Having problematic skin for Valentines can be a big worry for the one in four people who suffer from skin conditions such as acne, rosacea and eczema, but with targeted Valentines skincare preparation, many of the worst fears can be significantly reduced or potentially entirely avoided.
“Preparing volatile skin and making some effective preventative lifestyle changes about a week in advance of Valentines can make about 70-80% difference in the likelihood of having problematic skin during the Valentines weekend,” says dermatologist Dr Eva Melegh.
“The worst thing you can do is panic a few days before Valentines when skin starts to play up and then try and fix the problem with instant-fix products. This is more likely to trigger more reactive or disruptive skin than doing nothing at all because these products are not designed for problem skin. Give unstable skin a week’s regimen of specialised preventative care, and you are much more likely to ensure clearer, calmer and healthier skin for Valentines.”
Follow Dr Melegh’s 7 tip regimen for well-behaved Valentines skin.
1.Ban Blitzing
For at least a week before Valentines simply stop all forms of trying to blitz your skin. This means avoiding all products that aim to strip the skin of oils in the name of cleaner skin, such as foaming washes, cleansing wipes etc. I’d also recommend refraining from using make up removers for a week before Valentines as they contain solvents that can make skin reactive and dry.
Instead use a natural light cleansing oil like rosehip or squalene to gently remove make up for a week before Valentines and try and wear less make up than normal to make the process easier.
2. Ease Up Exfoliation
Exfoliation is generally good for skin but so many of us overdo it and man people mistakenly think that increase exfoliation in preparation for a special occasion will give glowing skin on the day. In fact, the opposite is often the case. Addition exfoliation can cause skin to looker redder and may increase dryness so needs to be done during a controlled period and not as a last-minute panic move.
In fact, I would suggest decreasing exfoliation during the week before Valentines in order to let the skin become as calm as possible and to allow natural oils to accumulate slightly on the skin.
Skip on any strong actives such as potent ingredients like retinol or high strength exfoliants to prevent any risk of redness or sensitivity.
Use a mild non-chemical exfoliant just 2-3 times during the week to slough off dull, dead skin cells to help brighten your complexion and ensures your makeup sits better but not to deep exfoliate skin. Silver & Birch Exfoliating Wash with Birch Bark contains natural equivalents of both Salicylic acid and Methyl salicylate, Betulin to help reduce inflammation and Lupeol and Erythrodiol which studies prove can help increase the production of proteins in skin cells to speed up the healing process.
3. Balance Bacteria
Maintaining sufficient levels of good skin bacteria is a base-line defence against acne break outs and dry and reactive skin flares and can be achieved quickly by using products that boost good skin bacteria instead of reducing it.
Many chemicals in anti-bacterial skincare products and make up removers destroy good skin bacteria. This, in turn, weakens the healthy skin barrier allowing more bad skin bacteria inside the skin pore, consequently causing worsening and more frequent break outs and skin flares.
Silver Serum contains MicroSilver ™ a form of micronized silver that specifically starves bad skin bacteria while leaving good skin bacteria intact, allowing it to multiply and grow, effectively re-balancing the skin’s bacteria and effects can be seen in as little as 4-5 days.
4. Boost Skin Barrier
Boosting the skin barrier in the week before Valentines will result in a much lower risk of dry or flaky skin or reactive skin. It will also lower the risk of any reactions from cosmetics used for Valentines dates.
The best way to do this is by the daily application of skin prebiotics for the week before Valentines, which will help nourish and bolster the skin’s microbiome.
TeQ Serum contains two extracts of Mexican Agave, both of which are potent skin prebiotics and have been proven to reduce redness, tightness and sensitivity as well as being more moisturising than Hyaluronic Acid to also guard against dryness. The serum formula means more of the crucial ingredient can be packed into the suspension while keeping it light and easier to absorb than a cream. It should be worn in a thin scrim under make up to reduce the risk of skin reactions as well as overnight.
5. Abstain From Alcohol
Studies prove that stopping alcohol can show visible, positive improvements in skin hydration and reduction of facial puffiness within a week.
While initial days might involve dryness or temporary breakouts, within a week most people experience significantly improved complexion, less puffiness, reduced redness, clearer eyes, and better skin elasticity.
Therefore, if you stop drinking for a week before Valentines, you almost guaranteed that your skin will look calmer, clearer and less puffy. It will also help improve your sleep, which adds even more positives to the skin complexion.
6. Cleanse & Tone Without Water
Water isn’t actually very good for skin in general and I’d recommend trying to avoid washing with it as much as possible, especially if you have dry or sensitive skin. It’s full of chlorine which can make sensitive skin drier and more sensitive and the temperature changes of rinsing with warm or cold water can trigger red skin flares. But even if you can’t imagine not regularly treating your skin to a good rinsing with water, for the sake of more hydrated and calmer skin, try a water-free cleansing routine for just one week before Valentines and tell me if you don’t see some major improvements.
Try a water-free cream cleanser with as few chemicals in as possible and no perfumes. Then swipe freshly cleansed skin with a pore reducing toner such as Birch Water Pore-Minimising Toner in order to clarify skin and ‘close’ pores and remove any lingering residue, make up or dirt.
If you are used to cleansing with water it might feel a bit strange for the first few days (especially if you are prone to acne), like your skin is not clean enough, but bear with it and see how your skin feels at the end of a week. It should feel softer, less reactive, less red and more hydrated.
7. Prevent Purging
With the reduction in exfoliating products and water-free cleansing, many of people who are prone to oily skin and acne will be freaking out that their skin will purge. It’s true it may well do.
Don’t panic because with some preparation this can be prevented. Purging is simply when the skin naturally temporarily produces excess sebum which then pools in the skin pore, gets contaminated by external bacteria which leads to congestion and then inflammation and acne.
However, if the sebum doesn’t get contaminated, it passes out through the skin pore freely and without congestion and much of the problem is avoided. This can be achieved via sebum purifying products such as Sebopure, which is a lightweight serum that contains a patented ingredient from wild mustard leaf with a proven ability to preserve and purify sebum and works immediately. This product worn daily in the week before Valentines should significantly reduce the risk of skin purging as well as keeping skin naturally more moisturised and glowing via free-flowing and uninhibited sebum production.
