The new year always feels like a fresh start, especially for your skincare routine. And while we’re still committed to our philosophy to Take It Day by Day, Skin by Skin — which we set as our mission more than two years ago — it’s one that can adapt to new innovations, questions, and active ingredients.

With that in mind, we wanted to build upon our original take by adding timely tips and recommendations based on products new to the Glow fam, actives we know and love, and TikTok trends to try (or, mostly, not). With that in mind, here’s how to treat your skin according to its daily needs in the new year, all but guaranteeing a healthy glow for the months to come.

Rely on a skin barrier-supporting routine

For longer than the skin barrier has been a buzzword, we’ve been respectful of it in our formulations, which are carefully calibrated to be effective without risking irritation. Depending on your habits, your environment, and other products you might use, though, your skin barrier can become compromised, leaving your complexion red, flaky, dry, or uncomfortable.

That’s where a dedicated skin barrier-support routine comes in. Ours includes our newest cleanser, Avocado Ceramide Moisture Barrier Cleanser, which is designed to actively moisturize and strengthen skin long after you rinse — all while gently removing grime, excess sebum, makeup, and sunscreen. Another essential is the Avocado Ceramide Recovery Serum, which replenishes ceramides with five skin-identical types and soothes visible redness with allantoin and rice milk.

Choose your actives wisely

Not all active ingredients are created equal. One technology we turn to time and time again is encapsulation, which allows for potent ingredients to absorb into skin without irritation. Take, for instance, Guava Vitamin C Bright-Eye Gel Cream. Its 10% complex of five forms of vitamin C — which evens out discoloration, stimulates collagen production, and protects skin — is encapsulated. That’s a big deal for three important reasons: This enhances its stability, helps it better penetrate skin, and allows for a gradual release of actives to minimize irritation.

Another innovation to consider? Strategic combinations of ingredients, which allow for max efficacy while remaining gentle enough for all skin types. One example is the 10% Clarity Acid Complex™ in our Strawberry Smooth BHA + AHA Salicylic Serum. The carefully formulated blend combines 2% salicylic acid and mandelic acid, strawberry, azelaic acid, and succinic to address breakouts without drying skin out. (Plus, you’ll also get hyaluronic acid to hydrate.) In other words, you don’t have to compromise.

Take trends with a grain of salt

Google’s Year in Search 2022 found that TikTok still rules all, with “white dot trend” and “crying makeup trend” being big search terms. But as we’ve covered before, TikTok trends don’t always fly with the experts, and can even do more harm than good. And even for those with some legitimacy in the skincare industry — like skin-cycling, which was coined by a board-certified dermatologist — just because you hear about it on social media doesn’t mean you have to try it. Instead, stick with what’s working for you.

Target your specific concerns

Your skin is unique, so you might need a range of formulas to address its needs. That’s where the new additions to the Glow Recipe family can help. We kicked off 2022 with our first-ever sunscreen, Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Sunscreen SPF 50, which pairs a blend of mineral and chemical filters with niacinamide to brighten skin as it protects.

Then, our original sleeping mask got a glow-up, bringing together exfoliation and hydration for brighter skin by morning with the Watermelon Glow AHA Night Treatment. To address breakouts, blackheads, and uneven skin texture, for example, we created Strawberry Smooth BHA + AHA Salicylic Acid Serum, a clarifying treatment that won’t lead to dryness. For dark circles, Guava Vitamin C Bright-Eye Gel Cream comes to the rescue with its vitamin C, niacinamide, and guava. And the latest newcomer, Avocado Ceramide Moisture Barrier Cleanser, expands the Avocado family to thoroughly cleanse skin while fortifying the skin barrier, comforting and strengthening skin long after you rinse. The end-goal? Create what you need to get your best skin.

Double-down on niacinamide

Of the top 10 skincare questions asked to Google in the search engine’s Year of Search 2022, three of them had to do with niacinamide. And we’re glad you asked, because niacinamide is one of those ingredients that’s all pros, no cons.

For one, it’s one of the few active ingredients that has years of evidence to back up its efficacy. For another, it’s super-versatile, with the ability to serve as an antioxidant, act as an anti-inflammatory agent, control oil production, and beef up the skin barrier. And finally, it’s also incredibly gentle; since it’s naturally found within skin, it’s highly unlikely to cause a reaction, even among sensitive types. That’s why we highlighted it in our Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops and Watermelon Glow Niacinamide SPF 50 — as well as the Guava Vitamin C Bright-Eye Gel Cream. In other words: The more niacinamide, the better.

Read more about resetting your routine:

• Start Your Skincare Journey: Take It Day by Day, Skin by Skin™
• How to Build a Skincare Wardrobe
• How to Build the Best Travel Skin-care Routine