Tips to Recover Your Skin Post-Thanksgiving

On Thanksgiving, we tend to indulge in just about everything—good food, good champagne, and even better desserts. Of course, all of that—in excess—may not be particularly good for our skin. Allow us to help you get your skin back on track. By committing to these simple skin care tips, you can get your complexion looking its best in no time.

TIP #1: APPLY A CHARCOAL FACE MASK

Is your skin looking a little worse for wear? Breathe life back into your complexion with a charcoal face mask. We love charcoal because it can detoxify the skin and lift pore-clogging impurities, dirt, and excess oil off the skin’s surface like a magnet. “Charcoal comes from bamboo, so it’s not a chemical product,” says Dr. Rocio Rivera, Head of Scientific Communications at L’Oréal Paris. The longer charcoal can sit on the skin, often the better it can perform, which is why a charcoal face mask is one of our favorite charcoal-infused products to use. Need a detox face mask recommendation? Try the L’Oréal Paris Pure-Clay Detox & Brighten Mask, a charcoal face mask that can detoxify the skin in 10 minutes. It’s formulated with potent pure clays as well as charcoal, and can help remove impurities and give your skin a deep clean. What’s more, the formula won’t leave your skin feeling tight and dry, which some detox face masks can do. “The right formula doesn’t have to be left on until completely dry,” Dr. Rivera says. “This clay mask has three different clays to help the formula absorb the dirt without over drying the skin.”

TIP #2: DE-PUFF YOUR EYE CONTOUR

As much as we love pecan pie, stuffing, and mashed potatoes, these Thanksgiving staples are often packed with excess amounts of sodium. When you consume too much sodium in your diet, your skin may appear dry and puffy, and that often includes your eye contour. If that’s the case the day after your Thanksgiving meal, help reduce the effects of dryness by reaching for your favorite facial moisturizer and applying liberally. If your under-eye area looks puffy, reach for the right ingredients in eye serums and creams. “Ingredients like niacinamide, caffeine, and vitamin C can be helpful,” board-certified dermatologist, and Skincare.com consultant, Dr. Doris Day says. “Retinol strengthens the skin which can help with de-puffing as well.” Want more tips? A dermatologist breaks down how to get rid of puffy eyes, here!  

TIP #3: PAMPER YOUR SKIN WITH A SHEET MASK

Whether you stayed up all night binge-watching holiday movies on the couch or shopping your favorite Black Friday beauty deals, chances are your skin could use some extra TLC the morning—or days—after Thanksgiving. If you have just 10 minutes of downtime, a hydrating sheet mask can work wonders. Try the Lancôme Advanced Génifique Hydrogel Melting Mask. The hydrating mask can deliver radiance and smoothness after just one use. And unlike some sheet masks which can slip and slide all over your face after application, this sheet mask stays put thanks to a hydrogel matrix that allows it to “cocoon” into the skin. "As you put it on clean skin, it adheres to your skin so beautifully that you can continue to go on with your tasks," says Cara Chamberlain, AVP Lancôme Learning. "You can get on social media, you can cook breakfast, you can do whatever you need to do without it moving on your skin." Check out our full product review, here!

TIP #4: HYDRATE YOUR SKIN FROM THE INSIDE OUT

Indulged in one too many glasses of bubbly during Thanksgiving? It happens. According to board-certified dermatologist, and Skincare.com consultant, Dr. Dendy Engelman, heavy alcohol consumption can dehydrate the skin, making it appear less plump and fresh. In addition to hydrating your body with water the next day, take it one step further and add a refreshing facial mist into your routine. Cue Vichy’s Mineralizing Thermal Water. Rich in 15 rare minerals, including iron, potassium, calcium, and manganese, this skin-benefitting thermal water—which is formulated into every Vichy product—can help fortify, rebalance, and moisturize the skin.

TIP #5: BANISH BREAKOUTS 

After indulging in a big meal, you may have fallen asleep on the couch without washing off your makeup. Your skin may not show signs of a breakout the next morning, but if it does, help reduce its appearance and prevent new blemishes from forming by cleansing and following with an acne-fighting spot treatment formulated with benzoyl peroxide. In a pinch? Here’s an overnight hack courtesy of board-certified dermatologist, and Skincare.com consultant Dr. Dhaval Bhanusali: “Put a product formulated with benzoyl peroxide on a band-aid and apply it to the pimple.”

TIP #6: DON’T NEGLECT YOUR LIPS

All those savory and sweet meals probably left you licking your lips a bit more than usual. Pair that with the lack of moisture in the air and blustering winds and your pout is probably feeling dry. Reach for a lip conditioner that can help relieve your lip skin of the drying effects of wind and cold weather. The best part about lip balm is you can apply it as liberally and as often as you’d like.