Eyes so puffy you can barely see, cheeks so swollen it’s hard to crack a smile, and not to mention surprise pimples, dullness, dryness, and tightness? Hangover skin – the antithesis of any kind of fun, especially holiday fun!

Alcohol is a diuretic – a substance that increases the production of urine and consequently dehydrates your body. And if you’re dehydrated, you can bet your skin is too. On top of that, Alcohol is really good at increasing inflammation, which is bad news for skin conditions like rosacea and acne.

While there are lots of ways to counter hangover face, here are 5 of the simplest post-party hacks to help you revive your skin and bring back that healthy glow after a night of indulging.

1. Put Spoons in the Fridge Overnight 

Before heading out or diving into a bottle of wine or three at home, stick a couple of teaspoons in your fridge. When you wake up in the morning, simply place a cold spoon over each eye for 5 minutes to instantly soothe tired and puffy eyes. It’s simple but it works.

Alternatively, if you can’t stand the cold, steep two chamomile tea bags in hot water for 2 minutes and place them over your eyes. Chamomile is naturally calming and the warmth from the tea bags will further help de-puff.

2. Refrigerate Your Creams

This is another easy one to do – keep your face and eye creams in the fridge for an extra awakening and de-puffing boost the day after boozing. This will work with thicker creams as well as gels and it won’t affect the quality of your skincare.

3. Choose Your Booze Wisely & Don’t Mix

Almost all alcoholic drinks are high in refined sugar content, especially cocktails. Excess sugar intake can cause skin inflammation and breakouts, and even break down the collagen in your skin (which keeps it plump and wrinkle-free).

Try not to mix your alcohols (mostly so you don’t have a ripping hangover the next day), and stay far away from cocktails. Instead, go for wine, which has natural sugars, or spirits with soda water and lots of lime.

4. Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate

Did we mention you should hydrate? We get it: alcohol is dehydrating and it’s important to drink as much water as possible – during, after and the day after drinking – to properly restore your hydration levels.

However, water isn’t the only important thing. It may feel like fries, burgers or carbs are the only way to nurse a hangover the day after. But in reality, this just adds to the sluggishness and excess skin puffiness. Go for foods that will keep you hydrated and restore your energy, such as cooked greens, avocado and fish. Additionally, swap out coffee for a green juice or mixed fruit smoothie (which is jam-packed with healthy antioxidants), and squeeze some lemon into you water in the morning to help flush out all the toxins.

5. Pick Soothing & Brightening Skincare Ingredients

Skincare products with Vitamin B3 (A.K.A Niacinamide), Vitamin C, or Vitamin E are great at brightening and perking up dull, tired skin and evening out your skin tone. Vitamin E has the extra benefit of moisturising your skin and repairing it from damage caused by oxidative stress (alcohol, smoke, pollution). On top of that go for ingredients that will naturally soothe inflammation and puffiness including English Chamomile Extract, a calming ingredient with antiseptic and antibacterial properties, and Green Tea Leaf Extract, which soothes redness and irritation, evens out discolouration and even diminishes signs of ageing.

Related Stories:

4 Holiday Skin Hacks: Indulge, Avoid Breakouts and Keep Glowing
Is Your Skin Dry or Dehydrated? (There’s a Huge Difference)
Top 5 Vitamins For Healthy Glowing Skin

About the Author

Tends to think in bullet points, tables and Venn diagrams; believes in 'me-time' and sometimes talks to plants.

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