In a few short days, it’ll be 2016 and with it, New Year resolutions filled with promise. While we’re all for dreaming big, it’s said that it’s easier to follow through with resolutions if they are broken into smaller, more ‘achievable’ segments. So we’ve gathered the 10 best and easy-to-do tips we heard this year, so that you can give your skincare routine a fresh start in 2016.

1. Start cleaning your face a little earlier

One of the easiest things you can do to see visible results is to start cleaning your face a little earlier. Just as you’re dying to get out of your constricting work clothes and slip into comfy pajamas, your skin is the same way – it’s dying to get off the layer of grime, pollution and sweat that it’s accumulated over the day. If you start cleaning your face as soon as you get in the door, this gives your skin a few hour more hours each day where it’s cleansed, treated and moisturized – which can add up to hundreds of hours over the year.

Curious about the ‘double cleansing’ method? Check out our blog post here.

2. Ditch the towel

What many a Korean mother advises is to never use a towel after washing (personally, I haven’t used a towel after cleansing for almost a decade!). The main purpose of this is to avoid rubbing delicate skin in any way. Instead pat gently with the fingertips after cleansing until your face is no longer dripping wet, but slightly damp, and move on to the rest of your skincare immediately. This mini-massage also helps to keep skin supple and soft.

3. An antioxidant a day keeps the doctor away

Out of the many skincare products and serums out there, it’s critical to use a serum or essence with antioxidants, day and night. Think of this as your daily multi-vitamin. During the day, environmental aggressors such as UV rays and pollution cause free radicals – little ‘scavengers’ that cause harm and long-term damage to the skin. Antioxidant rich serums or ampoules help to neutralize these free radicals and protect skin’s youthfulness over time.

Curious about the difference betweens serums, essences and ampoules? Check out our blog post here. 

4. SPF 365

It’s easy to skip over SPF in the winter months, since there doesn’t seem to be much sun to worry about. The key is to remember the difference between UVA and UVB rays. UVA rays cause aging, whereas UVB rays are what causes the skin to turn red and burn after skin exposure (an easy way to remember this is UVA = Aging/ UVB = Burn). The scary thing is that UVA rays are pretty constant year round – and so should your SPF protection.  Choose an SPF product that has a lightweight, usable texture and apply a generous layer every morning. 90% of premature aging is caused by sun exposure, so this is the single most important thing you can do to keep skin looking its best. 

5. Create bed-time rituals that help your skin

We spend almost a third of our lives sleeping, so making sure that this time conducive to good skincare will go a long way to keeping skin healthy. Make sure your pillow case is clean and a soft, pliable material that won’t pull or rub your skin throughout the night. And this isn’t an easy one, but trying to sleep on your back instead of your stomach – having your face pressed down onto the pillow night after night will not do your skin or wrinkles any favors!

6. Resolve to ‘mask’ at least once a week

Masks are a great way to give your skin care that extra boost, whether it’s to deep cleanse, exfoliate or hydrate. Taking a 15~20 minutes a week to give your skin this extra pampering session is a great way to de-stress and reboot your skin care results. There’s a whole slew of different masks out there to choose from for every budget and concern. Sheet masks which range from materials such as sea kelp to hydrogel, rubber masks, overnight masks, clay masks, even splash masks, which can be used in the shower….resolve to mask at least once a week this year and see real results!

Need more info on masks? Check out our Masks 101 post, or post on how to get the most out of your sheet mask here!

7. Don’t starve your face of moisture

We can’t stress enough how hydration is the building block of any healthy skin care routine. Many people simply under-moisturize, even in the winter, because they’re afraid of shiny, greasy skin. This causes a downward spiral of dehydrated skin over-producing oil in order to compensate. In Korea, what’s considered to be sufficiently moisturized skin has a consistency similar to rice cakes or jello – soft, supple and bouncy. If you run a finger over your face and it feels like paper (smooth yet dry), we would recommend to use a little more moisturizer, or a formula that is more emollient. Winter time is also a great time to introduce a moisturizer with nourishing oil ingredients, such as camellia, that are non-comedogenic  and have high skin affinity.

We hope these tips help you to kick start a healthy 2016-worthy skincare routine!

Get your glow on,
Christine

P.S. Need help creating a brand new skin care routine for 2016? Check out our posts on morning skincare, evening skincare …or just email us at love@glowrecipe.com for help! 

Image Sources: 2, 3, 5