Holiday skincare tips from HCB

Irene began helping out at her mother’s spa at the tender age of nine. Fifty years on, Irene works alongside an American research institute in developing a revolutionary skincare brand, Haute Custom Beauty. She is currently the Head of Treatments and facialist extraordinaire at the HCB Institute on Passeig de Gracia, which was praised for giving the best facials in the country. Her skincare products are sold across Spain at the most exclusive spas, as well as in the US and the UK.

Throughout the years, Irene developed various rituals and traditions in order to prepare her clients skin for winter and maintaining its radiance throughout the festive holiday season. Celebrations usually mean indulging ourselves in rich food and cocktails, travelling more and higher levels of skin exposure to cold air and heating. Therefore, we need to work a little harder to keep our skin hydrated, nurtured and treated.

Here are some of Irene’s best tips to look after your skin this winter:  

1. You must always start with a facial - not only to detox, which is always necessary during seasonal changes, but also to boost your skin's elasticity and luminosity. Having a professional assess your skin condition at this time of the year is a great way to achieve a new year of healthy glowing skin.

2. While you may not feel like putting on a bikini this season, your skin is still getting sun damage and daily UVA/UVB protection is needed. A good way to remember the difference between UVA and UVB is that A stands for Aging and B for Burning. While you won't feel UVA rays, they are still present during winter and can lead to premature aging. I recommend daily use of a multi-purpose treatment cream and a protector such as our RADIANCE SUPERBE DAY CREAM - BROAD SPECTRUM SPF35.

3. It seems that whenever we are not following our typical daily routine, there is a tendency to neglect our beauty regimes - particularly during the holidays. Make sure you stick to your usual regime, or even boost it, especially as the festive season is usually when our skin suffers the most.  Try HCB’s 7 DAY SPECIAL EVENT GLOW to keep your skin on track.

4. If you’re travelling, be extra attentive to your skin and keep it hydrated. I always like to take my PURIFYING MICELLAR CLEANSING CLOTHS and an ELIXIR on the plane with me to prevent my skin from drying out. A two-minute cleansing and Elixir ritual before landing can make sure you arrive with a radiant glow and rested complexion.

5. Less is more - less makeup and more skincare. Using too much makeup tends to age skin and damage the complexion. While many people dress up and apply more makeup than usual during the holidays, try to avoid overloading your skin. Instead, pay special attention to follow a comprehensive beauty routine and your skin will thank you. The very heavy contoured look is out and the natural look is what's in! For extra special care and a luminous complexion, I use one of our TREATMENT PEARL MASKS weekly, which are also light and easy to travel with.  

6. Finally, one of the most foolproof tips for looking radiant is to simply smile and enjoy! It's the holidays, and nothing looks better on someone's face than a genuine smile and happy glow.