acts on “defence mode,” protecting your skin against environmental attack, then when we sleep it automatically switches to “recovery mode,” which could be needed even more after a great party. The skin repairs and regenerates up to three times faster at night than during the day. So, leaving your skin clogged with the party’s aftermath of make-up and perspiration slows the natural rejuvenation process down and helps to age us faster. So, there is a definite need to prep before you party and then wash away the night when you return, no matter what state of mind you are in upon your return!
Active ingredients within a cleanser are key. Replenishing the skin’s natural fatty acids with skin brightening acids, glycerin, and natural extracts such as coconut, replenishes the skin’s surface moisture and aids with water loss prevention. These active ingredients are super gentle on skin, leaving you with a beautiful blank canvas to work with prior to partying and a beautiful skin ready for rejuvenation when you return. A recent discovery and now new all-time favourite is Doctors Formula Marine Collagen Illuminating Cleansing Balm and Super Soft Muslin Cloth -- if you haven’t had the pleasure of experiencing this yet, then it’s time to try and get it on your Christmas wish list now! No need for comparisons here, as nothing else I have ever used comes in a close second place.
Precisely how much you have managed to age your skin in just a few hours all depends on the volume of rich food, alcohol, and lack of sleep you’ve had. It may just have been a few tipples, it could also have been skin-full, and whilst your body can recover fairly rapidly from a few chin-chin’s, if you’ve turned into a party animal and the party season feels like it lasts all year round, then the dark circles, under eye-bags, pounding head may feel like it was worth it if you’ve had the time of your life. However, fast forward 20 years and you may look in the mirror and decide differently. Realistically, a party lifestyle is not sustainable if you are wanting that peachy, smooth-skin glow of youth to last into your forties and beyond, even after all the time and effort put into the party prep. A few hints and tips for masking the aftermath are always required.
Masks: love or loathe them, they are a staple when it comes to skin recovery. Adding masks into a regular skincare routine will definitely reap the benefits -- it is why your facialist will always use them during a treatment as they can provide hydration, nourishment, and anti-ageing benefits, or they can be clarifying, skin soothing and pore cleansing. Either way, your skin will thank you for their use, and if you think you have not got time to wait around for 10-20 minutes whilst your mask works its wonders, then opt for an overnight mask. Working whilst you sleep to repair and rejuvenate, masks that act as a replacement night moisturiser applied directly over your regular serum can work wonders. Doctors Formula 8 Hour Deep Repair Mask is an overnight miracle mask for dry, tired, party pooped skin containing a complex of collagen amino acids, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract and Vitis Vinifera – grape extract which acts a powerful antioxidant, so it helps to nourish, hydrate, plump and smooth the appearance of the skin. You may even look like you have escaped the signs of dehydration with a few nights use of this mask.
Origins Intensive Overnight Hydrating Mask - This ultra-moisturizing sleeping mask instantly floods skin with moisture & keeps skin soft, smooth & happily hydrated for 72 hours.
Aurelia London Overnight Recovery Mask – An ultra-nourishing overnight mask is enriched with industrious botanicals and probiotics to help soothe, deeply hydrate, repair, and calm skin, whether you have dry, sensitive, blemish-prone, or redness-prone skin.
So, we recognise that alcohol absolutely influences the skin, whether you are sipping your sauvignon or shouting for the next round of shots. It is not literally sucking the moisture out of the skin, however as the alcohol metabolises in the liver, a toxic by-product is produced and released into the body and skin, causing dehydrated tissue.
Drinking plenty of non-alcoholic fluids in-between your favourite tipple may make you feel like you’re being a party pooper, yet an indulgence of alcohol can affect your sleeping pattern. As we know, our skin rejuvenates more rapidly during the night and when we’re sleeping, so once that pattern is disrupted, the first signs of dehydration within the tissue likely kicks in, as well as the hangover that brings dark circles, under eye bags, fine dehydration lines, skin puffiness and perhaps even some irritability into the mix too.
Blotchy skin, broken capillaries, newly visible veins or an increase in fine lines and wrinkles can all be caused through alcohol consumption. It depends on how much you drink and how frequently, what your tolerance levels are and how quickly you metabolize alcohol. Experts believe that excess alcohol over prolonged periods of time can have irreversible effects on the skin, whilst just a few seasonal parties simply dehydrate and lead you back to a focus on your skincare regime.
How to combat the hangover dehydration
Top tip no 1: Drink in moderation and where you can, drink a non-alcoholic drink between each alcoholic drink to give your liver a fighting chance to metabolize the alcohol.
Top tip no 2: Once the night (or day!) is over, drink a warming cup of tea - mint, ginger and lemon or turmeric are all great before you sleep to give your liver a helping hand at flushing those toxins away.
Top tip no 3: Whatever you do, don’t go to bed with your make-up on! Think of the all the bacteria you’ve gained on your skin whilst being out and about -- don’t let them breed on your skin overnight and get comfortable in your lovely linen and your skin. Wash the event away and apply an intense hydrating serum such as hyaluronic acid and a skin boosting moisturiser or overnight miracle mask such as marine collagen to give you a little helping hand in the radiance department tomorrow – you’re going to need it!
Top tip no 4: Take a few deep breaths (that is not to stop the room spinning). It is to get some good, clean oxygen into your lungs to calm the mind and help you sleep. Keep a cool glass of water beside you while you sleep and if you wake up, sip, and then try and go back to sleep.
Top tip no 5: Step up your skincare routine for the next few days. Keep up the exfoliation – it is key in rejuvenating your skin. Then just like the party prep routine, hydrate, hydrate, then hydrate some more. Your Hyaluronic Acid Serum & Vitamin C Serums are as vital as the headache tablets! Treat your skin to a facial by using a soothing, hydrating and skin replenishment mask. Leverage the power of antioxidants -- whether topical or in your diet – by eating plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables and put the nourishment back into your body and skin.
Now you are armed and ready – go enjoy the party season and be jolly! And to help you along the way, here's 20% off at the checkout from us with OFFER CODE: PARTY2021
www.doctorsformula.co.uk