This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Albany chapter.

October is such a busy month, from fall festivities like apple picking, to homecoming, and Halloween. It’s the perfect time to dress up, to try out a quirky makeup-look, and stay out until the next morning with friends. But what about the aftermath? For, the first thing that reports your crazy antics from the night before, is your skin.

No matter how intense or precise your skin care routine may be, a night out will definitely leave its mark. It will have your skin appear so dull and sallow that you’ll barely recognize yourself in the mirror.

So what do you do? Will that mean it’s time to pull out those heavy-duty masks and vigorously start drinking water at least until the end of the month? Will it lead to extreme stress or anxiety over your skin?

Don’t stress it, here are some tips and tricks to help your skin bounce back!

Tip 1: Never sleep with makeup on!

If there is a cardinal skin care rule, this is it. Sleeping with makeup can clog your pores. Thus, leading to future breakouts, the deterioration of collagen, premature aging, and may even cause irritation around the sensitive eye areas.

When you sleep, your skin goes into recovery mode and it can’t do that if there are makeup products on it. Therefore, make sure that you remove all face and eye makeup before heading into bed, and don’t forget to cleanse right afterwards. However, if you are tired from the previous day’s function and are unable to this, at least be sure to take off that old, cakey makeup an use a toner, just to make sure everything is gone. A toner is a great way to rebalance your skin. It hydrates and clarifies your skin and can even help with anti-aging. Witch Hazel with aloe vera is the perfect toner for beginners.

Tip 2: Increase your water intake!

We all know the importance of water for not only our skin’s health, but our body’s as well. Nights out usually involve eating fatty foods, intaking a lot of sugars and carbs and of course alcohol, which all wreak havoc on our skin. Thus, by drinking water you are exercising a healthier diet and overall improving your health. You’ll ultimately end up increasing your skin’s moisture. Water hydrates the skin making it more plump and elastic. It can even help to prevent breakouts, as dehydrated skin leads to more oil being produced, which can trigger breakouts.

Furthermore, stay away from sugary drinks and sweets. Remember, healthy foods, promote healthy skin! So, eat some blueberries, a couple avocados, and some sweet veggies like we all loved to eat as kids.

Tip 3: Exfoliate that Skin!

Exfoliation is one of the most important skin care steps, especially after a night out. After cleansing your face, follow up with an exfoliator to get rid of dead skin cells, oils, and other gunk that may reside in your pores no longer visible to the human eye.

Exfoliating makes your skin brighter, softer, and clears your complexion completely. However, avoid exfoliating with harsh scrubs as those can perhaps be too abrasive depending on your skin type, and can even cause significant scarring and damage to the skin, especially if you are sensitive. Instead, try utilizing some gentle and/or calming exfoliators. Lastly, make sure not to over exfoliate! Once a week is perfect if you have dry or combination skin. For those of you with oily or acne prone skin you can exfoliate twice a week.

Tip 4: Mask it!

Face masks are the perfect solution to skin woes. Just pick a mask for whatever issue you are battling at the moment and put it on! Gel and sheet masks are perfect for those wanting to add moisture back to their skin. For those who get a couple of breakouts every now and then, and those individuals who considered themselves to be oily, clay masks would greatly benefit you.

Tip 5: Get some of that Sleeping Beauty-beauty sleep!

Sleep is the way your body gets to recuperate. So, make sure to get an adequate amount of sleep, which for college students should be around six to seven hours. This may be unrealistic with the heavy course loads, campus involvement, work responsibilities, and other commitments the general college student may have. But if possible, try to fit in a power nap here and there to help your skin and body bounce back.

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