Holiday Skin Stress!


Posted on December 18th, by Helen in Blog, Obsessions, Products. No Comments

Holiday Skin Stress!

That was me last night after getting home from a day of skin care holiday shopping. In those bags are:

  • Gift cards for Oxygen facials ($250) at my favorite skin place in Yorkville, DLK on Avenue (for my very loved ones)
  • A few bottles of Consonant’s all-natural Ultra Moisturizing Face Cream for Dry Skin, great for dead-of-winter skin ($54) purchased from their sleek Yonge and Eglington store (for my eco-conscious pals)
  • Some classic Clinique prodz (for mom) like their yellow Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion ($25) and some of their newest Chubby Sticks lip moisturizers for random stocking stuffers ($16).

Phew. I did it. But, man, my skin has not been happy this month. You may not be able to see my skin clearly in the pic, but it’s been a pimply mess.

My acne started flaring up at the beginning of December – as soon as I heard the first Christmas song on the radio! I haven’t had any time this month to keep up with my skin care treatments at the derm’s clinic, so I’ve been using sample sized at-home products, provided by various skin care companies, to help keep the flare ups down.

My four skin-savers this month are:

Cleanse

SkinCeuticals Blemish + Age Cleansing Gel cleans and removes oil and makeup; $41. I use this with my Clarisonic brush because exfoliation is key during the winter months! The Clarisonic Mia is $140 at Sephora.

Treat

SkinCeuticals Blemish + Age Defense is a micro-exfoliating serum to reduce blemishes, smooth texture and irregularities, even skin tone and minimize fine lines and wrinkles. I really like this potent nighttime serum so far. It’s helped slough away some pesky whiteheads with its re-texturizing prowess. $90.

Kellett Skincare Clarifying Acne Treatment is my derm’s spot treatment cream. 5% Benzoyl peroxide is the magic ingredient that kills pimples before they get out of control. I like this treatment because it doesn’t leave behind a crusty white film like most acne creams. $75 at DLK on Avenue or buy it online here.

Extra Treat

Vichy Normaderm Tri-Active Mask is a 3-in-1 action clay mask created for oily and acne-prone skin. It cleanses (so you can also use it as a regular cleanser), exfoliates, and when used as a mask (left on for 10 minutes), it effectively absorbs oil and keep shine at bay. I have the full 125 ml size and I’ve been pretty liberal with it – applying it about three times a week. I love how it makes my skin feel taut afterwards. $20 at Shoppers Drug Mart.

I highly recommend these products if you’re breaking out due to holiday stress. But also, do yourself a huge favour by booking yourself a deep cleansing facial treatment in January to detox your skin from all that stress-induced inflammation. And get back to seeing your derm once a month. Your skin is worth the splurge. I just made my appointments for 2013!

May your holidays – and skin – be merry, bright, and blemish-free!






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