Start the New Year Off Right with These Beauty Resolutions!

1. Remove Your Makeup Every Night

We get it, you’ve probably heard this a thousand times before but it’s really important! A good makeup remover not only removes your cosmetics that have been on your skin for hours. It removes impurities and sebum that have accumulated throughout the day, cleaning your pores and allowing you to have fresh clean skin before hopping into bed. 

One or two nights isn’t necessarily going to cause a breakout but, it definitely increases your chances. Leaving your makeup on overnight causes build up and this can lead to dry skin, acne, and premature skin aging over time. 

2. Clean Your Makeup Brushes

Not only is cleaning your brushes good for your skin, it’s good for the brushes! By using a cleaner specifically meant for makeup brushes, instead of using soap and water, your brush will last and work much better. The bristles won’t dry out and get scratchy, you’ll be able to apply makeup evenly, and most importantly, it still cleans and removes bacteria! 

3. Try Something New

Learning never stops and it’s never too late to experiment and have fun! From a different shade of lipstick and more dramatic looking false eyelashes, to a strong graphic eyeliner and different colored eye shadow, step outside of your comfort zone and take a few risks. You never know if you might end up liking it more than your existing routine!

4. Don’t Forget the Lips

Lips are thinner skin than you think. This combined with not having sweat or sebaceous glands means that there’s little to protect them from sun and wind causing them to dry faster and we all know that no one likes chapped lips. Year round whether it’s windy, sunny, cold, dry, etc. it’s important to have a SPF lip balm that can keep them moisturized and nourished. Once a week, exfoliate them to remove dead skin and this can be as simple as using an DIY olive oil salt scrub! But remember, because the skin is thin, be gentle and go slow.

5. Pamper Your Feet

Feet are arguably some of the most overlooked parts of our bodies. We’re on them all day relying on them to support our weight and oftentimes abused by our shoes. They deserve some pampering and care whether it’s a pedicure with an extra foot massage, or nourishing lotion and DIY callus remover. Give them more attention with our favorite foot lotion by Nordic Care and finally get rid of those stubborn calluses using an intensive peel by Baby Foot. Your feet will literally be transformed. 

6. Say yes to SPF

If you haven’t incorporated SPF into your daily routine, this is a must! Sun damage from UV rays is the #1 cause of premature skin aging so protecting it from the sun is essential to minimizing fine lines, wrinkles, burns, and irreversible damage. During the winter when it seems like the sun is hiding behind the clouds, you’d be surprised how many UV rays are still passing through to damage our skin. Or even in the car on our daily commute, these seemingly innocent moments may not seem like it is affecting our skin much but with repeated exposure over the years, it quickly adds up. Overall, sunscreen isn’t just for the summer on beach days. It should be an everyday use to protect hands, face, neck and more!

7. Clean Out the Beauty Counter!

From your mascara and foundation, to lipsticks skincare and more, take a look at it all and see what’s staying and what’s going in the trash! All beauty products, especially skincare and cosmetics, have an expiration date. Some are shorter than others and it’s time to review what might be old and oxidized, and maybe some beauty items that haven't worked to our liking and need to be updated. When in doubt, check if the product looks funny, has changed colors, smells weird, or has simply passed the expiration date (some products don’t always have one). Bonus tip, always write the purchase date on the bottle when you get home so you don’t forget! 

8. Treat Yourself to What YOU Want, More Often

Is there something you really enjoy like taking a nice warm bubble bath, getting a facial, or massage that just has been on the back burner for a long time? If so, remember that self care isn’t selfish and to be the best version of ourselves, sometimes that means taking time to be alone to rejuvenate and come back even stronger, brighter, and more healthier.