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The holidays bring joy, travel, late nights, and an exciting, fast-paced rhythm, but your skin often feels those changes before you do. Even the most consistent clients can suddenly see congestion or breakouts this time of year. It’s not a setback; it’s simply your skin responding to shifts in routine, climate, and stress. With targeted seasonal adjustments, you can maintain your glow from Thanksgiving through New Year’s.
Why Skin Acts Up During the Holidays
This season creates a combination of internal and external factors that disrupt the skin’s balance. Stress naturally increases, and when cortisol rises, oil production follows suit. Add colder air, indoor heating, richer foods, and less sleep, and the skin can become simultaneously oilier and more dehydrated. A compromised barrier paired with excess oil is a perfect recipe for congestion, but addressing it is easier than you think.
Rather than a complete routine overhaul, the goal is to refine your regimen to support what your skin needs right now.
Photo Credit: Dianne Marchevsky
Smart Seasonal Tweaks That Protect Your Glow
Small, strategic shifts can dramatically improve how your skin behaves during the holidays:
- Swap to a cream or milk cleanser to maintain hydration.
- Transition to a slightly richer moisturizer to support your barrier.
- Add lipids, ceramides, and peptides to reinforce resilience.
- Incorporate topical or internal probiotics to balance the microbiome.
- Use weekly treatments like Hydrinity Restorative HA Mask for deep hydration or GlyMed CBD Mask to reduce redness and irritation.
- Mist with Hyacyn Active to calm inflammation, support wound healing, and keep breakouts in check, or opt for Epicutis Hydrobiome Mist for microbiome support and a soft, refreshed feel.
At night, choose formulas that help the skin recover from environmental stress. Beaúmont Bioadaptive Stress Repair is a studio favorite because it replenishes hydration, supports barrier function, and helps the skin adapt to fluctuating conditions — making it ideal during a chaotic season.
And no matter how busy the holidays get, don’t skip sunscreen. UV exposure remains significant year-round, especially in Miami and when traveling. Pavise Dynamic Age Defense, with its DiamondCore® technology and antioxidant-rich protection, is a daily essential to keep inflammation and premature aging at bay.
When Breakouts Need Extra Care
If your barrier is healthy, your hydration levels feel balanced, and you’re still experiencing breakouts, it may be a sign that your skin has plateaued. Skin adapts over time; just like your body stops progressing in a workout when the weights stay the same, your skin can stop responding to activities it’s already used to.
Persistent breakouts despite good barrier health often indicate that cell turnover needs to be increased. Slower exfoliation, pore buildup, or a retinoid that’s no longer stimulating enough can all contribute to recurring congestion.
This is where structured progression becomes essential. The Vivant Vitamin A Step-Up System offers three levels of Vitamin A, each gradually increasing in strength, so we can safely elevate your routine. This controlled advancement boosts cell turnover, clears lingering congestion, and helps “wake up” skin that feels stuck.
By strengthening your nighttime routine with the right level of Vitamin A, we can refine texture, keep pores clear, and reignite visible improvement, all while protecting the barrier.
Photo Credit: Dianne Marchevsky
Professional Treatments That Make a Big Difference
Zero-downtime, high-impact treatments are ideal this time of year. A few of my holiday favorites include:
- No-downtime mandelic acid peels for brightening and clearing congestion.
- Glacial Glide for instant cooling and inflammation reduction.
- HydraFacial or JetPeel for deep hydration, gentle exfoliation, and a radiant, event-ready glow.
These treatments quickly reset the skin, making them perfect before travel or special occasions.
Consistency Is Your Holiday Superpower
If a flare-up happens, don’t panic. Stay consistent, avoid picking, hydrate well, and let your esthetician guide adjustments. Monthly facials maintain balance, but during a flare, coming in every two weeks can help the skin recover faster.
A breakout is not a failure: it’s simply your skin communicating its needs. With thoughtful seasonal tweaks and professional support, your skin can stay calm, clear, and luminous all season long.
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