How dry January affected my skin after the holidays

When it comes to New Year's resolutions, many people like to put health and fitness at the top of their list of priorities. And, since we're beauty editors, we'd like to take these health-inspired solutions up a notch and focus on lifestyle changes that can benefit, you guessed it, our skin's appearance! In honor of the New Year, we decided to try the very popular New Year's riddle "Dry January". If you haven't heard yet, Dry January is a no-alcohol ban that lasts all of January; we thought this would be a great solution because drinking too much alcohol is known to dehydrate your body and affect the appearance of your skin. Find out what happened when a beauty editor went without a drink for a month.

To be honest, my relationship with alcohol is, for the most part, non-existent. I don't usually spend weekends drinking and I don't spend weekday evenings sipping a glass of chardonnay while watching bad TV, even though I still watch bad TV. But everything changes during the holiday season. As soon as November kicks off, I rush to fall cocktails... and by the time Thanksgiving approaches, I find myself running to the liquor store in more than 10 other months of the year combined (holidays are stressful, folks!). And after Thanksgiving comes the Christmas holidays - that means a busy schedule filled with holiday parties, holiday shopping and squeezing out time to have a drink with friends before we all head home to celebrate the season with our families. To sum it up: all of December (and most of November) is basically one big excuse for me to drink… and drink and drink and drink. That being said, once Christmas was over and it was time to ring in the New Year, my body was pretty much tired from the booze. So, on the first day of the New Year, I take a vow of sobriety and stop drinking for the whole of January.

As a beauty editor, this year I decided to add an extra layer to my Dry January plan. I vowed to write down my experience of quitting alcohol to see if it affected the look of my skin - after all… this is Skincare.com! Since we've written about how excessive drinking can affect skin in the past, we all thought this would be the perfect opportunity to test the theory that cutting out alcohol can actually improve the look of your skin. Here's how it all went:

WEEK ONE OF DRY JANUARY:

For me, the first week of dry January was all about setting myself up for success and implementing healthy habits like eating a well-balanced diet (as opposed to my high-calorie holiday diet), drinking the recommended amount of water, and taking my time with my morning and night skin care regimen. Instead of drinking wine in the evenings, I drank a glass of seltzer with lemon slices. And on weekends, I tried to make plans with friends that didn't include drunken brunches, or worse, hanging out at our favorite neighborhood bar.

By the end of the week, I began to return to my usual sober lifestyle and even began to notice small changes in the appearance of my face. Drinking too much alcohol can dehydrate your body and your skin, making it less firm and fresh...and my skin seemed to be moving in the opposite direction. After seven days of sobriety and making healthy lifestyle changes, my puffy, vacation-tired skin was less noticeable, and my overall skin texture looked (and felt) less dry despite the cold winter weather. With my first week off alcohol behind me, I was ready for the second week.

SECOND WEEK OF DRY JANUARY:

As much as I love my job, it's always hard for me to go back to work after the holidays, especially if you've spent your winter break in a different time zone like me, but my commitment to sobriety has helped make the transition almost seamless. Instead of hitting the snooze button over and over again (as I usually do), I was ready to start the day after one alarm.

By boosting my energy levels, I was able to take more time for myself and my skin in the morning and even gave myself a quick facial one morning using a free sample of Vichy Calming Mineral Facial Mask. What I love about this pharmacy face mask is that it only takes five minutes of your time to make my skin feel hydrated.

By the weekend, I noticed that my puffy skin was further reduced—even in the mornings, when it looks its worst—and the dry, dull skin I usually experience after a few nights of—read: season—drinking was becoming much less noticeable.

THIRD WEEK OF DRY JANUARY:

By the third week, my alcohol-free month was getting easier and easier...especially after I looked in the mirror and noticed my skin was glowing! It was like my skin was saying "thank you" and that was all the motivation I needed to see this decision through to the end.

Aside from the improvement in skin appearance, one of the biggest changes I noticed in week three was how balanced my diet became (without even trying). When I drink, I tend to splurge on junk food and fatty, high-calorie foods. But with this new lifestyle change, I started choosing healthier options without even realizing it.

FOURTH WEEK OF DRY JANUARY:  

When the fourth week arrived, I couldn't believe it had already been a month! The negative effects of my holiday drinking have subsided, puffiness is less noticeable, and my skin is more hydrated and radiant than before. What else? I felt great too! The healthy choices I made with my diet and drinks (like water) allowed my body to feel full and energized.