The cold weather is bad enough, but add in party season and it's no wonder skin can be left feeling in need of some TLC! Luckily, the experts at Skin Matters, including Joanne Evans, one of our Beauty Awards 2017 judges, have shared their top tips to maintain skin health during the festive season:

Ice water plunge - A cold mask for 20 minutes soothes, refreshes and tightens and also takes inflammation away and brightens the skin. This is a great simple way to brighten up the skin and take down any inflammation or puffy eyes.  

Detox with tea and electrolytes - During party season many indulge a little more than usual, a little more often. You can hide the symptoms by taking extra antioxidants, drinking green tea or taking electrolytes. Eating well is also important and IV Vitamin infusions, full of vitamin C and B12, help rehydrate the system. Infrared saunas can help to detox and reduce inflammation, too.

Brighten up with AHA and collagen  - Use mild AHAs to brighten the skin. The AHAs most commonly used in cosmetic products are glycolic acid and lactic acid. Other AHAs to look out for include citric acid, 2-hydroxyoctanoic acid and 2-hydroxydecanoic acid. All will aid the overall look and feel of the skin. Collagen sheet masks are also amazing to rejuvenate tired skin. 

Night time is cell recovery time  - There’s quite a lot of uncertainty around what a serum is and what it does. You can advise customers that even if they use a great moisturiser, at night a serum may still be beneficial. Whilst moisturisers keep the skin hydrated, serums such as Estee Lauder, Night Repair penetrate the skin more deeply to deliver key ingredients. Serums at bedtime assist with skin’s cellular recovery with high concentrations of certain active ingredients such as hyaluronic acid (to reduce lines), vitamin C (to brighten the skin) or glycolic acid (an exfoliant), to name just a few.

Hydrate inside and out  - Hydrate from the inside out, get plenty of vitamin C and omegas. Moisturise and protect using an oil based moisturiser with vitamin A, C and E if the skin is particularly dry, treat yourself to a professional specialist treatments such as an Advanced Vitamin Facial to nourish and soothe the skin.