The pandemic has brought about a renewed focus on health and wellness, and along with that a “less is more” approach to skincare as many of us ditch harsh skincare products, embrace gentler ingredients, and reimagined daily routines.
So, what 3 skincare habits should you kick as we head into 2022?
1. Skimping on sunscreen
When you’re hot, you’re hot. But this should be reflected by a radiant complexion, not sun-damaged and aged skin. Sunscreen is an everyday rule and is certainly not reserved for days on the beach. Protecting your skin from harmful UV rays and blue light from devices is the single most important step of your skincare regimen to prevent photo-aging.
The three words to live by – defense, defense, defense. Apply sunscreen daily, year-round, rain or shine. Apply it in adequate amounts (1/2 -1 teaspoon for the face and neck), and then reapply 2-4 hourly.
2. Product hopping
Yes, it’s time to commit to monogamy. Consistency and patience are both key if you want to see real results. Choose skincare products that you like, and that works for your skin and budget, and then give it time.
Skincare studies are generally done over 6-8 weeks as this is the average time for a skin cell turnover cycle, and can even last as long as six months when analyzing the effect of a product on collagen stimulation.
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Don’t jump from product to product, where you go from feast (too many products and functional actives which then trigger inflammation) to famine (skin minimalism and skin detox) and expect to see results.
3. Hitting the hay with your make-up on
This is a major no-no, yet so many of us do it! Unless you’re looking for clogged pores, breakouts, a sluggish cell turnover cycle, or a damaged skin barrier, make cleansing your face before you collapse into bed your absolute golden rule. At the very least, use a (double) swipe of a micellar cleansing solution.
And resolutions? There are 3 quick and simple ones that you CAN keep throughout 2022 to keep your skin healthy and glowing.
1. Revisit your lifestyle choices
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What you put in is definitely what your skin is putting out. Examine your habits and see where you can make small changes that will have big results. There’s no guilt, just exploration, and imagination.
Choose one ‘skincare sin’, whether it be skimping on sleep, excessive picking at pimples and spots, self-diagnosing and using dangerous home remedies, or eating inflammatory foods such as sugar, and challenge yourself to be kinder to your body and your skin.
2. Be more patient
If you see a product promising miracle results – run! Except for ingredients that immediately plump the skin by drawing water into it like hyaluronic acid, or directly following a peel when the skin looks less dull, you will not see results immediately.
You also need to exercise patience and go low and slow when introducing certain functional actives to avoid disrupting the barrier and the delicate balance of your skin’s acid mantle so critical for healthy skin.
Listen to your skin and take the time to repair it if it becomes dry, itchy, red, or sensitive. It’s a sign that you need to pause and moisturize, moisturize, moisturize with a good barrier repair cream and then restart with a more pared-down skincare regimen introduced more slowly.
Photo by Pavel Danilyuk from Pexels
When it comes to exfoliating, you want to gently encourage a faster skin cell turnover time, not damage the barrier, acid mantle, and delicate skin microbiome. Less is sometimes more.
3. Embrace your pores
Pores are the opening of your hair follicles, which means you can’t get rid of them. No matter what many products promise, it is impossible to achieve ‘poreless, glass skin’. What you can do is reduce them by stimulating collagen production to support the collagen network around them, which minimizes their appearance.
Finally, both a habit to kick and a resolution to keep involves social media. Almost all social platforms are overflowing with misinformation. Switch off and unplug. Your most radiant skin can only be achieved through the understanding that the skin is complex.
You are complex. Beautiful, healthy skin is not only a reflection of what skincare you’re using or what aesthetic treatments you do, but also of what you’re feeding your body, mind, and spirit.
