Simple Skincare Resolutions You Can Stick To

 We are in the thick of the #newyearnewyou season. The reality is those big resolutions are easy to make as we come down from our holiday sugar highs, but they are really tough to keep when life as we know it starts up again in January. If getting your skin in shape is one of your goals, start small with these skincare resolutions. The key to great skin is consistency; doing just a few of these things regularly can make a big difference in your complexion.

Wash Your Face EVERY night

If you’re a habitual cleanser, you wouldn’t believe the number of people that admit to not washing their faces before bed. Many people just use a makeup remover wipe and call it a night. Sadly, while those wipes get some grime off, they mostly just spread makeup and oil around your face. Getting your face really clean before bed keeps bacteria at bay and allows your skin to soak up all the beneficial properties of your hydrating serum. If you can spare the time (and really it’s only 2-3 minutes), try double-cleansing. Using two cleansers to wash your face ensures that there isn’t any residue lurking in your pores. Check out our Prebiotic Gel Cleanser. To read more about double cleansing, check out my blog about it here!

Wear SPF EVERY DAY

In the winter it can be difficult to remember to protect yourself from the sun’s rays. However, did you know that damaging UVA rays (the kind that causes aging) are just as harmful in cloudy conditions as they are when it’s sunny? Whether you live in the desert or the mountains, you need to make sure to use SPF every day to protect your skin from wrinkles and skin cancer. Just find a lightweight moisturizer with at least SPF 30 to apply after washing your face. While makeup formulas with SPF are great, most of us don’t apply enough to get the full protection, so make sure to double up with a moisturizer if in doubt.

Wash Your Brushes

As with everything you put on your skin or in your body, it’s important to make sure the tools you use to apply quality products aren’t doing more harm than good. To keep harmful bacteria away from your face, you should aim to wash your makeup brushes more often. If you have clear skin, once a week is probably sufficient, but if you’re acne-prone, you may want to up your wash routine to every other use. 

Visit the Dermatologist

If you haven’t already, make sure to call your dermatologist and save the date for your annual check-up! Your yearly visit to the dermatologist is important, so you can get your skin checked out and moles examined. It’s also important that you discuss with your dermatologist any concerns you have about changing skin tone or texture as early detection is always the best measure of prevention against skin cancer.

Take Care of Your Pillowcases

As you sleep, your face sheds skin cells and releases sebum and sweat—all of which end up on your pillowcases. Throwing your pillowcases in the washer each week will cleanse the fabric and make sure none of that bacteria ends up back on your face. Ready to step up your game? Get a silk pillowcase to reduce facial puffiness, redness, and wrinkles. While cotton pillowcases are great, they can cause creases over time that age your skin. Silk pillowcases are less abrasive and gentler on the skin as you sleep. Bonus: there are excellent washable silk versions available, so you don’t have to worry about dry-cleaning your pillowcases.