If you are feeling spotty with dull, flaky skin and eye bags that might take you over an airline baggage limit, then congratulations. You have pretty standard post-Christmas skin that has been lovingly cultivated by too many late nights, too much sugar, booze and the gratuitous use of make-up wipes. By New Year’s Eve lots of us really cannot face another night out and are longing for the purge associated with the first of January.
While it is tempting to run out and buy everything labelled “detox”, you must resist. I fell for the foot pads that it is claimed magically detox you in the night (they don’t, the blackening of the pads is caused by sweat not by “toxins” being sucked out through your feet), the special drinks and the unscientific supplements.
The term “detox” is just a clever way to market product, because skin, along with the other organs of elimination, is pretty good at detoxing all by itself. Skin cells turn over every few weeks, so no lasting damage will have been done by your Christmas excesses and you can help the renewal process along with lots of water and early nights. The good news is that, while your skin is quietly eliminating all that delicious Baileys and the sugar from the bumper tin of Roses, a few quick fixes will make it look better instantly.
A home seaweed bath is a delight (try Voya Lazy Days). It sounds slimy and as though it might whiff a bit, but dried seaweed reconstitutes in hot water and releases a gel that is sweet-smelling and moisturises dry skin. Although it is old-fashioned and not very sexy I love Oilatum Bath Emollient and have been using it for years because it is so good. Regular bath oils often sit on the surface of the water, but Oilatum disperses throughout so you get a properly moisturising bath. Topping up the the hot water with your toes is mandatory.
Now it is time to give your face some love. Exfoliation is the key to getting rid of old skin cells, so use a gentle scrub such as Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant, or Indeed Labs Facial Powdered Exfoliator. Avène Cleanance K, with its combination of lactic and glycolic acids, will keep clear everything as gently as possible if you don't like physical scrubs. To get rid of any horrible spots or anything that looks suspiciously like it might turn into a zit, use a product with salicylic acid: Dr Nick Lowe Spot Clearing Gel will help to clear things up.
If your pores are blocked and your skin feels grimy, a clay-based face mask will suck impurities right out. Boots Vacuum Pore Mask, a gel-clay hybrid, peels off, unclogging pores as it goes, and will fill you with delighted horror similar to the kind experienced when using a Bioré strip for the first time. At the moment I'm using the kaolin-based Payot Detox Mask and finding that it makes my skin feel smoother and cleaner, especially when followed with a moisture mask. Good ones to try are Lancôme Hydra Intense Moisturising Mask and Origins Moisture Quench.
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AISLING’S PICKS OF THE WEEK
Petalwell Diffuser
(€75): I’m a lover of scented candles but they have a downside: you can’t leave them to burn unsupervised. The Petalwell releases aromatic oil into the air for up to four hours. I like the Sleepwell blend of lavender and sweet marjoram.
Nuxellence Night Detox
(€49, chemists nationwide from end of January): I’ve been using this serum at night for the last couple of weeks, and, although I am not sure about the claim that it will make your skin look like it has had two hours of extra sleep, it is packed full of plant extracts, feels refreshing and is a good addition to a night-time routine.
Marks &Spencer Formula Radiant Cleanse Brightening Hot Cloth Cleanser
(€13.50): If balm or oil cleansers feel too heavy for you, a light cream formula like this is worth a try. It is alcohol-free so it won’t dry out your skin and it is creamy enough to remove a full face of make-up easily.
Est
ée Lauder Enlighten EE Skintone Corrector SPF 30
(€4): Yes, more alphabet foundations to confuse the life out of us, but the difference here is that this one is good. The coverage is enough to even out skin tone and, crucially, it does not turn into a shiny mess by lunchtime as many BBs and CCs do. I like it for days when you are not fussed about wearing a lot of make-up.
AISLING LOVES . . .
Clarins Instant Light Lip Comfort Oils
(€38, nationwide, Jan 19): Lip oils are set to be a thing in 2015, and Clarins shoots straight out of the blocks with lip oils that have delighted just about everyone who has tried them. They look like a non-sticky gloss on the lips and feel nourishing.
