At the onset of the year, each of you is probably very strongly determined to set new goals, which you would follow strictly while striving to attain perfection and more joy. Perhaps these include targets like being more active, doing sports, reading or travelling more. But you should definitely include some resolutions for better skin care on your New Year’s list, as well. So we decided to select and present to you several special and achievable solutions for happier and healthier skin. If you stick to this plan, you will surely look your most radiant, satisfied, and sexy throughout the new year and beyond.
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Take better care of your body’s skin
Like all beauty connoisseurs, you probably use at least a few facial cosmetic products, as well. But have you thought about how much effort you have been putting into caring for the skin on the rest of your body lately?
Make it a priority to love the skin on your body as much as the skin on your face throughout the new year. You should cleanse, exfoliate and hydrate your body the same way you do this for your face.
Furthermore, you could improve your overall body skin health by a strict adherence to certain habits like avoiding smoking, treating your skin gently on a daily basis, eating a healthy diet and managing your stress levels so as to reduce them as much as possible.
Smoking harms your entire body, and the skin is no exception – as a result, it appears older and paler because it becomes deprived of the nutrients and oxygen that are important to its health, while its collagen and elastin also suffer damages.
In order to provide a gentle daily care for your skin, you could perform at least the following steps:
- limit your bath or shower time and use warm (instead of hot) water;
- avoid using strong cleaning soaps and opt for milder cleansers;
- shave carefully in the direction that your hairs grow (not against it);
- after taking a shower or a bath, pat your skin dry gently with a towel, but still leave some moisture on your skin;
- if you have a dry skin, use a moisturiser that suits your skin type.
Eat a healthy diet by including plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins in it. Drink plenty of water to keep your body and skin well-hydrated.
And for an effective management of stress, make sure that you get sufficient quality sleep, set reasonable limits between your working hours and leisure time, reduce your to-do lists and make time to do more of the things that you find enjoyable.
Focus on your neck, neckline and hands
Everyone’s main concern is whether their face gives away their age, but very often the first signs of aging affect the skin of the neck, the neckline and the hands. Apply the same products you use on your face to the skin of your neck, neckline and hands. Choose denser textures to hydrate your exposed body parts especially during the cold months. In the winter, it is also recommended to add mesotherapy as a means of care for the hands and neck.
Use sunscreen on a daily basis
Regardless of whether it is cold outside, or the sky is cloudy, the daily SPF is an absolute must for your face, lips and hands. Photoprotection also helps to delay aging. Use a moisturiser (lip cream and lip balm) with the highest SPF and broad-spectrum coverage (both against UVA and UVB rays) as part of your daily routine. Apply both in urban environments and in the mountains. Especially for winter sports enthusiasts: the risk of sunburn in the winter is much higher than in the summer.
Avoid the abrupt temperature differences
As good as they are for the body, the spa procedures in the winter are not a good solution for the facial skin. At sub-zero temperatures outside, you should be careful with the hot showers, the saunas and the steam baths. In most cases, the facial skin suffers from the temperature amplitudes. Any abrupt changes from very hot to very cold and vice versa can lead to an exacerbation of rosacea, and if repeated on a daily basis, they can trigger the onset of this skin disease.
Try out new therapies to pamper your skin
Try as many new beauty and relaxation therapies as you can throughout the new year. Thus you will discover the procedure that you would really like best and would be the most effective for your skin. You could start with a mix of Eastern massage techniques (Thai massage, deep tissue massage, shiatsu massage) and manual therapy. And after you have sped up your metabolism, boosted your microcirculation and increased the levels of your pleasure hormone, you could try out one of the latest lasers to stimulate your collagen synthesis.
Make sleep work for you
Sleep as a means to sustain your beauty is an absolute reality. You can turn sleep into a real aesthetic therapy. Make sure you use your time in bed effectively to help your skin care work better. A good night’s sleep activates the renewal of skin cells and ensures a fresh face in the morning. You should also consider investing in silk pillowcases to prevent waking up with dimples and creases on your forehead and cheeks.
Visit a dermatologist
This should probably go without saying, but if not: you should schedule a consultation with a dermatologist for yourself at least once a year. And why not do this at the onset of the year, when you can make a comprehensive skin care plan for each month? The period between January and March is the best time to treat imperfections such as pigmentation spots, dilated pores, deeper wrinkles, acne scars and various skin disease scars (like those caused by chickenpox). Since the sun’s rays are weaker then, it is possible to apply stronger peelings and aggressive skin rejuvenation apparatus procedures. And in April and May, you can prepare your skin for the sea by refreshing, hydrating and sculpting it to enhance its volume. Start taking care of your skin consciously throughout the new year ahead.