5 Beauty Resolutions For Your Best, Most Beautiful Self

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There’s nothing we love more than the fresh start of a new year – you get to put all the drama (and the beauty sins) behind you so that you can move forward, living your best life with a clean slate. When it comes to setting new year’s resolutions, although we love the idea of setting extravagant goals, if they’re totally unrealistic it can be kinda demotivating. So, we thought we’d help you guys compile a list of resolutions that are manageable and more importantly, maintainable – but they’ll still make a BIG difference. We swear if you keep these up all year round, you’ll be feeling and looking like a million dollars. Feel free to thank us in 2020!

1. ALWAYS remove your makeup

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If you wear makeup regularly, chances are you’re guilty of the cardinal skincare sin – not removing your makeup before you sleep. We get it; when you get in from a night out, or when you’re already tucked into bed it’s the last thing on your mind, but it really is a must! If you leave your makeup on, your pores will get clogged, and your skin will be more prone to breakouts.

Although we’d always recommend the K-beauty method of double cleansing to ensure that all the dirt, oil, and bacteria is properly removed (check out our guide to double cleansing here), we also keep a stash of makeup wipes and some micellar water next to our bed for when we’re feeling too lazy. We also love the Harumada Triple Balance One-Step Cleansing Foam Pads, $14, which are basically the lazy girl’s answer to double cleansing, you simply alternate the sides of the cleansing pad.

2. Wear SPF every day 

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If you ask any dermatologist what skincare product they couldn’t live without, it wouldn’t be a $200 serum or the latest formula; it would be totally essential, reliable sunscreen. If every dermatologist we’ve worked with this year has mentioned the importance of wearing SPF daily, then you definitely need to start. It may not be an extra step, but it’s the most important product in your skincare routine, and it’s going to make a huge impact on how your skin ages – 90% of how your skin ages is down to sun exposure.

A good SPF can help prevent hyperpigmentation, fine lines, and collagen loss. Look for a sunscreen that offers both UVA and UVB protection, which means a broad spectrum sunscreen with at least SPF 30 and a 5-star UVA-rating. During the winter, you still need to wear sunscreen, but if you live in a cold climate, you can get away with using a skincare product containing SPF20+. We love the super lightweight Thank You Farmer Sun Project Water Sun Cream, $23, or the Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen, $32, which is like a serum, and is packed with antioxidants, so it simultaneously hydrates your skin. Check out our fave sunscreens that work well under makeup here.

3. Put some thought into your regime

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Being organized is kinda life-changing – you waste less time, and you typically manage to deliver better results. Well, the same goes for your skincare regime. If you outline your weekly skincare schedule – literally write down a schedule and stick it on your mirror – you’ll keep on top of all the products you use, you won’t miss an essential ritual, and you’ll avoid overwhelming your skin with too many products.

For example, say you only want to exfoliate twice a week, if you stick to exfoliating every Monday and Thursday, you’ll avoid forgetting when you exfoliated and avoid over-exfoliation. Keeping a skincare schedule will also help you cross-reference the ingredients and formulas you regularly use to ensure that they complement each other and don’t overwork your skin. For instance, if you do a weekly peel, on that particular day, you wouldn’t use any other harsh ingredients like salicylic acid or a kaolin clay mask. Or if you used retinol the night before, you may want to set a schedule that ensures the next day your routine is hydrating, and the following day includes exfoliation. Check out this post to find out our essential skincare routine.

4. Don’t neglect your body

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Often we lather product after product on our face, but we stop when we reach our jawline. This is a huge mistake as the skin on our neck, hands and décolletage is super delicate and are some of the first areas to show signs of aging. Make sure you apply every step of your skincare routine to your neck and décolletage, always using gentle upwards strokes – never pull your skin downwards as this will encourage your skin to sag.

We also like to use a hand and body serum that contains retinol – the ultimate anti-aging ingredient that encourages skin cell turnover and more youthful skin. We’re currently using the My Clear Skin Retinol Serum, $105, by derm queen Dr. Doris Day – it leaves our skin feeling insanely smooth! We also love moisturizing with all-natural body oils, as oils are lipophilic, which means they have smaller molecular structure and can hydrate and nourish the skin at a much deeper level. Supermodels Cindy Crawford and Elle MacPherson both thank body oils for their soft, youthful skin, so if that doesn’t convince you, we don’t know what will! Right now we’re obsessed with the Innisfree Olive Real Body Oil, $18.

5. Look after your mane (and your scalp too)

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Another area of the body that needs regular TLC is your hair, as it’s constantly exposed to chemicals as well as heat and sun damage. So keeping up with your hair maintenance is a must – this includes a weekly hair mask (find our faves here), always using a heat protective spray before you use any hot tools, and nourishing it regularly with a hair oil. Finding the right hair brush for your hair type is also a must; it’ll help prevent split ends, damage, and frizz – check out which brush suits your hair type here. Always remember to begin brushing from the ends of your hair, working your way upwards towards the scalp. If you have curly hair, learn how to condition and treat you curls correctly here.

Don’t forget to pay attention to your scalp by using a hair scrub weekly to exfoliate the scalp, stimulate blood flow, boost growth and increasing shine (Check out our fave scalp scrubs here). And we know it sounds boujee af, but a silk pillowcase will also help reduce frizz and split ends as it’ll prevent your hair from being teased during the night. Finally, be sure to get regular trims – every eight weeks – to side-step split and brittle ends.

Let us know if you have any other new year’s resolutions in the comments below.