Many people use a January detox to cleanse their skin – but with so much advice out there, what’s the best approach? Read on for our healthy skin tips.
After all the stress and excitement of the festive period, it’s not uncommon to start the New Year feeling in less than tip-top condition. Whether your festive indulgence was sugar, alcohol, late nights or the temporary abandonment of your exercise regime, you’re bound to see the effects on your skin – as our biggest visible organ, it’s the first place where we see signs when our lifestyle takes a turn for the unhealthy.
That’s why a January detox is a popular part of many people’s post-festive recovery regime – but with so much contradictory advice out there, what’s the most effective approach to take? It may be mid-month, but it’s never too late to start taking care of your skin – so read our experts’ healthy skin tips for smooth, fresh, glowing skin which looks as good as it feels.
Take a Holistic Approach to Skincare
There are plenty of articles out there offering ‘cheats’ or ‘hacks’ for radiant skin, but the truth is, your skin is an organ – and like any other organ, it looks its best when it’s healthy. If you buy plenty of expensive products, but you rarely sleep or exercise, you won’t see optimum results.
Skin dullness is a common winter skincare concern, and, as we age, the blood supply to the skin grows poorer, making our skin appear lackluster – both sleep and exercise boost blood flow to the skin, delivering oxygen and vital nutrients to your skin cells. Sleep also allows your skin vital recovery time where cells are repaired, collagen is produced and the active ingredients in your skincare products are better absorbed – so make sure your detox involves lifestyle changes, not just cosmetic ones.
Nourish Your Skin from The Inside Out
Diet is an important part of any detox, and if you want to see dramatic improvements in your skin, using January to detox from sugar and alcohol is the best place to start. Many people struggle to implement this advice, under-estimating its importance – but the link between diet and many skin conditions has been demonstrated time and time again.
Consuming foods with a high glycemic index, such as refined carbohydrates and sugar, causes an insulin spike which aggravates acne, stimulates sebum glands and degrades collagen and elastin; causing sagging, wrinkles and loss of elasticity. Not only is alcohol high in sugar, it also causes broken blood vessels, flushing and dehydration – so take advantage of a Dry January break!
Once you’ve eliminated toxic components like alcohol, cigarettes and sugar, make sure you’re eating plenty of colourful fruit and vegetables, including leafy greens, and drinking plenty of water, to flush out toxins and give your skin all the nutrients it needs to support healthy repair.
Target Your Skin with Clinically Proven Products and Treatments
Lifestyle changes give you a great canvas on which to work – but if you want to improve your skin, not just undo the damage you caused during December, a regime of super-powered products will refresh and revitalise your skin. At Waterhouse Young, we can look beneath the surface of your skin to provide a targeted, bespoke skin treatment program which addresses your individual concerns – but these are some of our favourite products for detoxing and repairing tired, dry or congested January skin.
Recommended Products
SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic
With 15% Vitamin C, 1% Vitamin E and 0.5 Ferulic Acid, this serum is an antioxidant powerhouse of free-radical fighting ingredients.
Intraceuticals Enzyme Exfoliator
Regular exfoliation is key to sloughing off old skin cells, promoting new growth and allowing your products to penetrate – with hyaluronic layering and fruit enzymes, this rejuvenating exfoliator is gentle yet powerful.
Obagi Hydrate Luxe
This rich, silky moisturizer keeps your skin prepped with all the nutrients it needs while you sleep, protecting and rehydrating.
SkinCeuticals Blemish & Age Cleanser
Glycolic and salicylic acid penetrate deep below the surface of your skin to exfoliate, brighten, smooth away imperfections and prevent further breakouts.
Recommended Treatments
Injectables such as Botox and dermal fillers are an incredibly effective way of seeing near-instant results on the skin, dramatically smoothing wrinkles and restoring volume to sagging skin – but to detox your skin from the inside out, we highly recommend a series of HydraFacial treatments. Starting with an in-depth Visia skin analysis, this medical facial combines deep cleansing, exfoliation, extraction, hydration and antioxidant protection to boost collagen and stimulate elastin growth. While one treatment is enough to see firmer, plumper, fresher skin, we recommend a course of treatments for long-lasting resurfacing results. Gentle, nourishing and replenishing, the HydraFacial is perfect for dull, ageing, oily, congested or lackluster skin – making it the perfect pick-me-up to complement your January detox.
If you follow these healthy skin tips, you’ll not only look better, you’ll feel better, too – by addressing the root causes of stressed, unhappy skin as well as its cosmetic effects, you can heal your body from the inside out. There’s only a few weeks left of January, so use them wisely – and you’ll be putting your best face forward throughout the coming year.
