Holiday Acne

Why does your face break out more during the holidays? 

It’s annoying, frustrating, and, well, a little bit our own faults - helloooo cookies! But here’s the thing - you should TOTALLY eat those cookies. There are many contributing factors as to why most people experience more inflammation and acne in the winter and, especially, during the winter holidays and most are external factors that can be naturally managed or even prevented entirely. 

One of the main reasons is simply that your skin produces more sebum in the dry winter weather. What is sebum you ask? Sebum is oil your skin glands produce and, while they help to keep your skin soft & supple they sometimes overproduce causing the cells to stick together and clog your pores.

Most sebum glands reside in the infamous “T-zone” aka your forehead, nose, and chin. The dryer it is, the more sebum your skin produces. 

Add to this the other factors that come along during the holidays such as:

• Increased stress
• Traveling to different climates 
• Eating far more sugary treats
• A less routine skincare regime
• Heavier make-up use 

Remember: Trying to overly restrict your diet can oftentimes lead to increased stress. Instead, go for balance, give yourself a little grace, and use manuka honey to help decrease the chance of breakouts and easily, naturally, treat any pimples that do arise. 

Here are a couple of ways you can help stop or reduce holiday breakouts before they start:

• Add 1/2 tsp of manuka honey to your face wash OR use the honey alone to wash
• Gently exfoliate 1-2x week using the honey tapping method to clear pores

If you do get any breakouts, help them disappear faster by:

• Spot treating the pimple. Simply dab a small amount of manuka (with clean hands) on the pimple and allow it to dry.
• Manuka honey face mask. Apply a thin layer of manuka to clean skin and allow to sit for 15-20 minutes. Simply rinse or use a damp soft cloth to remove.