It's incredibly easy to overdo it on NYE. Depending on what you're up to this year, there could be copious amounts of alcohol involved, or a glass or two of bubbly when the clock strikes midnight. However you celebrate, hangover skincare for after New Year's will be essential to ensure you don't bring on a self-inflicted barrage of acne or other skin issues.
The alcohol you may end up drinking on NYE, plus the potential feasting and the lack of sleep, likely won't have you looking your best on New Year's Day. You might be meeting up with friends, attending a family gathering, or meeting your partner's parents on Jan. 1 2017, so you probably want to be looking your best. You'll likely already look exhausted — and maybe green around the gills if you went all out — so you don't want your skin to turn on you, on top of everything else. Even if you feel a little crappy on the inside, while celebrating the dawn of a new year, you won't want to look like you were up until 4am doing shots off a stranger's belly, or that you lost track of time chatting to your besties about how the universe was created, until the sun came up.
Thus, I spoke to Angela Jia Kim, founder of Savor Beauty, to find out the best way to take care of your skin when you're experiencing a New Year's hangover.
"Alcohol will change your hormone levels, and this imbalance can cause dry skin and/or acne breakouts," Kim tells Bustle over email. If you're planning on having an alcoholic beverage (or a bottle) on New Year's Eve, but you also want your skin to look in tip-top condition come New Year's Day, you'll have to take action.
"One way to combat hangover skin is to apply a hydrating mask to draw out toxins and nourish dry skin," says Kim. Have a hydrating mask to hand for the morning of Jan. 1 — it'll probably soothe your skin and possibly even your hangover.
"You can even do this 5-minute facial in the shower by massaging Savor Beauty's Raspberry Serum onto [your] face and layering Savor Beauty's Manuka Honey Detox Mask over the serum," explains Kim. "Leave on for 1-5 minutes, allowing the steam to melt the honey into skin," she instructs, "this will hydrate hungover skin and unclog pores to start off the year with happy new skin."
We all want a night to remember for NYE 2016, but it doesn't have to come at the cost of your skin suffering the morning after. Take Kim's advice and stock up on products that'll help your skin to look less like you partied too hard, in addition to potentially soothing your hangover too. Because what could be better than waking up feeling rough, then remembering you have a decadent, hydrating face mask on your bedside table? Throw in some brunch and you have the perfect start to the New Year!
Images: Jakob Owens (1), Dave Lastovskiy (1), Yutacar (1) /Unsplash
