When the clock struck midnight on 31 December, I’m sure we all had some resolutions or goals in mind for the new year.
Mine is to be more tolerant, which may seem simple to most but it’s definitely something that I struggle with from time to time. Anyway, it’s great that we have personal goals and aspirations for the new year, but I thought, what better time to reassess our skincare regimes and make sure we are doing the best we can? I’ve drawn up 10 resolutions for your skin you might want to make this year…
10 skincare resolutions

1. remove your make-up every night:
I mean, do I really need to explain this? Think of all the gunk and dirt that collects on your face during the day, never mind the make-up that has been sitting there for a good 8 hours. Now, do you really want to go to sleep with all of that still on your face? Ew!
Not removing your make-up before your head hits the pillow just makes your skin a super cozy home for bacteria which can lead to breakouts, and let’s be honest, no one enjoys dealing with those.
Try the Garnier Micellar Water – it’s gentle on the skin and easy on the pocket. Layers of mascara and foundation are removed with ease and my skin doesn’t feel zapped of moisture after I have used it.
2. Double Cleans
Following on from the cardinal rule above, double cleansing is a must for your skincare routine to make sure that your skin gets a basic deep cleanse every day in the comfort of your own bathroom.
You will need to use an oil-based cleanser (I love Dermalogica’s Precleanse, or during not-so-flush months, The Body Shop Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil) first to dissolve the oil-soluble molecules.
I like to make things a bit more luxurious and massage my oil cleanser into my skin and when I remove it, I use a warm cloth – doing this really makes it feel like less of a chore to me.
After you’ve cleansed with your oil cleanser, you can now go in with your regular cleanser. After doing this for a week or so, I always notice a difference in my skin: it feels less clogged and congested and it looks happier and healthier.
3. Use a cleanser that is appropriate for your skin type:
There’s really no use in using a cleanser on your skin if it isn’t going to do anything for you – you’re just wasting your money, and possibly damaging your skin.
If you have a more oily/combination skin, you will probably enjoy a gel cleanser. The one I have been gravitating towards lately is the Lamelle Nourish Daily Cleanse. I find that it does the job quickly, and well, but isn’t harsh on my skin which a lot of gel cleansers can be.
If your skin is more dehydrated (your skin lacks water), a milk cleanser is right up your alley – its nourishing, but not too rich (if you use a product that is too rich, it can lead to those horrid white bumps called milia). I love the Decleor Aroma Cleanse Neroli Cleansing Milk. It smells incredible and is paraben free which is great.
Lastly, if you have a dry skin (your skin lacks oil) then you will probably enjoy a cleansing cream or a cleansing balm as it is rich and intensely nourishing.
My number one with a gun is LUSH Ultrabland. It doesn’t have much of a scent and doesn’t look too impressive but don’t let that fool you – it is a wizard at cleansing and leaves your skin feeling plump and well fed. I really enjoy using this product on my dehydrated skin during winter when my skin is dull and lifeless.
4. Exfoliate and mask weekly:
One of my biggest beliefs when it comes to skincare is this – nothing good is ever achieved without exfoliation. It really is the foundation to combatting most skin concerns.
You get different degrees of exfoliation, and it is important to make sure you aren’t over (or under) doing it.
I still use my good ol’ faithful Dermalogica Microfoliant – it’s gentle and can be used more than twice during the week. I love that it has a slight brightening effect (not enough to combat pigmentation, unfortunately).
I usually follow this up with the Dermalogica Skin Hydrating Mask if my skin is feeling a little bit parched or the Dermalogica Charcoal Rescue Mask if things are a bit congested.
A slightly stronger exfoliator that I enjoy is the Theravine Pinotage Exfoliating Enzyme. As you can tell from the name, this is an enzyme-based exfoliator, you simply pop some onto your skin and leave it there for about 10min while the enzymes chomp away at your dead skin cells. The first time I used this, I was blown away at how smooth my skin felt afterwards.
Remember, every time you exfoliate, you should follow up with a mask as now is the time that it will really penetrate to the deeper layers of the skin where it is needed.
5. Wear sunscreen daily (and reapply!):
The sun is so incredibly damaging to our skin, it seems crazy to me that wearing sunscreen isn’t automatically part of all of our morning routines. Remember that even the fluorescent lights in your office can cause damage.
The struggle to find a decent sunscreen for your face is real. Often the product is too thick and oily. I searched long and hard before I found two products that I truly love.
The first one is the Dr Gobac Sunscreen. It’s not too thick and is perfect for days spent next to the pool when wearing makeup is the last thing on your mind.
The second product is the Kiehls Actively Correcting & Beautifying BB Cream. This has become a holy grail product for me – I find that the coverage is buildable (of course, it doesn’t give the same coverage as foundation), it feels light on my skin and I love that it’s packed with ingredients that actually work tiny miracles while still protecting my skin from the sun’s harmful rays.
6. Go make-up free one day a week:
Although this may be a bit of a tough one for some of us, I urge you to give it a go! If I know that I’m going to be at home all day, I don’t put on a smidge of make-up.
Your skin needs a break every now and then and I can really see the difference when it comes to the luminosity and health of my skin since starting to give my skin an off day every now and then.
I’ve actually become so used to it that if I need to pop to the shops quickly for some groceries, I often do it sans make-up, eeeek!
7. Apply eye cream religiously:
If you know me, then you know that I cannot live without eye cream. And neither should you. Whether it’s for fine lines or dark circles and bags, we should all be applying eye cream at least once a day (bonus points if you apply twice daily).
I’ve used a few different ones over the years, but it should come as no surprise that the Thalgo Collagen Eye Roll On is my ride or die (yes, yes, I just said that). The lightweight formulation is packed full of impressive ingredients and the coolness of the metal balls soothe tired eyes and help diminish dark circles and bags. Worth every single cent.
8. Treat your lips:
I’m so guilty of neglecting my lips, somehow I just kind of forget that they are attached to my face. I have tried to make it a habit, that whenever I exfoliate my skin, I exfoliate my lips as well.
The LUSH Bubblegum Lip Scrub is so delicious tasting and smelling, it’s an absolute treat to use. Remember to pop on some form of treatment afterwards, I have been using the Maybelline Baby Lips Dr. Rescue for a while now, it does a great job.
9. Go for a monthly facial:
Going for a monthly facial can only benefit your skin – find a great therapist who is knowledgeable and I can guarantee you, your skin will thank you.
10. Don’t be afraid to try something new:
I’m one of those people who get bored easily and so changing things up in my skincare routine helps me stick to it. I am dying to treat myself to a Clarisonic, I have only heard great things about them and think that it would be a total game changer for my skin.
A more affordable little tool is the konjac sponge. I really enjoy using mine, mostly in the morning when things need to get done quickly and it isn’t all about pampering. There are different variations for different skin types and they are all really gentle on your skin.
I hope you enjoyed these New Year’s resolutions for your skin! Click here for more tips to update your skincare routine!
Such a great post, and such great resolutions! I’m pretty good with my skincare routine and already follow most of these, but I think I need to add numbers 6, 7 and 9 to my list of skincare resolutions for this year – I am so, so bad when it comes to applying eyecream; it’s the one product I skip almost daily. Eek! Going to apply some this very minute…
Would also love to get into the habit of going for a monthly facial, but the budget often comes into play… maybe you could do a post on how to do an effective at-home facial sometime? Would LOVE to read that!
I completely agree with everything on here. I’m especially big on #1 and #7. 🙂