New Year, New Skin

Throw out that 2020 skincare routine!

We’ve all seen the meme ‘its almost time to repeat the whole new year new me thing; but with 2020 being well…2020, all bets are off. Starting 2021 off right with some positive changes can have great long lasting effects for your skin.

2020 was the year most of us had to learn to work from home. It all started as fun; we set up home offices, read articles on making sure we ‘follow the same routine’ as if we were going to work and for the most part, we all started strong (I know I did). But as the months passed those routines started to fade and let’s be honest, some of us have moved our ‘offices’ to the couch with the laptop. With this fade in routine some of our skincare routines were caught up in the undoing.

It’s human nature; who, after all, can be bothered waking up an hour earlier to go through the routine if we are just going to sit on Zoom meetings all day? I know this, because I’m guilty of it myself. With the sun still shining, and the borders starting to open (we are looking at you WA), offices are eyeing a return to whatever normal means now; which means it’s time to review your routine.

Here are some simple tips to start the year off right:

• Go through your range of skincare products, check expiration dates and throw out anything that has expired.
• Review your routine- Whilst we have spent lots of time figuring out our skin types and what the best routines are, our skin type can change over time due to various factors (age, hormones, environmental factors etc), so it is important to use the downtime to review what you are applying to your skin and how it reacts to different products. Just because you had acne breakouts a few years ago, doesn’t mean that you still have acne prone skin.
• Make sure you do the basics and do the basics well- Getting back into a good routine may take some time (I know I’m not ready to trade my comfy couch for a stiff office chair) so don’t be too hard on yourself however, getting the basics right will pay high dividends in the long term.

Cleanse- Use a great cleanser to remove the surface oils and residual make up. Invest in a great quality face/makeup-removal cloth.

Exfoliate- The jury’s still out on daily exfoliation and there are some great exfoliators out there that are not only suitable for sensitive skin but say they can be used every day. Either way, exfoliating regularly to give your skin that really deep clean is important.

Hydrate- Get yourself a great moisturiser (Koéna anyone?). We have all heard moisturising your skin is important, but why? Moisturising is important in maintaining your skin’s healthy cells and protecting it from irritation. When your skin is lacking moisture, it is more prone to inflammation and it actually causes breakouts and acne.

Protect- Protect your skin against UV. Find a good foundation with SPF. Leaving your skin exposed to UV has been shown to cause premature ageing, wrinkles, leathery skin and liver spots. We all know someone who exemplifies the difference between ageing gracefully and looking like an old leather handbag. I for one would prefer to be known as the former.

Let’s all commit to better skin in 2021