How To Avoid ‘Festive Face’: Your Skin Survival Plan For Party Season

Festive food indulgences, lots of late nights, and a glass (or two) of champagne – the winter party season can be lots of fun, but it isn’t always a friend to our skin. Factor in the cold weather and the general stresses that come with the ‘happiest of seasons’ and you could be left with ‘festive face’ – aka a dry, irritated complexion, paired with the occasional breakout too. 

Luckily, there are some easy ways to avoid the festive season taking its toll on your skin, from introducing some self care into your skincare routine to the best products to treat and nourish with minimal effort (so you can get back to your celebrations in no time).

Here’s what you need to know…

1. Use a multi-tasking serum

If you find yourself with a million-and-one things to do during the festive season, a complicated skincare routine on top of all that probably isn’t going to cut it. Luckily, your skincare can be a great multi-tasker too. A quick short-cut is to look for a serum or moisturiser with niacinamide in it; a hard-working ingredient that is especially good during the wintertime. It not only helps to support your natural skin barrier to soothe redness, avoid breakouts, and improve moisture levels, but can also reduce the appearance of enlarged pores and uneven skin tone over time.

For tackling visible signs of ageing, try Alasin Restorative Skin Complex, £198, shop now. It combines niacinamide with a trio of collagen-boosting peptides and hydrating silver mushroom too. Or, if you want a skin glow that’s even prettier under the festive lights, try Neostrata Enlighten Illuminating Serum, £50, shop now, which contains not one but five brightening ingredients including niacinamide.

2. Take a moment with friends or family

Skin hydration is key during the winter as the cold, windy weather sees moisture whipped away from the surface of your skin, leaving it dry and prone to redness. In good news, there are plenty of great skin moisturising products out there. iS Clinical’s Moisturizing Complex, £86.40, shop now, is a team top-pick, as is Vital Assist Moisture + Lift Daily Essential Hydrator, £78, shop now. Both are deeply nourishing, sealing in moisture with hero hydrators such as hyaluronic acid, collagen, omega fatty acids, peptides and antioxidants.

Another good piece of advice is to get your friends and family involved, so it feels more like pampering than work to protect your skin! Schedule a cosy night in and as you watch your favourite festive film, lather on your favourite nourishing products together like a face mask. (If you want a mask itself, try Croma Beauty’s Rejuvenating Face Mask, £44, shop now). Leave your skin free of makeup as well, and you’ll really see the benefit of slapping on lots of hydration.

3. Don’t skip your cleanse

You might want to flop straight into bed after your big Christmas party, but your skin will really thank you for taking a minute to take off your makeup. Cleansing is often seen as the boring part of your skincare routine, but it’s important and can actually easily become a self-care ritual, perfect for taking a pause for yourself during your hectic festive calendar.

For a more indulgent experience, look to milky balms or oil-based formulas that allow you to massage away tension across your face as you use them. And, if you can tolerate fragrance products, a beautiful scent can calm a busy mind too. Medik8’s Lipid-Balance Cleansing Oil, £28, shop now, makes light work of even a full face of makeup, while Epionce’s Milky Lotion Cleanser, £34, shop now, further soothes your skin with anti-inflammatory fruit extracts so your skin never has to look flustered.

4. Give your skin time to unwind

Results-driven skincare, especially retinoids for fine lines and wrinkles or exfoliating acids for uneven tone, can do wonders for your skin, but their side effects are well-documented. So, if you have lots of events to attend, you may want to step carefully to limit the risk of dryness or breakouts happening, especially as stress and tiredness can make this more likely to happen.

Luckily, there’s a new era of retinoids that can help even those with sensitive skin reduce the risk of side effects, due to clever encapsulation processes and lots of hydrating, soothing supporting ingredients. Some TTG team favourites include Skinbetter Science AlphaRet Overnight Cream, £107.20, shop now, and Vital Assist Proliferate + Renew Cellular Renewal Cream , £96, shop now.

Equally, don’t be afraid to take a short break over the Christmas period. We promise it won’t totally reverse your progress. Just slowly reintroduce the products into your routine in the New Year.

5. Start your supplements before the January rush

While most of us try to supercharge our supplement game come January, when the ‘wellness rush’ is in full-swing, we probably need them even more during the Christmas rush – and your skin will thank you for starting a month early! After all, supplements often take at least a few weeks to start showing their results, so by starting now, your skin, energy and overall wellness levels can already be better by the new year.

Unsurprisingly, TTG’s top pick is our Delivery Club trio of supplements, £143 per month for a six month subscription, shop now. It is what we like to call our ‘special skin and health support kit’ and for good reason. The set comprises of Totally Derma collagen, Altrient-C liposomal vitamin C, and ZENii Triple Omega 3 to support your skin, immune and joint health.

6. Avoid last-minute ‘panic’ tweakments

It can be tempting when faced with the idea of seeing your extended family or old friends to decide that now is the time to head into clinic for a little ‘tweak’. But, while there’s certainly some brilliant no-downtime tweakments that can help you look and feel fresher (advanced facials for example), don’t let social anxiety drive your decision-making. Many tweaks also have at least some degree of ‘settling in’, with redness, puffiness or restrictions on certain activities, so now is not the time to ‘go big or go home’. Instead, follow Alice’s advice in her article ‘Do As I Say, Not As I Do’ and take the time to find a trusted practitioner from our guide.

Want to discover more tweakment and skincare advice from the experts? Head to The Guide to find out more.