Sipping Champagne Is Great and All, but Have You Tried Bubbly in Your Skin Care?

Nothing says "New Years Eve" quite like popping champagne. IMHO, that sweet, sweet bubbly is the most celebratory of all drinks, and is synonymous with the exciting fresh start that 12 a.m. on January 1st inevitably brings. But in honor of the fact that 2019 is "the year of the homebody" (you heard it here first, fam) we found an entirely new way to use champagne to ring in the new year that doesn't require leaving your couch and braving the NYE crowds: Champagne skin care.

"Champagne has several benefits in skin care," confirms dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, MD, a New York City dermatologist. "Just like in wine, champagne is rich in skin-calming antioxidants, while the acidic pH can help tone the skin." There are dozens of products with champagne as an ingredient—cleansers, moisturizers, and toners (oh my!)—which give your complexion a hand, while also quietly making every day feel like a celebration. NYC-based skin-care haven, Savor Spa, even offers a champagne facial, which utilizes a cleanser made with a champagne grape seed exfoliant. It helps to remove the the top layer of dead cells without irritating or inflaming pores.

Having treated my skin to a little pre-holiday champagne facial to make the final days of 2018 feel extra bougie, I can attest to the fact that the treatment left my skin with an otherworldly glow. The grape seeds were so teeny tiny that it was exactly the type of gentle sloughing my dry, winter skin needed. When the treatment was over, I looked so lit-from-within that I felt like I should have been the one being dropped in the middle of Times Square at midnight.

"Champagne itself contains antioxidants, and has antibacterial properties because of the alcohol content," explains dermatologist Rachel Nazarian of NYC's Schweiger Dermatology. "There are many people that find that using it on your skin can be quite helpful. This is not something that I would recommend for sensitive skin types because it could be drying and ultimately irritate underlying sensitive skin conditions like rosacea." Tartaric acid, another ingredient found in the liquid gold, can also help decrease hyperpigmentation from things like sun spots, pollution, and aging.

If you've got some leftover Veuve on January first and are in the DIY spirit, mix 1/4 cup of the champagne with 4 ounces of powdered clay, 2 tablespoons heavy cream, and half or plain yogurt. Or scroll through for some champagne-infused skin-care products worth cheers-ing to this NYE, without the January 1st hangover.

Some of our other favorite skin care ingredients this season? Bakuchiol—AKA retinol without the burn—and lanolin, the hydrator you never knew you needed.

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