How To Avoid Christmas Stress (And Its Impact On Your Skin)

With the festive period well on its way, you may already feel the dreaded “Christmas stress” creeping in. In a season that feels ruled by an endless to-do list, it's all too easy for your skin to suffer as a result. Breakouts, dryness, redness - you name it, a festive skin freakout is all too common in the run-up to Christmas. Here are our tips for reducing holiday stress, so you can focus on enjoying time with your loved ones and keep your skin happy and healthy.

Tips To Limit The Effects Of Christmas Stress On Your Skin

1. Plan ahead

One of the biggest sources of stress in the run-up and during the festive period are the countless tasks that need to get done. From present buying, food shopping and travelling, December requires strategic planning to avoid needless anxiety. Start making your to-do list early, and get easy tasks done well in advance so you don’t face a mad rush at the end of December. Set a realistic amount of tasks per week to ease the pressure.

2. Manage your expectations and time

So much Christmas stress comes from expectations to have a “perfect” day, especially if you’re hosting other family members. It’s important to be realistic when managing your expectations and time limits. Nothing can be perfect, there will likely be slip-ups on the day, but ones that you can laugh off. Remember: the holidays are about quality time and celebrating the moment.

3. Delegate where necessary

Christmas celebrations are one hell of a task, and not something one person alone can take on. Make sure to delegate tasks to avoid overwhelming yourself. Get the whole family involved, giving each member a list of tasks that are their responsibility to complete before the big day.

4. Stick to an agreed budget

It’s so easy to overspend around this time of year, and financial stress can wreak havoc on your mental health, and skin for that matter. One day out of the year isn’t worth getting into debt over, celebrate within your means and create a budget that your family can realistically stick to. Allocate an allowance for each expense, from presents to food.

5. Make time for self-care

Managing Christmas stress is all about making room for self-care, whatever that looks like for you. In the lead-up to the holidays, don’t let a busier schedule mean you skip out on hobbies and time for relaxation and restoration. If anything, make more time for them if you consistently struggle with Christmas stress! When planning all of your festive to-dos, balance this out with activities that help you self-regulate and de-stress.

6. Be conscious of how much you indulge

Ok, it’s the holidays and we by no means are going to tell you not to treat yourself when it comes to food. Be mindful however about how much you indulge and the impact this might have on your skin. Chocolate, cheese and all the great-tasting food that sadly wreaks havoc with our complexion is plentiful at this time of year. If you know you’re skin is easily triggered by dietary choices, try limiting your indulgence to a few days over the holiday period.

7. Don’t skip your skincare routine

Now is NOT the time to skimp out on your skincare. Not only will this help support your skin through a busy, potentially stressful period, but it also helps to carve out time for yourself, further leaning into self-care. If you notice your skin starting to flare up, go back to basics and focus on soothing ingredients and products that provide lots of hydration to support and strengthen your skin barrier.

8. Know when you need some time out

Christmas day is busy and full on from the get-go, especially if you have the whole family visiting. There’s nothing wrong with feeling a bit overwhelmed and needing some time out. When things feel like they are getting a bit much, slip away for a bit of alone time, even if it’s just to reset for 15 minutes. You might want to have a lay down alone somewhere or even take a quick brisk walk to shake off some tension.

9. Limit your alcohol intake

Now’s the time to get merry more than any other, but try not to go too overboard. Alcohol is an infamous dehydrator, leading to your next-day headaches and dry skin. Make sure to drink plenty of water in between your glasses of bubbly, and focus on hydration-heavy skincare after a heavy night of festive partying.

10. Get enough restful sleep

Good sleep hygiene is always important, but even more so when looking to dial down your daily stress. Take time to celebrate yes, but also take time to rest, especially after a busy Christmas day. We say stock up on those naps right through to the new year! Your skin will thank you too - during this downtime, it can repair and restore.

 Soothe Stressed Skin This Holiday Season With Alivio Wellness

 Purify

Struggle with stress breakouts around the festive period? Reach for our Glycolic Facial Cleanser and Spa Clay Mask. Both packed with natural ingredients to cleanse and purify the skin of acne-causing bacteria, this duo also works to deeply soothe and nourish to help rebalance and restore stressed-out complexions.

 Soothe

Particularly sensitive skin might be prone to flare-ups during the holiday season, worsening pre-existing conditions like eczema and rosacea. Now’s the time to nurture and calm with gentle skincare staples like the Nourishing Day Cream. Formulated with soothing ingredients like hemp seed oil and aloe vera, this moisturiser is your daily antidote for skin suffering from holiday stress.

 Hydrate

When our body is in a state of stress and releasing cortisol, this affects the strength of our skin barrier. Often this means our complexion becomes drier and dehydrated as it struggles to retain moisture. Save a skin barrier in distress this Christmas with our Facial Hydrator Serum and Hydrating Night Cream. Lightweight yet powerful, these products work in harmony to deeply quench thirsty skin through the festive season and beyond.