As the festivus begins, the good skin ends. Why does alcoholic merriment seem to wreak such havoc on your appearance? For starters, alcohol is a diuretic, which means that it causes your body to lose more fluids than it takes in. When your body’s dehydrated, your skin cells are thirsty too – and it shows!

Your face, especially around the eyes, becomes puffy and distorted – skin takes on a blotchy cast and feels tight and dry. You know the red face flush? It’s partially from dehydration (as water is really quickly flushed out of skin cells) but it’s also a result of the high yeast and sugar content in alcohol. When the body rapidly metabolizes excess calories, blood vessels become dilated. Besides the risk of broken capillaries, this inflames acne-causing bacteria and worsens acne rosacea, a skin disorder characterized by redness, blemishes and pimples. What to do?

1. Drink More. Water, that is. Drink as much water as you can – your skin (and your liver) will thank you.

2. Moisturize. Before leaving, slather on a rich moisturizer. We recommend the Advanced Face Lotion because it combines Hyaluronic Acid, a dermatological-grade ‘hypermoisturizer’ and Glycerin, a humectant that absorbs and binds with water molecules to lock moisture in. Complementing this professional-grade formula are Green Tea and Vitamins A, C and E, which brighten, nourish and protect skin from smoky pubs and other environmental pollutants.

3. Absorb. Sit in a steamy bath for 15-20 minutes to open pores and absorb moisture – if there’s no time - apply the moisturizer immediately after a steamy shower. This trick is equally helpful in replenishing lost moisture the next day.

4. Hydrate. Once you’ve stumbled in from your Bacchus revelries and swabbed the grime away with a purifying face tonic, reapply your moisturizer. During the night, skin repairs and renews itself, so intensive moisturizing is especially effective.

5. Depuff. The delicate skin around eyes is very susceptible to dark circles and puffiness. Along with a cool compress to help reduce swelling, massage on a soothing eye cream to refresh and revive tired eyes and tackle dark circles. A calming facial moisturizer will have a similar effect – revitalizing as it helps reduce blotchy redness and calms swollen, puffy skin.

6. Clarify. If those little stinkers start to appear – pimples, pustules, zits, blemishes, blackheads, whiteheads, comedones – doesn’t matter what you call them – be prepared to zap ‘em.

Detoxification is the process by which the body, especially the liver and kidneys, removes harmful or toxic substances. The body’s cells are constantly replaced, but as cells are created and destroyed, a natural process called ‘oxidation’ occurs. During oxidation, free radical byproducts are created. When these free radical molecules react with certain bodily chemicals, they can be seriously damaging to cells. Antioxidants can help detoxify by binding with and aiding in the elimination of free radicals before they can do serious damage to cells.

Alcohol is also metabolized by oxidation; during this process, the body creates acetaldehyde, a highly toxic byproduct that causes many hangover symptoms. If taken before alcohol consumption, antioxidants reportedly help regulate alcohol metabolisms and are linked with hangover prevention. Researchers assert that when taken after drinking, detoxifying antioxidants may help fight cellular damage caused by alcohol consumption.

Did You Know Irish ‘Good Health Cheers’ Can Really Work?
"Slainté!" is the Irish equivalent of “Cheers!” – which means good health – and they weren’t kidding. According to research featured on the BBC, Guinness ‘may work as well as daily aspirin’ in reducing the blood clots responsible for heart attacks. It’s credited to the antioxidants in dark Irish stouts that researchers believe to reduce cholesterol deposits on arterial walls. Perhaps Guinness’ old advertising slogan, ‘Guinness is Good for You,’ is actually true!

Did You Know Where Chicago’s Famous Dying the River Green Comes From?
No, it’s not leprechauns. As the story goes, in the early 1960s, when pollution controls were first being instituted, a local chapter of a pipe-fitters union took advantage of the holiday to dump a shamrock-green dye into the river to track illegal sewage leakage. It quickly became a St. Patrick’s Day tradition that other cities soon followed. Since Earth Day is next month, we thought pollution and being ‘green’ would be an especially timely subject.

Did You Know St. Patrick Wasn’t Irish?
That’s right. Ireland’s patron saint, St. Patrick, for whom we commemorate St. Patrick’s Day, is British born. Irish brigands kidnapped him as a boy and brought him to Ireland where he was sold into slavery; years later, he returned to Britain, where he had a vision that he’d minister to the Irish. Taking it as a calling, he studied for 14 years before returning to Ireland to build churches and Christianize the country. Perhaps we should drink English Breakfast Tea on St. Patty’s Day instead Guinness?