How Can I Make My Face Look Less Hungover?

Your eyes may be the first thing you notice about yourself when you wake up hungover, but you can do a few things to make them look less red and puffy. The first step is to drink a lot of water, which is going to help your body replenish the fluids that it lost from drinking too much alcohol.

The other step is to make sure you get enough sleep. The most important part of a good night’s sleep is REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, which essentially resets your body and gives your skin a chance to repair itself. When you don’t get enough REM sleep, your skin becomes dull and lifeless.

You’ll also likely feel groggy, which makes you look like you’ve woken up in the middle of the night. This is because your body hasn’t restocked the necessary nutrients to function properly, which can make your head pound and your skin look like you’ve been in a fight for your life.

1. Apply a moisturizer to your face

When you’re hungover, you’ll have a lot of oil on your face because you’re dehydrated. That’s why you need to use a hydrating moisturizer, such as Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream or Yves Saint Laurent Temps Majeur Ultra Rich Creme.

2. Don’t wear makeup on a hungover day

Your eyes are going to be the first thing that people will notice, so it’s important that you don’t wear heavy eye makeup when you’re hungover. It can cause you to look dull, so skip the smokey eye and opt for a neutral color that blends well with your complexion.

3. Stay away from mascara

When you’ve slept poorly, your eyes are probably looking red and puffy because your skin hasn’t had the chance to repair itself. To prevent this, avoid wearing mascara, and instead apply a lash-thickening product such as Rose All Day’s new formula in “Code Nude” to your lower waterline.

4. Go for a peachy lippie

To add a little glitz to your face, swipe on a bright pink lipstick on your lips. It will not only make you look awake, but it will also rehydrate your face and give your complexion a healthy glow.

5. Splash your face with cold water

You should also splash your face with cold water in the morning to tighten pores and reduce any swelling that’s occurred from the night before. If you’re feeling especially tired, try using a face mist, such as Pixi’s Glow Mist that contains Propolis and Argan Oil.

6. Eat a lot of fruits and vegetables

It might seem counterintuitive, but eating plenty of fruit and vegetables can help restore your complexion’s natural glow. That’s because alcohol can dehydrate your skin, so by adding in lots of antioxidants from fruits and veggies, you can help your face recover.

If you want to be extra safe, you can even try a facial spray that’s designed specifically for hungover skin. These often contain energizing ingredients and are full of brightening nutrients, so they can snap your complexion back to life in no time.