The Best Ways To Care For Your Skin After A Long Night Out

by Amanda Etkind

 

Picture this: You’re celebrating your best friend’s birthday via Zoom, and thanks to the at-home open bar situation, the drinks are flowing and the vibes are good. The night continues as you chat your worries away, virtually surrounded by your crew—needless to say, you’re feeling like you’re on cloud nine. Sure, at 2 a.m., that extra vodka soda may have seemed like a good idea, but we’ll bet half of our paycheck that, once you woke up the next afternoon (yes, afternoon), you really wish you hadn’t. Between the pounding headache, the extreme thirst, and major nausea, you probably swear to never take another sip of alcohol again. While the above does feel pretty terrible (we know, we’ve been there), we’d have to say one of the worst long-term effects of too much alcohol is the toll it takes on our complexion. From redness and puffiness, to inflammation and dry spots, there are a number of not-so-great ways too much bubbly affects your skin. Yeah, the hangovers don’t feel the best, but we’re pretty positive that’s not going to stop you from indulging in one-too-many movie night margaritas every now and then—even if it affects your skin. But with the right products and practices, you won’t have to sacrifice a fresh, glowing complexion for your favorite cocktail. By no means are we telling you to drink in excess, but if you do, we have a few tricks up our sleeves to help your skin out. Here’s everything you need to know about reviving your skin to counteract the effects of one too many rounds. 

 

Wash Your Face Right When You Get Home

We know, we know, the last thing you want to do after polishing off that glass of pinot is wash your face. You may not feel up to doing your full skincare routine, but the least you could do is wash off that makeup, dirt, and grime sitting on top of your skin. If you didn't already know, adequately cleansing your skin at night infinitely decreases the chances of any pesky pimples popping up. Since you probably won’t feel like heading to the sink, our Clean Scene Micellar Gel is a great water-free option to grab. The lightweight gel formula features encapsulated hyaluronic acid beads, which deliver a burst of hydration all while  gently removing stubborn makeup, oil, and impurities. What makes it even better? You don’t need to rinse it off when you’re done. Just apply a quarter-sized amount to a cotton pad, sweep across your face, and your skin will feel instantly refreshed. We suggest stashing it bedside so you can quickly run the cotton round across your face before plunging face-deep into your silk pillowcase. 

 

Add An Overnight Mask into The Mix

Since the likelihood of waking up with glowing skin after an hours-long Zoom cocktail session, you’ll need to bring in extra reinforcements—like an overnight mask. Most overnight masks are packed with skin-loving ingredients that will not only trap the skincare you’ve applied before it, but also do its own thing while you’re in recovery mode. Look for formulas that feature both soothing and nourishing ingredients, like barrier-boosting ceramides and redness-reducing niacinamide, plus those that promote cell turnover like a retinol. These ingredients will work together to plump up your skin leaving behind any dullness you may experience the next day. In case you were wondering, our Rest + Reset Mask & Moisturizer is our formula of choice. This mask-moisturizer hybrid contains a power-packed blend of ingredients like our BLU5 technology—to help undo the effects of blue light— plus ceramides, evening primrose oil, niacinamide, and hero ingredient Bakuchiol (a plant-based retinol) that helps to to lessen the look of fine lines and wrinkles. Get ready to say “hangover? don't’ know her'' when you take a look in the mirror the following day.

 

Hydrate Inside and Out

That aforementioned thirst? It makes sense. Dr. Annie Chiu, M.D., a cosmetic dermatologist in Hermosa Beach, CA, informed Shape.com, “The number one thing alcohol does is dehydrate your entire body, including your skin.” Essentially, not only are you craving H2O on the inside, but your skin is probably doing the same. "When skin is dehydrated it looks sallow, fine lines are more noticeable, and pores become obvious,” Chiu says. Dehydration is the number one culprit when it comes to your looking less-than-great the day after a night of drinking. Chugging that gallon of water is definitely a great way to re-up your inner hydration levels, but sadly you won’t notice any of the effects of that externally. Instead of relying on a literal glass of water, try slathering on a heavy-hitting hydrator like hyaluronic acid. HA holds 1,000 times its weight in water, meaning that it draws moisture to the skin and keeps it there leaving you looking plumped up and glowy. We suggest giving our Water Jelly Dew Cream a go. This quick-absorbing gel-cream is packed with over 20% humectants to provide heavyweight hydration with a lightweight texture. The high amount of humectants help to lock water into skin and the gel texture delivers a burst of hydration on contact—just what you’ll need after a late night. 

 

Gently Exfoliate Your Skin

If you’ve ever experienced dull, dry skin with a hangover, there’s a way to get rid of it, stat. Giving your skin proper exfoliation the next morning can help brighten things up for a radiant boost. However, there’s a caveat here. You shouldn’t use anything too harsh. Since your skin is already in a fragile state thanks to that extra bubbly from last night, using a physical exfoliator to scrub away anything sitting on the surface can cause even more unwanted irritation. Skip the scrub, and reach for a gentle chemical exfoliator that will get the glow going without causing redness. Our Texture Magic Exfoliating Toner  works wonders for this. It stars a gentle yet effective mix of AHAs, BHAs, and PHAs that work together to buff away dead skin cells without that manual scrubbing action. It’s so gentle, even those with sensitive skin can use it—hangover or not.

 

Massage Your Skin With An Oil

The puffiness around your face and eyes after drinking the night before isn’t exactly random. Like we said above, alcohol causes dehydration, which leads to water retention (aka, your body is holding onto any water it possibly can)—especially in the area above the neck. The key fix? Getting your blood flowing with a quick lymphatic drainage massage. Using either your fingertips, jade roller, or gua sha tool—and your favorite face oil (more on that later)— gently massage your skin in the areas where your face is looking extra puffy like your cheeks, under eyes, and jawline. We suggest working in an upward direction using small circular motions  to flush out any excess fluid. If you’re not sure with oil or serum to use here, we’ve got you. Our Glow Potion Oil Serum is the perfect companion product when giving yourself a face massage. It’s made with nourishing antioxidant-rich oils (like rosehip seed oil) that help lock-in hydration and strengthen your skin’s moisture barrier—which can be compromised after a night of drinking. 

Hopefully the next time you get your drink on, you’ll utilize these skin-reviving tips and tricks to ensure you wake up and glow—regardless of what you got into the night before.