For people who celebrate Chinese New Year, the traditions we follow growing up have become unmoving parts of our cultural identity, and to some of us, meaningful festive customs we can’t bring ourselves to undo, despite the questionable effects they have on our health.
No, we’re not suggesting you forgo these customs completely— in fact, we have put together some beauty tricks that’ll help you maintain your skin in tip-top condition without compromising any CNY traditions.
Read on to find out what they are!
#1 Remove Makeup, Cleanse Thoroughly!
Washing hair on the first day of CNY is a big no-no. It is believed that if we wash our hair, our luck will be washed away too. However, this hardly means you can save the hassle by skipping other body parts— mainly your face— as well!
Prolonged makeup wear can suffocate your skin, making it show signs of fatigue: dull complexion and acne breakouts. Just makeup wipes is not enough, you have to lather up a gentle foam to uproot residue stuck within your pores. Still not convinced about the importance of cleansing? Read this article to find out more.
We recommend using the Hydrating Cleansing Gel to gently yet thoroughly cleanse your skin. You’ll feel more refreshed with a clean face as well!
#2 Exfoliation is the key to a healthy, radiant look
Paying respect to your ancestors is a must, but the incense smoke that comes with it will dehydrate and damage your skin further. Need we mention the debris that comes from fireworks too?
One quick hack: exfoliate. With proper exfoliation and cleansing, it helps to sweep away dead skin cells and other impurities clogged within the pores. Doing so also gives space for other skincare products to penetrate into your skin more effectively. If you seek to exfoliate without abrasing your skin too much, consider using chemical exfoliants like AHA (Lactic Acid) and BHA.
The Gentle Peeling Serum is an excellent exfoliant that contains AHA as well as powerful humectant properties. Besides exfoliating, it smoothens your skin texture and improves the skin’s natural moisture barrier by pulling water molecules towards your skin.
#3 Maintain Your Vitamin Intake
Like our body, our skin obtains vital nutrients from the food we ingest and the skincare products we apply. One of these key nutrients are antioxidants, which are also vitamins, that help prevent oxidative stress.
While CNY food could hardly be considered nutritious, it doesn’t mean you should stop enjoying them— in fact, mandarins and pomelos are CNY treats that are high in Vitamin C! When savouring on snacks, make sure to incorporate snacks your skin will love too.
Externally, obtain your Vitamin C topically through Vitamin Power Brightening Serum. This serum can back up your daily antioxidants intake by protecting your skin against damaging UVA and UVB rays for a brighter complexion. And it pairs well with sunscreen too!
#4 Water, Water, Water
Let’s face it: we’re in Southeast Asia, and the CNY weather here is uber hot. Want your skin to stop drying out? Increase your daily water intake, both internally and externally— there’s no way around it.
AM: Drink lots of water! Bring a water bottle if you’re house-hopping.
PM: Replenish your skin’s hydration with the Hydro Boost Serum after cleansing and toning.
#5 Prep your skin
It is said that staying up during CNY Eve elongates our parents’ lifespan. While some of us daren’t risk disobeying this custom, lack of sleep will put our skin at risk of looking sullen and older on the first day of CNY.
Here’s a trick to undo this: take out just 20 minutes of your time and apply a layer of Pomegranate Instant Calming Mask. This calms your tired, irritated skin on the spot, and preps your skin to refresh itself for the morning]. Your skin will feel fresh and supple afterwards!
A right start guides the rest of the year, so what better way to start afresh than slaying with your glowing skin? With a brilliant beginning, we can foresee how great the rest of the year is going to be for you.
If these tricks helped you this CNY, share your results with us @clefskincare on Instagram or TikTok. We’ll also have more skincare advice and promotions announced via email, so do subscribe to our newsletter for exclusive updates!