Key Steps to Detoxify your Skin after the Holidays

The excesses of the end-of-year celebrations and other feasts take their toll on our skin. Facial care specialist Sophie Carbonari gives her tips for making up for the damage and getting back on track in 2023.

After the festive season, our bodies suffer from the accumulation of heavy meals and short nights that have brightened up our end of year. The excess of sugar, fat and alcohol is particularly reflected on our face, which looks grey and gives rise to small imperfections. As a result of our deviations, the toxins accumulated in the body are reflected in the skin.

"It is at the level of the liver that everything is played because it is here that the detox operates. As the liver endures a huge load of toxins to be eliminated, it will delegate this role to the skin," explains French facialist Sophie Carbonari (who counts Naomi Campbell and Caroline de Maigret among her very VIP clients). "The sugar goes through the sweat, which plays on the pH of the skin and quite often, creates pimples. There is also an effect on the complexion which tends to become gray or even slightly yellowed. This is a sign that the liver is tired."

Rather than rushing to clay masks thinking they will solve all our skin problems, the expert advises treating them from the inside as well as the outside: "It's a balance between one and the other. It is necessary to set up a routine beauty two one in the weeks, even the days which follow the 1st of January ", she warns. Instructions for use.

Do a liver detox

As the specialist explained, the first (and most important) step is to relieve the liver to help it eliminate toxins. "The cure of black radish works very well, even if it is not necessarily very pleasant to the taste," recommends Sophie Carbonari. "This root facilitates drainage and acts on the liver function. Doing a cure of activated charcoal also accelerates the detoxification process of the body and therefore lighten the liver."

Focus on a single-ingredient serum

Second step, use topical facials to complement your detox. "You have to accompany your skin to prevent possible post-holiday damage. First, by rebalancing its pH, which, when it is too basic, develops bacteria," explains Sophie Carbonari. The specialist advises to use a serum with salicylic acid, applying it "only on the areas where you feel a pimple is coming. Then remember to put an SPF protection over it, as it causes some photosensitivity and would risk creating pigmentation problems."

For those with sensitive skin, the expert advises mixing just two drops of salicylic acid serum with another hyaluronic acid serum, "to avoid further sensitizing it and creating feelings of redness."

Another star ingredient to get rid of blemishes and clear skin: niacinamide (a form of vitamin B3 known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties). "It can be used for all skin types, except extremely reactive ones. It will allow us to prevent any bacterial proliferation, thus the appearance of pimples. It improves the texture of the skin and prevents the graying complexion. And it is also effective in preventing dehydration due to excesses" assures Sophie Carbonari.

Treat yourself to a self-massage

Facial massage, Sophie Carbonari's specialty, is another excellent way to drain the lymph and detoxify the skin. Before getting started, "the choice of the product that you are going to apply to your face beforehand is hyper important", she warns, recommending to "first apply a serum that will prevent all skin problems such as acne or grey complexion", giving preference to those based on the active ingredients that the expert has previously advised. "Then, add a hyaluronic acid-based treatment or another very moisturizing ingredient. You have to flood your skin with moisture," she recommends. Thus, contrary to popular belief, it is not useful to abuse purifying masks to "purify" the skin after a period of excess: they would even create an opposite effect to that sought, by drying the skin.

After applying the treatment, massage is next. "We're going to stimulate the microcirculation and the microglia," announces Sophie Carbonari. "Start by exerting small pressure movements with your fingers on the ganglions at the angle of the neck and the jaw. Then do the same on the sinuses at the nose wing and above the eyes, insisting on the pressure points. Move from the inside to the outside of the face, moving the edge of the hand and placing the index finger vertically on the skin. Glide over the angle of the nose to drain toxins," she describes. Do the same thing on the forehead, this time rotating the hands horizontally.

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