We did it everyone, we made it through another (albeit crazy) year! The impending new year always calls for some form of reflection, introspection, and plans for our future selves. We know that New Year’s resolutions aren’t always everyone’s cup of tea, but allow us to play devil’s advocate for a moment: whether you want to label them as “resolutions,” “goals,” or something different entirely, setting intentions for yourself during this season of newness is a great way to check in with yourself and reset any areas of your life that you don’t feel are serving you.

As your local skincare and beauty experts, we hope we can lend a hand in this arena. We’re not here to tell you what to do, but we are here to give you some advice and point you in the right direction when it comes to all things beauty. Without further ado, here are some ideas for New Year’s skin-solutions (skincare + resolutions, obvi) that you can add to your list for 2022:

Don’t pick at your skin. It’s totally addicting, but it’s totally bad for you. Picking at your skin is a surefire way to spread bacteria around your face. You’re basically giving the gunk a one way ticket to your pores. If you really feel like you need something extracted, have a professional do it for you. Other than that, keep your paws off!

Sunscreen, always. We’ve harped on the importance of sunscreen more times than we can count, and yet we’ll do it again and again. Sunscreen is one of the best ways to protect your skin not only now, but for the future. UV rays are powerful and chances are, even when you think you don’t need sunscreen, you probably do. Don’t let this one slip through the cracks!

Don’t you dare sleep in your makeup. We totally get it – sometimes this one is easier said than done. Who wants to take the time to scrub off makeup after a long night of fun? But trust us when we say that your skin will thank you a million times. The breakouts just aren’t worth it. Plus, you’ll have to wash your makeup off eventually, so why not save yourself the foundation-stained pillow and do it before you hit the sack? Even if you’re too tired to do more than moisturize afterward, at least you’ll have saved your skin the trauma of enduring another 8 hours of makeup-clogged pores.

Find time for self care. Life gets busy quickly and oftentimes self care is the first thing to get pushed to the back burner. But when you neglect self care, your skin, your body, and your mind begin to suffer. Not only can this affect your quality of life, but the lives of those around you as well. Finding even ten minutes a day for some self care can do wonders for your mindset. Remember, you can only give to others when your own cup is full.  

Be gentle with yourself. Above all else, we want you to remind yourself that, in the famous words of one Hannah Montana, nobody’s perfect. Your skin will have its ups and downs. There will be seasons when you can dedicate a ton of time to skincare and beauty routines, and there will be seasons when all you can spare is five minutes a day. Wherever you fall on the spectrum is completely okay. If you feel content with your skincare journey, that’s truly all that matters. Be gentle with yourself, and love the skin you’re in. 

We hope these serve as pointers for habits that you can implement not just for the first few weeks of the year, but for the long haul. With that being said, healthy practices take time to become habits, so the start of a new year is the perfect time to hit the reset button and start fresh. Here’s to another year of skincare, self care, and glowing skin!