A new year is quickly approaching, bringing with it the pressure to make resolutions that will change your life in 2020. While swearing off all sugar and promising to workout five days a week can be titanic tasks, you can improve your skin with quick, simple changes that will slip easily into your everyday routine.
These effortless skincare resolutions will help you put your best face forward in 2020
Cleanse Before Bed
While you’re resting, your skin is hard at work repairing, refreshing, and renewing itself. When you fall asleep without cleansing, your skin can’t do its job. The first issue is that pores clogged with makeup and debris often turn into acne. Worse yet, your skin can actually appear more dull after spending the night with oils and dead skin cells settling into the surface layers of your skin. Make the commitment to wash up before bed, even if it’s just with a cleansing wipe. While that shouldn’t be your go-to solution, it’s better than nothing when you don’t have time or energy for a full cleanse.
Regularly Wash Makeup Tools
Imagine rubbing all of the icky-ness from your day right back onto your face … If you don’t clean your makeup brushes, that’s basically what’s happening. With dense bristles and dust-attracting oils, dirty brushes are a playground for pore-clogging nasties. You can check out this handy guide on how often to scrub down each different kind of brush.
Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize
Your skin needs moisture to stay healthy, but everyday life can strip away vital hydration. Help your skin look its best by moisturizing day and night. Not only will it help create the perfect canvas for your cosmetics, it will also help your protective barrier stay strong and keep breakouts at bay.
Protect Yourself from UVA and UVB Damage
Many cosmetics already come with a good dose of SPF 15, but that’s not enough to fully protect your delicate skin from UVA and UVB rays, especially if you spend a lot of time outside. If you’re planning to be outdoors during peak hours, between 10:00am-2:00pm, amp up your protection to at least 30 SPF before you apply your makeup, opt for a wide-brimmed hat while outdoors, and reapply sunscreen regularly. While a tan is fun in the summer, it’s not worth the long-term consequences of overexposure to the sun’s harsh rays.
Find Your Exfoliation Sweet Spot
Not too much… not too little. Exfoliating is an absolutely critical piece of a great skincare routine because it helps get rid of all the deep-pore debris that a normal cleanse can’t get to. It also helps along the skin cell turnover process, helping your body shed older, dull layers to reveal more supple skin underneath. Be careful about how often you’re scrubbing down, though. Those with sensitive skin can easily over-exfoliate, leading to dryness, redness, or breakouts. Take the time to find the exfoliation routine and products that work for you.
