Glow and sparkle this holiday season with perfect skin
’Tis the season for festive reunions and get-togethers, chilly weather at long-drive locales outside the city, and endless rounds of holiday photos.
But photo ops and face time with friends and family shouldn’t be your only motivation to put your best face forward and level up your skincare routine during the holidays. According to dermatologist Dr. Maximin Navarro, Fellow of the Philippine Dermatological Society, the cool weather and lack of sleep—thanks to back-to-back celebrations and parties—can make your skin dry and dull, so it’s important to commit to a regular skincare regimen despite your busy schedule.
This is all the more imperative for mature skin, which requires a little extra TLC. “Mature skin is subjected to a lot of internal and external stressors. Internal stressors are the tissue changes in aging skin, while external stressors are chronic sun exposure and environmental pollutants,” explains Dr. Navarro.
Some common skin issues like blotchiness, dark pigmentation, dryness and/or roughness, dark circles, and wrinkles could be undermining your skin’s youthful glow— but these are concerns that could be addressed by maintaining a consistent and derma-approved skincare routine.
Here’s Dr. Navarro’s easy-to-follow AM and PM routine you can adopt to keep your skin healthy and glowing during the holiday season and beyond.
Morning/Evening Routine
- Cleanser. Wash your face with a gentle cleanser free of harmful ingredients like alcohols or mineral oils that can be harsh especially on mature skin. Consider Neostrata Enlighten Ultra Brightening Cleanser. It offers a potent blend of botanical-based active ingredients that remove dirt and makeup, plus gently exfoliate to stimulate cell renewal and reveal fresh, younger-looking skin.
- Toner. Swipe on a toner formulated with antioxidants and hyaluronic acids that can help improve the surface of your skin, making it smoother and brighter. Using a toner can also prep your skin to better absorb nutrients from the other products in your skincare regimen. For an effective nighttime toner, try Biologique P50 PIGM 400 Lotion, a cult favorite that exfoliates without over-drying, and restores skin’s pH balance.
- Serum. For morning, Dr. Navarro recommends choosing a light serum enriched with vitamin C, which “can help protect your skin from sun damage and free radicals.” For evening, a richer serum that addresses your current skincare needs should be selected. Dr. Navarro recommends a product with retinol, an excellent ingredient for preventing new wrinkles from forming, smoothing out any fine lines you already have, and decreasing pigmentation.
- Moisturizer. Dr. Navarro reiterates that as we age, skin becomes drier, so it’s imperative to include a moisturizer in your skincare routine. “Moisturizers trap water in our skin, giving it a more youthful appearance,” he says.
A good moisturizer should be “hypoallergenic and free of allergens that can irritate the skin, free of preservatives, and may contain alpha- or beta-hydroxyacids that smoothen, brighten, and moisturize skin.”
For morning use, a moisturizer with sun protection is a must to not only make your skin supple and silky, but keep it protected from UV rays as well. For night use, you can choose a moisturizer like Biologique Recherche Crème Splendide. It is a great anti-aging treatment that can help restore the elasticity and density of the skin, while providing an immediate hydrating effect.
Morning Routine: Essential Add-Ons
- Sunblock. If your daily moisturizer doesn’t contain SPF, Dr. Navarro recommends selecting a separate sunscreen or sunblock that not only offers an SPF of 30 and above, but also UVA/UVB protection without clogging the pores and causing acne.
A tall order, but one that fits the bill is Heliocare 360 Gel Oil-Free. It has a dry-touch finish infused with sebum-controlling technology, so you don’t have to worry about your SPF being too thick or heavy (or causing breakouts). Plus, aside from providing UVA/UVB protection, Heliocare 360 Gel Oil-Free protects against HEVL (High Energy Visible Light) and Infrared-A, offering a broader spectrum of protection and making it more effective than most.
Evening Routine: Essential Add-Ons
- Weekly face masks. Dr. Navarro says a weekly treatment is a good way to give your skin a super dose of peptides, ceramides, and hyaluronic acid that support collagen production—smoothing fine lines and helping get your glow back.
- Eye and neck treatments. Similarly, your eye area could be showing your age. Banish dark circles with an eye cream that can brighten and hydrate the skin under your eyes. Meanwhile applying a neck cream like Neostrata Triple Neck Cream on your neck and chest area can address sagging skin.
This holiday season, give yourself the gift of glowing skin by investing in the right products, consulting with a dermatologist you can trust, and of course, eating well, drinking enough water, and getting plenty of rest.
Related Reads:
- Traveling to Colder Climates? Protect Your Skin with This Wonder Serum
- 10 Beauty Solutions to Have a Truly Wonderful and Stress-Free Holiday
- Target Common Body Skin Concerns
