Skin freaking out after the holidays?

Helping Your Skin Through The Holidays

If your skin feels more reactive, dry, or unpredictable during the holiday season, you’re not imagining it. Winter and the holidays bring real changes — both internally and externally — and skin is often one of the first places those shifts show up.

The good news? Holiday skin flare-ups are common, temporary, and often a sign your body is asking for more support, not more products.

Why the Holiday Season Feels Different

Cold air reduces ambient humidity, indoor heat increases moisture loss, and travel disrupts normal routines. Add in stress and seasonal foods, and the body has more to adapt to — which the skin often reflects.

This is why dryness, irritation, sensitivity and breakouts tend to increase during the holidays.

It’s Not Just Surface-Level

Holiday skin changes aren’t only about the weather.

Seasonal routines can disrupt:

The skin barrier, making it easier for moisture to escape
Hormones, impacted by stress, sleep disruption, and alcohol
Gut health, affected by diet changes, sugar, and travel

When these systems are stressed, inflammation can increase and skin may become more reactive, dry or just feel "off".

Practical Ways to Support Skin

Small, steady habits support skin resilience more effectively than drastic changes.

Ways to help your skin through the season:

Eat regular, nourishing whole-food meals to support blood sugar and hormones
Drink water consistently throughout the day to support hydration at a cellular level
Prioritize sleep when possible to allow the body time to repair
Keep routines simple and consistent to reduce additional stress

Supporting the body internally often leads to calmer, more balanced skin externally.

The Role of Skincare

Skincare is most effective when it works with the body rather than trying to override natural processes.

Ingredients like tallow and emu oil are highly compatible with human skin because their fatty acid profiles closely resemble those found in the skin barrier. This allows them to deeply penetrate, past the surface of the skin nourishing, softening, and supporting the barrier over time, rather than sitting on the surface.

Many conventional products aim for fast results, often relying on harsh or irritating chemicals. During the holidays — when skin is already under strain — these approaches can increase sensitivity rather than restore balance.

Supporting Skin in Practice

Here’s what I personally focus on during the holiday season:

Hydrating with water + electrolytes
Supporting detox pathways with liver-support supplements like milk thistle and dandelion root
Sweating regularly through sauna use, gym sessions, or cardio
Using Body Balm or Tallow & Honey Balm as a primary moisturizer — its limited-ingredient formula deeply nourishes and supports the skin barrier without unnecessary additives
Avoiding “quick fixes” like aggressive exfoliation, harsh treatments, or acids