Maybe it’s just me, but personally, I think it’s kind of wild that with all of the holiday-themed events, family gatherings, and travel that goes down around this time of the year, there aren’t more articles out in the world about how to keep your skin looking as flawless as possible from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day. Because if there’s ever a time when pictures (and posts) are in abundance — and we definitely want as few breakouts (and remnants of them) as possible — now would be it.
Hell, it can be stressful just thinking about how to enjoy sweets, shop for everyone, stay up half of the night watching throwback holiday films, and still have your skin looking healthy at all times. That’s why I decided to hook you up with seven ways that the holiday can potentially wreak havoc on your skin along with some bona fide tips to prevent it from happening. (Thank me later!)
7 Holiday Habits That Can Wreck Your Skin—And How To Fix It
1. Stress Can Increase Inflammation
Okay, so let’s do it this way: since one reputable study revealed that only 10 percent of individuals profess to experience zero stress during the holiday season, that is why I decided to lead with stress being a leading skin issue around this time of the year. And just what does it do to your skin exactly?
Well, according to skin experts, when you’re stressed out, that accelerates the adrenaline in your system which can cause your skin to experience inflammation — and that can manifest in a myriad of ways, including potential hives, a breakout of psoriasis or eczema (if that is something that you already deal with), rashes, itchiness and/or skin discoloration.
What to Do About It: When I say that nothing is worth stressing out over, I mean it — and especially not something like the holidays. So, first up, decide that you are going to not try to control what you cannot (person, place, thing, or idea), that you aren’t going to wait until the last minute to get things done, that you are going to have A BUDGET and that you will do things that will encourage you to slow down like pray, meditate, exercise and rest.
Also, prioritize participating in various activities for the sheer pleasure of it. You’d be amazed by how many people end up having a not-so-great holiday season because they were out here making sure that everyone else BUT them enjoyed themselves — and their skin shows it.
2. Alcohol Can Cause Dehydration
Did you know some studies say that between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, alcohol consumption goes up a whopping 33 percent? And here’s the thing — since it’s considered to be a diuretic, if you’re tossing too many cocktails back, you could end up dehydrating your skin as well as ending up with inflamed skin (since alcohol triggers the production of antihistamines in your system), dark circles, a dull complexion, and fine lines and wrinkles due to the sleep deprivation that alcohol may cause too.
What to Do About It: The moral of the story here isn’t that you can’t enjoy alcohol during the holidays. Just make sure that you consume it in moderation, which is no more than one drink a day for us and two drinks a day for men; if you do more than this, “chase it down” with a glass of water, and that you proactively keep your skin hydrated.
You can do this by washing your face and body in warm (not hot because it strips skin of moisture) water, that you apply a moisturizer that has water as the first listed ingredient along with humectants such as honey, glycerin, and/or hyaluronic acid; that you do this while your skin is still wet (in order to “trap” the moisture in), and that you sleep with a humidifier in your room.
Photo by 3. Sugar Can Reduce Collagen Levels
Even though the American Heart Association recommends that men have no more than nine teaspoons of sugar a day and women consume no more than six, the average American actually takes in 23 damn teaspoons daily — and that number rises during the holiday season. There are a billion reasons why this is problematic; however, as far as your skin goes, this isn’t good because not only does too much sugar also lead to inflammation, but it can speed up the aging process of your skin as well.
How? Well, two things that help to keep your skin full of elasticity and youth are collagen and elastin. Unfortunately, when sugar gets into the mix, it can affect how (and how much) both of these things are produced which can lead to sagging skin, the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and even some hyperpigmentation.
What to Do About It: I’m pretty sure it goes without saying that one thing that can help to keep sugar from wreaking total havoc on your skin is to eat (and drink) less of it. That said, though, by no means do I think that you should make yourself miserable by not indulging in some hot chocolate, caramel cake, and the cutest turkey legs (made out of Rice Krispies) that I stumbled upon recently (here).
Just don’t overdo it; drink water while you’re eating “it;” increase your antioxidant intake (because that helps to fight off the free radicals that sugar can produce) which means eating more dark leafy greens, citrus fruits, apples, beans, and cranberries; wear sunscreen (the sun also shines in cold weather) to offset potential collagen breakdowns; apply skincare products that contain collagen and — I think that you’ll actually like this one — eat some dark chocolate.
Dark chocolate is also loaded with antioxidants; just make sure that it’s the kind that contains at least 60 percent cocoa. In other words, this isn’t a license to go overboard on any leftover Halloween candy, y’all.
4. Dairy Can Trigger Breakouts
Three things that I think folks are gonna debate, diet-wise, at least for the rest of my lifetime, are veganism, caffeine, and dairy. What I mean by that is if you Google any of these topics, you’re going to find pieces that are very much “for” and then others that are totally “against” them. As far as dairy goes, although I do have a weakness for some New York-style pizza and ice cream, oat milk is my milk alternative of choice because I’ve researched what dairy has the potential to do to my system.
Skin-wise? One thing that a lot of health experts can agree on is it can throw your hormone levels off to the point where it could cause acne breakouts — and lawd, who wants that…especially during the holidays?
What to Do About It: If you’re the one who is going to be cooking or baking a lot of the meals, experiment with a milk alternative; these days, there are plenty of options to choose from (click here for a list of over 20 of ‘em). Consume foods that are high in fiber (like squash, collard greens, quinoa, sweet potatoes, and popcorn) so that you’re able to flush toxins out quicker. I will forever sing the praises of taking a magnesium-calcium-zinc supplement because it helps to calm your nerves, reduce stress, and give you a good night’s rest (all of which contribute to having clear skin).
And if you do see a pimple pop up, apply some tea tree oil directly to it. If you do that (and don’t pick at it), you should notice that it’s significantly decreased in size within a day or two. Oh, and if there is some scarring afterwards, vitamin C extract or batana oil can help to soften the appearance of it.
Photo by 5. Cold Weather Can Prematurely Age Skin
The thing about cold weather is it typically lacks humidity. As far as your skin is concerned, if it’s dry all of the time, that can prematurely age it. Aside from that, cold weather can irritate it and cause cracking of your hands, heels, and around your lips as well.
What to Do About It: If you tend to use lighter moisturizers during the hotter months, go with something that’s a bit thicker right through here. Certain skin butters are great (check out “What You Need To Know About Shea, Mango, Kokum & Other Body Butters”), especially when it comes to your body.
If you think that they will be too thick for your face, consider applying skin products that have ceramides in them; they provide a barrier to your skin that helps it retain moisture for longer periods of time. And definitely don’t go out without putting some lip balm on; the kind that has sunscreen in it is most ideal.
6. HVAC Can Cause Fine Lines and Wrinkles
One thing about the fall and winter seasons is you’re going to be spending more time indoors than you would during the spring and summertime. This means that you’re going to be exposed to dry air from your HVAC units which can dry out your skin and cause fine lines and wrinkles as a direct result. Plus, if you already deal with things like eczema, psoriasis, or dermatitis, the hot, dry air could make them worse.
What to Do About It: This is another time that a humidifier is certainly going to come in handy. Aside from that, drink lots of water; make sure that you “seal your skin” (which means applying some type of oil to keep your skin moisturized) after getting out of the shower, and don’t spend all of your time indoors. Aside from the dry air potentially doing a number on your skin, indoor air pollution is 2-5 times higher than what’s going on outside.
For the sake of your skin and your overall health and well-being, enjoy some time in the cool air and snow before the turn of the new year (in moderation, of course).
7. A Lack of Sleep Can Result in Dullness, Dryness and Large Pores
One of the reasons why a lot of people find themselves super stressed whenever the holidays roll around is, that so much is going on that they don’t get the 6-8 hours of sleep that they need in order to rejuvenate themselves. Y’all, when you are sleep-deprived, whether it’s immediately or eventually, your skin is going to “tell on you” because it can cause your complexion to appear dull and dry, give you dark circles underneath your eyes, and, since less sleep equals more cortisol (the stress hormone that’s in your body), that can cause an overproduction of sebum which can lead to an appearance of larger pores.
What to Do About It: Try to at least get 6-8 hours in four days a week (if it’s impossible to do seven days right through here), get power naps in when you can; give your face a 15-minute massage a couple of times each week (to keep poor blood circulation from causing your skin to look blotchy); use tea bags on your eyes to reduce the appearance of dark circles and drink herbal tea to relax you, and consume some fruit-infused water throughout the day, so that the water and nutrients from your favorite fruits can combat any dullness and dryness that may have already occurred from the inside out.
Oh, and try to not drink alcohol or consume sugar or caffeine 2-3 hours before bedtime; that will increase your chances of not tossing and turning all night long.
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Skin that doesn’t need a ton of makeup can be yours — yes, even throughout the holidays. All you need is balance and a plan. And hopefully, this holiday skin stress cheat sheet just gave you both. Enjoy!
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Featured image by Victoriia Vyshnevetska/Getty Images
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So, we handpicked one hundred It Girls who embody that palpable It Factor moving through us as young Black women, the kind of motion lighting up the world both IRL and across the internet.
It Girl 100 became xoNecole’s most successful program, with the hashtag organically reaching more than forty million impressions on Instagram in just twenty-four hours. Yes, it caught on like wildfire because we celebrated some of the most brilliant and influential GenZennial women of color setting trends and shaping culture. But more than that, it resonated because the women we celebrated felt seen.
Many were already known in their industries for keeping this generation fly and lit, but rarely received recognition or flowers. It Girl 100 became a safe space to be uplifted, and for us as Black women to bask in what felt like an era of our brilliance, beauty, and boundless influence on full display.
And then, almost overnight, it was as if the rug was pulled from under us as Black women, as the It Girls of the world.
Our much-needed, much-deserved season of ease and soft living quickly metamorphosed into a time of self-preservation and survival. Our motion and economic progression seemed strategically slowed, our light under siege.
The air feels heavier now. The headlines colder. Our Black girl magic is being picked apart and politicized for simply existing.
With that climate shift, as we prepare to launch our second annual It Girl 100 honoree list, our team has had to dig deep on the purpose and intention behind this year’s list. Knowing the spirit of It Girl 100 is about motion, sauce, strides, and progression, how do we celebrate amid uncertainty and collective grief when the juice feels like it is being squeezed out of us?
As we wrestled with that question, we were reminded that this tension isn’t new. Black women have always had to find joy in the midst of struggle, to create light even in the darkest corners. We have carried the weight of scrutiny for generations, expected to be strong, to serve, to smile through the sting. But this moment feels different. It feels deeply personal.
We are living at the intersection of liberation and backlash. We are learning to take off our capes, to say no when we are tired, to embrace softness without apology.
And somehow, the world has found new ways to punish us for it.
In lifestyle, women like Kayla Nicole and Ayesha Curry have been ridiculed for daring to choose themselves. Tracee Ellis Ross was labeled bitter for speaking her truth about love. Meghan Markle, still, cannot breathe without critique.
In politics, Kamala Harris, Letitia James, and Jasmine Crockett are dragged through the mud for standing tall in rooms not built for them.
In sports, Angel Reese, Coco Gauff, and Taylor Townsend have been reminded that even excellence will not shield you from racism or judgment.
In business, visionaries like Diarrha N’Diaye-Mbaye and Melissa Butler are fighting to keep their dreams alive in an economy that too often forgets us first.
Even our icons, Beyoncé, Serena, and SZA, have faced criticism simply for evolving beyond the boxes society tried to keep them in.
From everyday women to cultural phenoms, the pattern is the same. Our light is being tested.
And yet, somehow, through it all, we are still showing up as that girl, and that deserves to be celebrated.
Because while the world debates our worth, we keep raising our value. And that proof is all around us.
This year alone, Naomi Osaka returned from motherhood and mental health challenges to reach the semifinals of the US Open. A’ja Wilson claimed another MVP, reminding us that beauty and dominance can coexist. Brandy and Monica are snatching our edges on tour. Kahlana Barfield Brown sold out her new line in the face of a retailer that had been canceled. And Melissa Butler’s company, The Lip Bar, is projecting a forty percent surge in sales.
We are no longer defining strength by how much pain we can endure. We are defining it by the unbreakable light we continue to radiate.
We are the women walking our daily steps and also continuing to run solid businesses. We are growing in love, taking solo trips, laughing until it hurts, raising babies and ideas, drinking our green juice, and praying our peace back into existence.
We are rediscovering the joy of rest and realizing that softness is not weakness, it is strategy.
And through it all, we continue to lift one another. Emma Grede is creating seats at the table. Valeisha Butterfield has started a fund for jobless Black women. Arian Simone is leading in media with fearless conviction. We are pouring into each other in ways the world rarely sees but always feels.
So yes, we are in the midst of societal warfare. Yes, we are being tested. Yes, we are facing economic strain, political targeting, and public scrutiny. But even war cannot dim a light that is divinely ours.
And we are still shining.
And we are still softening.
And we are still creating.
And we are still It.
That is the quiet magic of Black womanhood, our ability to hold both truth and triumph in the same breath, to say yes, and to life’s contradictions.
It is no coincidence that this year, as SheaMoisture embraces the message “Yes, And,” they stand beside us as partners in celebrating this class of It Girls. Because that phrase, those two simple words, capture the very essence of this moment.
Yes, we are tired. And we are still rising.
Yes, we are questioned. And we are the answer.
Yes, we are bruised. And we are still beautiful.
This year’s It Girl 100 is more than a list. It is a love letter to every Black woman who dares to live out loud in a world that would rather she whisper. This year’s class is living proof of “Yes, And,” women who are finding ways to thrive and to heal, to build and to rest, to lead and to love, all at once.
It is proof that our joy is not naive, our success not accidental. It is the reminder that our light has never needed permission.
So without further ado, we celebrate the It Girl 100 Class of 2025–2026.
We celebrate the millions of us who keep doing it with grace, grit, and glory.
Because despite it all, we still shine.
Because we are still her.
Because we are still IT, girl.
Meet all 100 women shaping culture in the It Girl 100 Class of 2025. View the complete list of honorees here.
Featured image by xoStaff
Then there were those who gave up their zip code altogether and found a permanent home in the skies. After years spent recruiting students for a university, Lisa-Gaye Shakespeare became a full-time travel influencer and founded her travel company, Shakespeare Agency. And she's not alone.
These stories mirror the experiences of women across the world. For millions, the pandemic induced a seismic shift in priorities and desires. Corporate careers that were once hailed as the ultimate “I made it” moment in one's career were pushed to the back burner as women quit their jobs in search of a more self-fulfilling purpose.
xoNecole spoke to these three Black women who used the pandemic as a springboard to make their wildest dreams a reality, the lessons they learned, and posed the question of whether they’ll ever return to cubicle life.
Answers have been edited for context and length.
xoNecole: How did the pandemic lead to you leaving the cubicle?
Randi: I was becoming stagnant. I was working in mortgage and banking but I felt like my personality was too big for that job! From there, I transitioned to radio but was laid off during the pandemic. That’s what made me go full throttle with entrepreneurship.
Gabrielle: I moved around a lot for work. Five times over a span of seven years. I knew I needed a break because I had experienced so much. So, I just quit one day. Effective immediately. I didn’t know what I was going to do, I just knew I needed a break and to just regroup.
Lisa-Gaye: I was working in recruiting at a university and my dream job just kind of fell into my lap! But, I never got to fully enjoy it before the world shut down in March [2020] and I was laid off. On top of that, I was stuck in Miami because Jamaica had closed its borders due to the pandemic before I was able to return.
Randi O
xoN: Tell us about your journey after leaving Corporate America.
Randi: I do it all now! I have a podcast, I’m an on-air talent, I act, and I own a public relations company that focuses on social media engagement. It’s all from my network. When you go out and start a business, you can’t just say, “Okay I’m done with Corporate America,” and “Let me do my own thing.” If you don’t build community, if you don’t build a network it's going to be very hard to sustain.
Gabrielle: I realized in New York, there was not a lot to do for Black lesbians and queer folks. We don’t really have dedicated bars and spaces so I started doing events and it took off. I started focusing on my brand, Raw Honey. I opened a co-working space, and I was able to host an NYC Pride event in front of 100,000 people. I hit the ground running with Raw Honey. My events were all women coming to find community and come together with other lesbians and queer folks. I found my purpose in that.
Lisa-Gaye: After being laid off, I wrote out all of my passions and that’s how I came up with [my company] Shakespeare Agency. It was all of the things that I loved to do under one umbrella. The pandemic pulled that out of me. I had a very large social media following, so I pitched to hotels that I would feature them on my blog and social media. This reignited my passion for travel. I took the rest of the year to refocus my brand to focus solely on being a content creator within the travel space.
Gabrielle
xoN: What have you learned about yourself during your time as an entrepreneur?
Randi: [I learned] the importance of my network and community that I created. When I was laid off I was still keeping those relationships with people that I used to work with. So it was easy for me to transition into social media management and I didn’t have to start from scratch.
Gabrielle: The biggest thing I learned about myself was my own personal identity as a Black lesbian and how much I had assimilated into straight and corporate culture and not being myself. Now, I feel comfortable and confident being my authentic self. Now, I'm not sacrificing anything else for my career. I have a full life. I have friends. I have a social life. And when you are happy and have a full quality of life, I feel like [I] can have more longevity in my career.
Lisa-Gaye: [I'm doing] the best that I've ever done. The discipline that I’m building within myself. Nobody is saying, ‘Oh you have to be at work at this time.’ There’s no boss saying, ‘Why are you late?’ But, if I’m laying in bed at 10 a.m. then it's me saying [to myself], 'Okay, Lisa, get up, it's time for you to start working!’ That’s all on me.
xoNecole: What mistakes do you want to help people avoid when leaving Corporate America?
Randi: You have to learn about the highs and lows of entrepreneurship. You have a fast season and a slow season and I started to learn that when you're self-employed the latter season hits hard. Don't get caught up on the lows, just keep going and don't stop. I’m glad I did.
Gabrielle: I think everyone should quit their job and just figure it out for a second. You will discover so much about yourself when you take a second to just focus on you. Your skill set will always be there. You can’t be afraid of what will happen when you bet on yourself.
Lisa-Gaye: When it comes to being an influencer the field is saturated and a lot of people suffer from imposter syndrome. There is nothing wrong with being an imposter but find out how to make it yours, how to make it better. If you go to the store, you see 10 million different brands of bread! But you are choosing the brand that you like because you like that particular flavor.
So be an imposter, but be the best imposter of yourself and add your own flair, your own flavor. Make the better bread. The bread that you want.
Lisa-Gaye Shakespeare
xoNecole: Will you ever return to your 9 to 5?
Randi: I wouldn’t go back to Corporate America. But I don’t mind working under someone. A lot of people try to get into this business saying, “I can't work under anyone.” That’s not necessarily the reason to start a business because you're always going to answer to somebody. Clients, brands, there’s always someone else involved.
Gabrielle: I went back! I really needed a break and I gave myself that. But, I realized I’m a corporate girl, [and] I enjoy the work that I do. I’m good at it and I really missed that side of myself. I have different sides of me and my whole identity is not Raw Honey or my queerness. A big side of me is business and that’s why I love having my career. Now I feel like my best self.
Lisa-Gaye: I really don’t. For right now, I love working for myself. It's gratifying, it's challenging, it's exciting. It’s a big deal for me to say I own my own business. That I am my own boss, and I'm a Black woman doing it.
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Featured image courtesy of Lisa-Gaye Shakespeare
Originally published on February 6, 2023