Beauty Tips for Recovering After a Party

Most of us are no stranger to that ‘morning after the night before’ feeling, and the horror that comes the with looking in the mirror through bleary eyes and a crushing headache. But what beauty tips can you heed to reduce the effects of overindulgence, especially on your appearance? You at least want to look human again even if you’re not really feeling it….

Morning After Beauty Tips

Rehydration

Ultimately the road to recovery starts with re-hydration – Alcohol reduces ADH (Antidiuretic Hormone) and it’s this that regulates the amount of water in the blood.  You’ll feel even better if you can alternate your alcoholic drinks with a glass of humble H20 during the evening (and probably better for your wallet too!) And try to avoid sugary drinks when you’re out – clear drinks like vodka and gin with tonics will reduce skin swelling.

Whilst taking in water the next day will help, you can also speed the process by drinking sports drinks that contain electrolytes, ginger ale or a generic rehydration solution. The NHS website  (UK health system) offers a wealth of beauty tips recovery suggestions.

Nourish Your Skin

Whilst the feeling of dryness that sometimes accompanies a hangover is more to do with internal factors, treat your skin and get the blood flowing again – indulging in a facemask is not only good for relaxation (maybe add some cucumber slices for those tired, puffy eyes) it can help to refresh skin cells; as can a facial scrub – great for removing those dead and damaged cells and brightening your appearance. A scrub or mask is also a good way to lift any makeup that didn’t get removed before bed and unclogs the pores. If your skin is looking red and blotchy try using a cold compress to shrink blood vessels down again and apply a good moisturizer or body milk afterward.

Boost Your Nutrient Intake

Whilst it may be tempting to reach for the greasy fry up to replenish your energy (and salt) levels your body will be suffering from depleted Vitamin A reserves – better aided by downing a juice rich in antioxidants and green, leafy spinach, ginger, carrots, and peppers. Other good post-booze snacks include bananas, avocados, mashed potatoes, and pasta. That’s because these carb-laden foods will boost your serotonin levels – your happiness hormones (did we mention that alcohol is also a depressant…..?) And if you need a little added boost to lift your mood try adding some essential oils to your day through inhalation or massage. The top essential oils for hangovers are Fennel, Ginger, Lavender, Lemon, and Marjoram.

Take a Long Bath

But what can you do if your pain isn’t restricted to a headache - when you’ve been standing up all night and your feet are feeling it the next day? Or the effort of dancing all night has left you with a backache? If you have time then a bath is a great way to relieve some of these pains; maybe include some of those essential oils we’ve already mentioned? (Though soaking feet in cold water works better for swollen extremities).  And don't forget a relaxing scented candle. As with many of these ailments, it would seem that prevention is better than cure and making sure that you have comfortable, well-fitting, shoes will go a long way to helping with both of these issues. In fact, this article by the Daily Mail found that it takes an average of 1hour, 6 minutes and 48 seconds for high heels to start hurting! And for 20% of the respondents, the pain starts after just ten minutes.

Recovery Isn't Overnight

Hopefully, a combination of all of these beauty tips remedies will help to aid your recovery and make you feel slightly more normal again. But, as if you don’t feel bad enough, according to Dr. Harold Lancer, celebrity dermatologist “It takes about two to four weeks for your body to regulate after a night of drinking” so limiting your intake in the first place is the ultimate form of beauty recovery.