Blow, clean, revive. Basic steps to detoxify your skin after the holidays

After the festive season, our bodies suffer from the accumulation of hearty meals and other too-short nights that brighten up our year-end. An excess of sugar, fat and alcohol is especially reflected in our face, making us look gray and revealing small “flaws”. As a result of our deviations, the toxins accumulated in the body are reflected on the skin.

“It’s at the liver level that everything happens because that’s where detox happens. As the liver takes on the enormous burden of toxins to eliminate, it will pass that role on to the skin,” explains French facialist Sophie Carbonari (who counts Naomi Campbell and Caroline de Magre, among many other VIP clients). “Sugar passes through sweat, which affects the pH of the skin and very often causes blisters. The skin of the face is also affected, which tends to turn gray or even slightly yellowish. It’s a sign that the liver is tired.”

Instead of rushing to clay masks, thinking that they will solve all our skin problems, the specialist recommends treating them both from the inside and the outside; “It’s a balance between one and the other. In the weeks or even days following January 1st, you should be doing a two-for-one beauty routine,” she explains. Handbook:

Do a liver detox treatment

As the specialist explained, the first (and most important) step is to relieve the liver to help it eliminate toxins. “The black radish treatment works very well, even if it doesn’t necessarily taste very nice,” advises Sophie Carbonari. “This root facilitates drainage and affects liver function. Taking activated charcoal treatment also helps speed up the body’s detoxification process and therefore ease the burden on the liver.

Focus on a single-ingredient serum

The second step, in addition to the detox treatment, use a topical facial treatment. “We need to support the skin to prevent possible after-party damage. First, by balancing its pH, which when it is too basic, bacteria thrives,” explains Sophie Carbonari. The specialist recommends using a serum with salicylic acid, applying it “only to the areas where you suspect a pimple. Then remember to layer SPF protection on top as this causes some photosensitivity and can cause pigmentation issues. For those with sensitive skin, the expert recommends mixing just two drops of a salicylic acid serum with another hyaluronic acid serum “to keep it from becoming even more sensitive and causing a sensation of redness.”

Another star ingredient for blemish-free and clear skin is niacinamide (a form of vitamin B3 known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties). “It can be used on all skin types except extremely reactive. This will allow us to prevent the growth of any bacteria and therefore the formation of blisters. It improves skin texture and prevents graying. And it is also effective in preventing dehydration, which is associated with excess,” assures Sophie Carbonari.

Finally, to restore a tired face’s glow, the expert suggests using a “vitamin C-based serum, which is always a good idea, even if you don’t have blemishes.”

Treat yourself to a facial self-massage

Facial massage, Sophie Carbonari’s specialty, is another great way to drain lymph and detoxify the skin. Before starting, “it’s very important to choose the product we’re going to apply to the face first,” he warns, recommending “first apply a serum that will prevent any skin problems like acne or gray tone,” preferring those based on them. active ingredients that the expert has previously recommended. “Then add a treatment with hyaluronic acid or another highly hydrating ingredient. You need to shower your skin with moisture,” she advises. So, contrary to popular belief, it is not helpful to use excessive cleansing masks to “cleanse” the skin after an excessive period of time; they will even create the opposite effect of the desired result by drying out the skin.

After applying your treatment, it’s time for a massage. “We will stimulate the microcirculation and the microglands,” announces Sophie Carbonari. “Start by applying small pressure movements with your fingers to the lymph nodes in the corner of the neck and jaw. Then do the same to the sinuses on the side of the nose and above the eyes, focusing on the pressure points. Make movements from the inside of the face to the outside, mobilizing the edge of the hand and placing the index finger vertically on the skin. Swipe across the corner of the nose to properly flush out toxins,” she describes. Do the same on the forehead, this time rotating the arms horizontally.

For beginners, the expert recommends repeating each movement three times to start. “You get a quick routine that takes about two, three minutes,” he says. And if the problem seems too complicated, then it’s better to entrust your face to a facialist who will know how to use his magic fingers to help us regain our healthy glow after the holidays.

Video to recreate Sophie Carbonari’s detox facial massage at home