As the festive season winds down, many across the UK are facing an unwelcome guest: sudden skin breakouts. The combination of rich foods, celebratory drinks, and disrupted routines often leads to spots, redness, and clogged pores come January.
Why Festive Excess Triggers Skin Problems
Laura Porter, an expert facialist and founder of FAB Skincare, confirms that post-festive skin issues are among the most common complaints she sees every new year. She explains that alcohol, sugar, and heavy foods can cause internal inflammation and dehydration. Late nights disrupt the skin's natural overnight repair cycle, and when paired with heavier makeup and inconsistent cleansing, the result is often blemishes and a lacklustre complexion.
Five Practical Steps to Calm Your Skin
Instead of reaching for harsh solutions, Porter advocates for a gentle, supportive approach. Her first crucial tip is to avoid over-cleansing. "Over-cleansing and using harsh acids can compromise your skin barrier," she warns. This damage leads to more sensitivity and can perpetuate breakouts. She recommends thorough but gentle cleansing twice daily, avoiding any product that leaves skin feeling tight or "squeaky."
Secondly, prioritise overnight skin repair. Night-time is when skin naturally heals and produces collagen. Using a targeted overnight treatment during this period can significantly reduce redness and improve texture, helping to prevent dark spots after a blemish has healed.
The Critical Role of Hydration
Porter identifies dehydration as a key but frequently overlooked culprit. "When skin is dehydrated, it often overproduces oil to compensate, which can clog pores," she states. The solution is twofold: increase water intake, reduce alcohol consumption, and use skincare products that hydrate multiple layers of the skin to restore balance and clarity.
When treating active breakouts, precision is better than panic. Rather than slathering strong products all over the face, apply a targeted spot treatment directly to the blemish before bed. This method, such as using the FAB Skincare No.6 Overnight Spot Treatment, clears congestion without unnecessarily drying out or irritating surrounding healthy skin.
Patience and Consistency Are Key
The final, perhaps most important, advice is to be patient. "Quick fixes rarely work. Consistency beats intensity every time," Laura Porter cautions. Constantly switching products or overhauling your entire routine can backfire and slow the healing process. Stick to a simple, supportive regimen and allow your skin the time it needs to recover naturally.
As we move into the new year, the expert's guidance is clear: support your skin's resilience with care, not punishment. A calm, targeted approach will yield better, longer-lasting results than any drastic attempt to undo festive indulgence overnight.
