It’s that time of year—our noses are running, our heads are aching, and winter sickness is running rampant into the bodies of innocent civilians everywhere. You’ll find it sitting next to you in the office, in the halls of your apartment building, and rubbing shoulders with you on the subway whispering in your ear “You're next."

Although this green monster of the cold and flu may seem unavoidable, there are ways to beat him down if you’ve felt him lurking down in your throat or creeping up in your pores.

If you’ve noticed your face flaring up when you start to come down with something, you’re not alone. Sickness doesn’t just impact your sinuses, it can also take a major toll on the health of your skin.

When you catch a virus, your immune system creates a hormone imbalance in your body from the inside, which causes breakouts, redness and dryness on the outside. This is the same reason you might notice your skin acting out when you’re stressed, eating badly, or not getting enough sleep. It sucks, but it will pass. In the meantime, we have some ideas for you.

What are some good skin remedies for sickness?

Vitamin C On Your Skin

If chugging Emergen-C isn’t for you, try a topical version. Although vitamin C hasn’t been proved to prevent sickness altogether, it does contain a lot of nutrients that help heal your body and skin, and replenish and restore what you may have lost through your cold or flu.

Using vitamin C directly on your face will help boost hydration and fight against that puffy, sick look that makes you want to hide under your covers all day.