Valentine’s Day Skincare Tips for Glowing Skin!

Here are expert Valentine’s Day skincare tips for glowing skin…

It’s that time of year again–Valentine’s Day is just around the corner!  

If you’re in a relationship, you’ll be thinking of what rockin’ outfit to wear, how to do your hair, and how you’ll doll up your makeup to catch the eye of that special someone. Or, if you’re single, you can celebrate your freedom with all your single friends with the similar considerations about your outfit, hair, and makeup. And still, you might simply decide to stay in and pamper yourself for the evening!

Regardless, as Valentine’s Day approaches, it’s the perfect time to show yourself some self-love by taking steps to enhance your skin’s glow and take care of yourself in general.

So, what can you do for yourself to look and feel your best on Valentine’s Day? (And, of course, when you look and feel your best, your significant other and friends will notice, too!)

To provide you with some tips on how to achieve the perfect Valentine’s Day glow and more, we turned to Houston-based Nurse Practitioner, Allergan Trainer, and Injector, Nicole Sarmiento, who specializes in cosmetic treatments, including Botox and dermal fillers. Sarmiento shares her expertise and Valentine’s Day skincare tips on how you can get that skin glowing for Valentine’s Day.

And these tips aren’t just for Valentine’s Day—they apply to any special date night, anniversary, or event you might have coming up.

Valentine’s Day skincare tips: Enhancing your skin’s glow within a week

If you want to ensure your skin looks its best, Sarmiento recommends you stick to the following skincare regimen using high-quality products and ingredients.

Pro Tip: Using high-quality, medical-grade products, when possible, is best. Many products recommended within this post are SkinMedica products, which are medical-grade options backed by science and proven results. If you can at least add one to two medical-grade products to your skincare routine while seeking other products with high-quality ingredients that better meet your budget to fill in the gaps, you’ll make your skin (and you) happy!

Your morning skincare routine

1. Cleanse:Cleanse your skin with a light cleanser for your skin type. Look for ingredients like niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, and ceramides to protect and soften your skin. Your cleanser is too harsh for your skin if your skin reddens or feels dry and tight after your wash your face. Options to try:

• AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser
• Facial Cleanser

2. Apply a face serum:Use a specialty serum to protect and hydrate your skin. Look for antioxidant and hyaluronic acid ingredients. Options to try:

• SkinMedica TNS Advance+ Serum
• Lumivive System

3. Moisturize and hydrate:Use a light moisturizer or day cream that locks in moisture, keeping your skin soft and supple throughout the day. You also want to hydrate your skin with hyaluronic acid. Options to try: 

• SkinMedica HA5 Rejuvenating Hydrator
• SkinMedica Dermal Repair Cream
• Replenish Hydrating Cream

Pro Tip: Apply your moisturizer after your face serum and before your sunscreen. 

4. Apply SPF:Nurse Injector Candace Bersani, who works with Sarmiento, reminds us that “your skincare routine should always include an SPF.” You want a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 35 or higher for full-coverage protection from the sun’s rays. Options to try: 

• SkinMedica Essential Defense Mineral Tinted Sunscreen
• Essential Defense Mineral Sunscreen
• Essential Clear Defense Sunscreen
• Total Defense+ Repair Tinted Sunscreen

5. Apply a lip treatment: A moisturizing lip balm or treatment helps your lips remain soft and smooth. Options to try:

• SkinMedica HA5 Smooth & Plump Lip System Duo

Your evening skincare routine

1. Cleanse:Be sure to always remove your makeup before going to bed to avoid breakouts and bacterial build-up. Use a mild cleanser to remove makeup and impurities from the skin. Options to try:

• AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser
• Facial Cleanser

2. Exfoliate:Exfoliation supports cell turnover while further clearing your pores. It’s best to choose a mild exfoliator without harsh granules or chemicals that could dry out and irritate the skin. If an exfoliator is too much for your skin, you can choose a mild exfoliator mixed with a cleanser. Options to try:

• AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser

3. Apply face serum:Like in the morning, use a high-quality face serum at night to hydrate the skin. Antioxidants help to protect and fight against free radicals, so serums with antioxidants can be a good choice. Option to try: 

• SkinMedica TNS Advance+ Serum
• Lumivive System

4. Moisturize and hydrate:Apply a nighttime moisturizer or cream to further support your skin’s regeneration and repairing process while you get your beauty sleep. And be sure to apply a product with hyaluronic acid. Options to try: 

• SkinMedica HA5 Rejuvenating Hydrator
• SkinMedica Dermal Repair Cream
• Replenish Hydrating Cream

5. Apply eye cream or an eye mask:The ingredients in eye creams are similar to the ingredients of other moisturizers and help to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines. Eye creams are made so they’re gentle enough to be used around the delicate eye area. Options to try:

• Instant Bright Eye Masks
• Insta Bright Eye Cream
• TNS Eye Repair

6. Apply lip treatment:Similar to in the morning, applying a lip balm or treatment at night helps keep the lips soft and smooth while you sleep. Options to try:

• SkinMedica HA5 Smooth & Plump Lip System Duo

7. Apply retinol: Retinol encourages cell turnover and improves the skin’s overall appearance, including reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Retinol should only be used at night, with sunscreen applied in the mornings. Options to try:

• SkinMedica Retinol 1.0
• Retinol 0.5
• Retinol 0.25

Valentine’s Day skincare tips for glowing skin from the inside out

In addition to ensuring you use the right skin care products, Sarmiento suggests the following.

Drink plenty of water

It’s common knowledge that our skin is made up primarily of water. As a result, you want to drink at least six to eight 8-ounce glasses of water daily to ensure your skin’s getting the hydration it needs.

“When you don’t drink enough water, your skin can appear dry and dull, making fine lines and wrinkles appear more prominent,” states Sarmiento. 

Get plenty of sleep

Research shows that getting only 4 to 5 hours of sleep can cause twice as many wrinkles and lines compared to getting at least 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night, which is why Sarmiento advises that people get at least 7 hours or more of sleep nightly. 

“A restful night’s sleep supports collagen production, which helps to prevent sagging and reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.”

Exercise regularly

Regular exercise helps keep the blood flowing. Healthy blood flow is good for our skin and can give us a healthy glow. 

Get a massage

When our blood is circulating optimally, our skin looks healthier. Consider getting a massage to treat yourself while also giving your skin an added boost before Valentine’s Day or another event for which you want to look your best. 

Avoid spicy or greasy foods

Though greasy foods aren’t directly linked to causing acne, the inflammation they can cause can exasperate acne. Also, spicy foods tend to heat the body, increasing the body’s sweat and oil production and exasperating skin conditions like acne. 

Try a Hydrating Face Mask 

A hydrating face mask is an excellent way to rejuvenate your skin before date night or a special event, especially if your skin is damaged or dry. 

Preparing your skin for Valentine’s Day date night

As part of your Valentine’s Day prep the night of, using the above information for guidance, you want to:

• Cleanse
• Exfoliate your skin
• Exfoliate your lips
• Moisturize and Hydrate
• Use a quality makeup primer
• Apply your makeup

In-clinic treatments to boost and enhance results

Taking care of your skin and health at home is essential to maintain a healthy glow and look and feel your best. With that said, in-clinic treatments can give you that extra boost to expedite and enhance your desired results.  

DermalInfusion DiamondGlow facial 

“A DermalInfusion facial, also referred to as DiamondGlow, is the perfect option for someone looking to give their skin an added boost, and it’s a treatment that has no downtime and is safe to get done a few days leading up to or even the day of an event,” shares Sarmiento, “With that said, if you tend to break out easily with new procedures, you might want to do give yourself a week out to get the treatment.”

Several other in-clinic treatments can be considered leading up to Valentine’s Day. However, depending on the procedure, you want to give yourself at least one to two weeks before the day of the event to have your treatment. This is so any possible side effects can subside and results have time to take effect or settle. 

Botox injections

Botox helps to improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles on the forehead and around the outside corners of the eyes. Results take 5 to 12 days to appear and last for up to four months, on average.  

Dermal filler treatments

Dermal fillers help add volume to the face, contour the jawline and chin, enhance the lips, and fill in lines and wrinkles. The most popular filler line is Juvederm, made from hyaluronic acid. Results are immediate with HA fillers. However, it takes about two weeks for the filler to settle and for the “final” results to remain. Bruising can sometimes appear following a filler treatment, which is another reason why you should allow at least two weeks before an event or night out to schedule your dermal filler treatment. Results last up to 18 months, depending on the filler uses, individual body chemistry, and the area being treated.

Mild chemical peel

A mild, or light, chemical peel helps improve skin tone and texture and reduces the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines. A series of mild peels will provide improved results over time.

Additional tips for Valentine’s Day 

In addition to the above Valentine’s Day skincare tips, here are a few more fun steps you can take to celebrate YOU and get noticed on Valentine’s Day.  

Schedule a makeup session

For help choosing the perfect Valentine’s Day look, check out the 11 diverse makeup strategies for Valentine’s Day provided by Refinery 29. You can also schedule a makeup session with a local makeup artist to look your best on date night.

Treat yourself to something special

Maybe you want to “gift” yourself something special for Valentine’s Day that you can use in the future, like a gift certificate or gift card to your local MedSpa. You can apply the gift card to a future treatment. As previously mentioned, dermal fillers, such as the Juvederm HA filler line, can help to give your face some volume while minimizing fine lines and wrinkles. Botox can reduce the appearance of forehead lines and crow’s feet from around the eyes. 

If you want to improve your pout, consider Juvederm lip filler or SkinMedica’s HA5 Smooth & Lip Plumper System. And if you want to release your inner glow, try a laser treatment, like the Halo or BBL (broadband light). Or, if you’ve been struggling with fat reduction, maybe CoolSculpting Elite is in order.

You can also take additional steps to enhance your self-care routine, like spending more time in nature, meditating, taking bubble baths with candles, simply sitting alone to take time for yourself, and more!

The options are endless to treat and take care of yourself. And you’re worth it!

What to avoid before your Valentine’s Day night out

Here are some things to avoid before date night or your big event: these actions will cause the opposite of glowing skin.

1. Avoid wearing makeup while working out. Makeup-free skin is best when working out. Wearing makeup while working out can lead to breakouts, skin infections, congestion, dull skin, and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH).
2. Don’t go to bed with your makeup on. Going to bed with your makeup on can lead to breakouts, skin irritation, skin congestion, and more. 
3. Avoid harsh ingredients and over-exfoliating your skin. 

Valentine’s Day skincare tips final words…

Sarmiento’s final words of support regarding Valentine’s Day skincare tips: “Being consistent with your skincare regimen and taking care of yourself from the inside out are ways to ensure you have the healthiest and most glowing skin possible.”

 

Nicole Sarmiento, BSN, RN

NURSE INJECTOR

Nicole Sarmiento has been a Registered Nurse for over a decade after obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Since 2013, her focus has been in Medical Aesthetics, specializing in Botox & Dysport, Fillers, CoolSculpting ELITE, Ultherapy, BBL and Laser Hair Reduction. With a strong passion for the aesthetic industry and most importantly helping others feel and look their absolute best, Nicole enjoys teaching and educating her patients. Nicole is also a Trainer for The Allergan Medical Institute® and currently provides training on Botox, Juvederm, and Kybella to new and existing practices in South Texas, where she has the opportunity to share her experiences on how to achieve great client outcomes with injectables. Learn more about Nicole and the team of professionals she works with.