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Miles Younger

How to Fix your Face Hangover in 4 easy steps.

Wine glasses clinking

Ever looked in the mirror with a hangover to be greeted by a ghostlike image that partly resembles your face, had you been dug up and hit with a shovel?  You feel wretched inside and your face really tells the story.  Proof that what we put into our bodies directly affects our skin condition, the largest organ in our bodies. We’ve all done it and the Christmas party season means we’ll all do it again. You may feel rubbish on the inside but what you need is a quick fix for your skin in the morning. That way you can face the world looking, if not feeling your best!

Why you need a simple morning after skincare routine.

Alcohol causes  DRY, PUFFY, REDNESS to our faces. I never want to be preachy about this stuff, most of us enjoy a drink after all. It’s useful however to be armed with the facts about it’s effects on our skin!

The problem is it dehydrates us which causes the body to store water in the skin and around the face which is why you look puffy. Areas around your eyes and in particular your upper eyelid will be affected. The other effect of dehydration is to dry the skin and thereby weaken its defence against irritants. Alcohol consumption increases the blood flow, which congests the capillary vessels around the eyes. This can lead to redness and blotchiness on the face and blood shot eyes. It also affects your liver and your lymphatic system, the major cleansing and irrigation system of your skin. This means your skin is less able to receive the vital nutrients it needs. The affect can last up to 24 hours after your last drink as your body works hard to rid the system of these toxins.

What to do for a skin hangover.

This is my simple 4 step morning-after skincare routine to reinvigorate your skin.

  1. When you first wake up you need to improve the flow of lymph fluid and a really simple way to do this is by using a hot steaming flannel. Heat the flannel by dousing it in really hot water and then when it is steaming apply it directly over the face for a minute.
  2. Then apply an intensively moisturising face mask for sensitive skin for 5 mins. A single night of overindulgence with alcohol can leave your skin excessively dry for days on end. When hungover your skin is also more sensitive to irritants it would normally resist so it’s important to treat it gently. Dr Hauschka soothing mask is brilliant as it contains ingredients to deeply moisturise and it works well on stressed and reddened skin. Avoid the under-eye area! Rinse off with luke warm water.
  3. When finished douse the flannel in really ice-cold water and lay it on the face for another minute. This will improve blood circulation and kick start your lymph fluid to help reduce puffiness. It will also trap the moisture in your skin so the effectiveness of the face mask will last. This ice-cold flannel will also help de puff your eye area.
  4. Finally take a cotton wool pad doused in Liz Earle’s eye bright and sweep over the eye area to tone and revitalise your tired eyes. You may have your own favourite eye product but make sure to use a tightening gel and not a cream. This will help kick start the lymph drainage to further reduce puffiness!

Rescue Remedy.

If you can manage it and don’t fall into bed the night before, try expanding your skincare by washing your face thoroughly the night before and apply a night time moisturiser. This will really help you out the following morning.

This kick start to your morning skincare routine will leave your skin revitalised and fresh and allow you to go about your day knowing that your skin is looking your best, despite what’s going on inside.


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