If you find yourself assertively making new year’s resolutions by early January but only to completely abandon them by February, fret not—you aren’t the only one. While it helps to set realistic (yet attainable) goals, ensure you don’t veer off-track by sticking to a plan. That said, here are some suggestions on taking better care of your skin and body this year:
1. Reduce your beauty footprint
Green-ing your beauty routine isn’t as difficult as you may think. If you still have major love for your go-to beauty brands and find it hard to commit to eco-friendlier options, begin with baby steps—such as using up your existing stash of beauty essentials and spending less on stuff that you already have. For inspiration, IG beauty collective Estee Laundry‘s #ShopMyStash challenge is one to look up to for that motivational kick right this direction.
Other simpler ways of reducing your footprint include turning off the tap when you’re not rinsing—you’d be surprised at how much water you save in between brushing your teeth, shampooing or soaping your body down.
2. Focus on your well-being
It goes without saying that beauty starts with wellness—if your mental and emotional well-being are taken care of, your skin and hair health totally shows. Give yourself more time to self-reflect and breathe—a five-minute meditation sesh in between a stressful day at work can work wonders, whether it’s keeping negative thoughts at bay or enhancing your self-awareness.
Weekends aren’t made for merely Netflixing at home; invest a little more time on physical activities to keep you grounded, such as yoga or sound bath—it’s so relaxing, you wouldn’t even think of it as a workout.
3. Give your lashes a break
This one’s for all the hardcore extension enthusiasts and falsies fanatics out there—it’s time to hit the ‘pause’ button on your extra lash adornments and give your natural lashes some breathing room. Yes, we know it’s addictive to wake up looking like you’re already dolled up, but lash extensions and falsies can inflict some less-than-pretty results to your eyes, including the erosion of the inner surface of the eyelid, and traction alopecia (aka gradual hair loss) from the constant weight of the extensions/falsies on your natural lashes.
For starters, use natural lash gel for subtle definition, and remember to apply lash serum every night to condition and protect lashes from brittleness and breakage. Your lashes definitely deserve the TLC.
4. Invest in sleep
If 2018 was a year of juggling exhaustion and logging some Z’s in, 2019 is the year to seriously invest in catching all those winks you missed out on. According to The National Sleep Foundation, your skin naturally repairs itself while you sleep—this specific time frame is also when the metabolic activity of the skin’s cells is at its peak. Not to mention, the production of collagen also increases when you drift into REM sleep.
For the best sleep of your life (or year, since we’re taking it slow), try to wean off your screentime to at least 30 minutes before tucking in. Fun fact: The light from your tech gadgets suppreses melatonin in your body, which is a no-no because this hormone supports your sleep/wake cycle. A spritz of aromatherapeutic fragrance on your bed and pillow might just lull you to a good night’s sleep as well.
5. Go without makeup for a day (at least)
We don’t ever stress this enough but your skin needs all the attention it can get if you’re the sort who slathers on layers of makeup at least five days a week. While we can try to be diligent about removing all traces of makeup every night, pores can get clogged by comedones (combination of makeup, oil and dirt), thus leading to acne, aggravated skin and the like.
A tip: Lay off makeup once a week—the same day that you plan to indulge in an exfoliate + mask session at home. Your skin might just thank you for the breathing time.
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