5 Tips For Staying Healthy During The Holidays
The holidays are coming up and, while this is an exciting time for many of us, it can also be a major source of stress. Whether that's because of your in-laws interfering with the cooking, last-minute present buying, or traveling long distances to try and fit all the family in, the holidays can stop you from taking the best care of yourself, and this can lead to flareups in all sorts of skin conditions.
The good news is that there are plenty of things you can do to make sure that your skin stays healthy during the holiday period.
1) Manage your stress
High levels of stress can make skin problems worse. This is because when you're stressed, your body releases the stress hormone cortisol. This is the hormone that is responsible for the fight-or-flight response, but one other thing it does is release lots of oil into the skin. This can aggravate skin conditions like rosacea and eczema and can cause rashes and blisters.
One way of managing stress that could easily be slotted into your busy holidays is mindfulness. This is a form of meditation that involves grounding yourself in the moment and becoming aware of your body and all of the sensations around you. Apps like Headspace and Calm provide daily mindfulness practices where they guide you through the meditation and help you connect with yourself.
2) Get plenty of rest
The holiday period can be busy and fun with lots of late nights, but it is important that you try to get enough sleep as well. Lack of sleep can cause skin breakouts and flareups. Your body makes collagen while you sleep, and this protein is responsible for keeping your skin tight and bouncy. Without enough collagen, your skin will look saggier. Lack of sleep can also cause puffy eyes, pale skin, and dark circles.
3) Drink lots of water
It is easy to overindulge with alcohol over the holiday period, but try to make sure that you drink plenty of water as well. Your skin needs moisture to stay flexible and dehydration can make skin look and feel dry and tired.
5) Get outside
Going out for a nice holiday walk for 30 minutes a day can help your skin stay healthy and energized. Your skin needs sunlight to make vitamin D, and vitamin D can help prevent skin aging (e.g. fine lines, sagging skin, dryness). It also helps with skin cell growth, repair, and metabolism. Getting out for a walk will also help lower your stress, so it really is a win-win situation!
5) Don't forget your fruits and vegetables
There are lots of treats available over the holiday, and it is, of course, fine to indulge. But try to make sure that you consume plenty of fruits and vegetables to balance out the sweets. Fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants that help to prevent skin damage caused by free radicals, such as wrinkling and age spots. Fruit also contains vitamins C and E, which your body needs to make collagen. And brazil nuts are actually a great source of selenium, a powerful antioxidant.
If you're not sure if you'll be able to get all of the vitamins and minerals you need for your skin over the holiday period, it is a good idea to take a supplement that can give you all of it in one go. Lilium contains vitamins A, C, D, and E, as well as collagen, and antioxidants like selenium and zinc. All of these ingredients will keep your skin looking fresh and healthy, so you can focus on enjoying yourself without the stress of flareups!