A model's life during fashion week may seem insanely glam — the gorgeous clothes, the parties, the proximity to North West and Joe Jonas — but in reality, things aren't always as fabulous as they look on Instagram. Between late night fittings, early morning casting calls, and non-stop go-go-going (not to mention the intense diet and exercise that often comes with getting runway ready), it's often far more exhausting than it is exciting. With all of the insanity going on backstage and behind the scenes, how do models keep their skin looking runway ready during fashion week?
"Both a lack of sleep and less balanced diet during fashion week can contribute to skin difficulties for models," says celebrity dermatologist Dr. Marina Peredo. "They are also constantly applying and reapplying heavy makeup, which combined with extreme dry heat at the venues and the New York winter outside can create a volatile situation for skin." This season (which is FW17, for anyone who's trying to keep track) "no makeup" makeup has been a permanent fixture on catwalk after catwalk, which means that having flawless skin is even more important than ever.
So what do models do to make sure they look flawless when they come down the runway? Here are five things (that you can try at home, too!) care of Dr. Peredo.
1. Keep Skin Balanced
The real trick to keeping skin A-OK during stressful situations? Plan ahead. "A basic way for models to prevent skin damage from heavy makeup during fashion week is to make sure skin is healthy and balanced beforehand, which will allow it to bounce back much quicker during the stress of the actual event," says Dr. Peredo. "Simple tricks like hydrating and catching up on rest will go a long way when the craziness sets in." If you know you have something intense coming up, make sure you drink a lot of water and get enough sleep beforehand so your body can fight any harsh environmental factors that come its way.
2. Be Gentle
"Models should also avoid harsh products during fashion week, using only gentle skin cleansers and lots of moisturizer," says Dr. Peredo. If your skin is going through a tough time (i.e., having makeup taken off of it and reapplied multiple times a day, like the models have to) there's no need to exacerbate things further with products.
3. Choose The Right Regiment
During difficult skin-moments, consider your skincare routine to be your BFF. "In addition to self-care, models should use skin products rich in peptides and antioxidants to prepare for an event like NYFW," says Dr. Peredo. "Another trick is to use an anti-aging serum as a base each day, which will flood skin with moisture and keep it firm."
4. Don't Forget To Wear Sunscreen
Just because it's winter does not mean that the models (or you!) can skimp on their sun protection routines. "Sunblock is a great way to fight off potentially deep environmental damage to skin," says Dr. Peredo. I promise — none of the ladies coming down the runway got their glows from baking in the sun, so neither should you.
5. Consider Treatments
Sometimes, a topical skincare routine just won't cut it, and models need to do something a bit more extreme. "Many simple procedures can help models prepare for the runway, such as basic laser and microdermabrasion," says Dr. Peredo. These include gentle lasers like this one from Clear and Brilliant, or the "Red Carpet Ready" treatment from Skinfluence that refreshes skin through lymphatic drainage, oxygenation, and the delivery of key skin nutrients. According to Dr. Peredo, basic laser treatments can be done a week or less before a big event, but more invasive treatments should be done several months beforehand.
