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While you may find yourself creating new year’s resolutions based on things like weight loss, a healthier diet, or even wellness/relaxation regimens, you’re probably forgetting to consider one important element of these lifestyle goals, your skin! The new year is the perfect time to consider how your habits affect your skin now and in the future.
As your body’s largest organ, it’s no wonder that your skin is regularly influenced by your lifestyle habits. Everything from the amount of exercise you get to the foods you eat can affect the appearance and health of your skin. That’s why it’s so important to remember to craft beauty resolutions for the new year in addition to any other personal goals you set for yourself.
So, get ready, get set, glow! Here are three beauty resolutions to incorporate into your goals for the new year:
1. Add Specialized Treatments to Your Routine
Incorporating specialized treatment products in your skin care routine is a great way to maintain healthy skin throughout the new year as they’re designed to to target and treat certain skin issues you may be experiencing. The trick to finding the right product requires you to have an in-depth understanding of your skin type and particular concerns. Some products can be harsher than others, which can worsen skin conditions, irritation, and inflammation if used on the wrong skin type.
Take the active ingredient retinol, for instance. Retinoids, the umbrella term for retinol skin care products, are a tried and true ingredient in the skin care world as they work to target multiple skin concerns like acne and wrinkles. However, different types of retinoids like retinol and retin-A, have different percentages of strength depending on whether they are over-the-counter or prescription-based, so it’s crucial to do some research before deciding which specialized treatment is right for you.
That being said, if you’re not sure where you land on the skin care spectrum, it may be a good idea to schedule an appointment with a professional before purchasing or applying any new products. Additionally, be sure to reference the infographic below to uncover which treatment product may be right for your skin.
2. Wash Your Makeup Brushes Regularly
Washing your makeup brushes, is a tedious chore we all know, but often avoid. Believe it or not, your makeup brushes are a goldmine for dirt and bacteria. Think about it! The brushes go from product, to your skin, back to the product, and normally sit out in the open when they’re being used. This means that when they aren’t washed on a consistent basis, the built up dirt and bacteria transfers on to your skin, which can lead to clog pores and blemish development.
Needless to say, wash your makeup brushes regularly. How often you should cleanse them will depend on how often you’re actually using them to apply your makeup. Generally speaking, however, you’ll want to try and wash your makeup brushes, particularly your foundation and concealer brush, once or twice a week to prevent buildup.
To ensure you’re removing all the dirt and bacteria from your brushes, be sure to use warm water, olive oil, and dish soap when washing your brushes or purchase a makeup brush shampoo cleanser.
3. Start Using Primer
Arguably one of the most vital steps to optimal makeup application is the primer. Primers work to not only fill in pores and blur out blemishes, but it also works to smoothen the skin, making it an essential first step to your makeup routine. Prepping your skin with primer first will allow you to achieve a polished look by the end of the makeup regimen and help to keep your face makeup in place for hours on end.
Like most makeup products, there is a wide array of primers on the market you can choose from. One trick to figuring out what type of primer is best for your complexion—whether that be mattifying, illuminating, or hydrating— is to analyze the current foundation or tinted moisturizer you’re using. What is it designed to do?
If your foundation is mattifying, you’ll want to seek out a mattifying primer. If your tinted moisturizer is supposed to be hydrating and contains ingredients like hyaluronic acid, you’ll want to find a primer that’s designed and formulated the same way. This will make for a smoother application of the product and allow you attain the look you’re going for.