Since 2022 is officially in full swing, one of my self-care resolutions this year is to take better care of my skin. I struggle with my skin a lot — I still break out even though I’m well into my thirties, have terribly dry skin all over my body, and now I’m at the age where I feel like I can see every fine line and wrinkle on my face, which I’m really not loving.
Below are 10 things I’m doing this year because they are easy to integrate into your daily routine, so they don’t feel overwhelming. They are all skin care goals with the end result being a little love for our skin and ourselves because, hey, we deserve it!
Wear SPF Every Day
I have never been one to do this every day and I hate to admit it because it’s so important. It doesn’t matter if it’s sunny or cloudy or windy, we should always be applying at least an SPF 20 to our face to help reduce the signs of aging and damaged skin.
Use Vitamin A Oil
I’ve been reading up on vitamin A after hearing about it on a wellness podcast. It’s a nutrient that supports the skin, eyes, reproductive health and immune system, and there are two types: retinoids and carotenoids. Retinol stimulates the production of new skin cells, and without it, skin can become overly dry (welcome to my life). Because the skin is a retinoid-responsive organ, it is able to readily absorb vitamin A when applied topically, and using retinol is effective at stimulating collagen production and reducing wrinkles when used topically.
Drink More Water
We all know how important it is to drink more water. In fact, I’ve written other articles on ways to increase your hydration throughout the day because it’s so important for our overall health. It also has huge impacts on our skin. Something you may not have known is that when we are dehydrated, our organs become deprives of water and pull water from our blood, which in turn pulls water from our skin cells. The result is dry skin, and over time, it can even speed up the aging process of our skin.
When skin is dehydrated, it loses elasticity and is more susceptible to lines and wrinkles, so one of the best resolutions you can do for your skin — drink at least 64 ounces of water each day.
Be More Active
I know, I can see you rolling your eyes already. I feel like “Be More Active” is at the top of every resolution list ever, but I bet you want to know how it relates to healthier skin. Exercising not only increases blood flow, which helps to nourish our skin cells, but it also oxygenates skin cells, which keeps them healthy. It’s also a great way to remove toxins from our skin from the inside and help with skin issues caused by excess stress since exercise helps with both.
Get Better Sleep
Sleeping Beauty isn’t just a Disney princess, sleep has a large impact on the health and beauty of our skin. Anything less than six hours of sleep (which means I’m screwed) can have negative effects on our skin. Because skin makes collagen while we sleep, getting enough sleep leads to fewer wrinkles and fine lines, and less prominent dark circles under our eyes.
Use A Good Cleanser Every Night
I’m guilty of it so many times that I’m embarrassed to admit it. I don’t always wash all of my makeup off before I go to bed. To be fair, I don’t often wear makeup — not because I don’t need to, it’s honestly due to lack of what to wear, how to wear it and sheer laziness — so most of the time I’m only wearing mascara and some coverup under the large, dark circles under my eyes (see above). I also don’t always love how dry my face feels after I wash it. So my goal this year is to find a makeup remover and face wash that I love, and make a resolution to actually wash my face every single night before bed. I’ve learned that the best cleansers to use before bed are ones that have an all-natural retinol replacement, so that you are giving your skin an extra boost of elasticity while you sleep.
Exfoliate
I use an exfoliating scrub for my body, but I don’t often use an exfoliator for my face. That said, exfoliating is a great way to reveal smooth, bright, beautiful skin by removing dead skin cells that can clog your pores. It’s good to use an exfoliator at least once or twice a week all over your body — and you can use one on your face, too. You just have to find one that works well with your skin type.
Vow to Moisturize
Moisturizing is one of the most important and underrated ways that you can take care of your skin. I openly admit to not moisturizing enough, and as someone who has very dry skin, I need to do it more. Using a good moisturizer regularly can help prevent dry skin, but it also can help battle wrinkles. And don’t forget, moisturizer helps create a protective barrier for your skin, giving you a brighter glow.
Take Care of Your Eyes
The skin around your eyes is the most sensitive part of your face and one of the first areas to show signs of aging. Spend some time gently massaging moisturizers or natural oils into your skin around this area. This helps strengthen the muscles in your face and encourage collagen production.
One thing I’ve been doing is using a small amount of Vaseline at night on areas of my face that are especially dry, under my eyes and around any areas where I have fine lines (corners of eyes, my forehead, and around my mouth). I gently massage it into my skin, especially around my eyes. Some people like to leave it on overnight while they sleep, or you can apply it for an hour or two and wash it off. My skin tends to absorb it because it is so radically dry.
Be Consistent
As with anything, it can take a while before you start seeing the results of your efforts in your skin, so stick with it. Think of the time you spend on your skin as an investment in yourself and a gift you are giving yourself. I am trying to spend a little time each day this year on me. Even if it’s only 15 or 20 minutes each day, I’m setting that time aside to do something for myself, and not feel guilty about it, and hopefully my skin will reap the benefits of it!
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