Congratulations on making it through 2023. As we head into 2024, with the pressure to lose weight, hit the gym, eat better, yada yada yada, it’s easy to forget about making plans to take better care of your skin. Let’s break down some suggestions on how to kick the new year off right when it comes to skincare!
It takes approximately a month to form a new habit, so this is the best time to get all facets of your life on track so you can focus on other things as we progress through 2024. Here is our three-step guide to taking care of your skin this coming year.
Visit Your Aesthetician
To start, why not kick off the new year with a visit to your aesthetician?
Believe it or not, the key to kicking off any new skincare regimen is to exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate. Exfoliation is everything, and if done right can be an absolute game changer for your skin moving forward. Think of this step as your primer.
One way to get a good exfoliation is with a quick dermaplane with a light peel. Dermaplaning clears off the vellus hairs (peach fuzz) while removing dirt, debris, and lots of dead skin. Continuously turning over and removing dead skin cells is the key to getting better product penetration and maintaining the health of your skin.
One example that Aesthetics Manager, Ashley Piotrowski, likes to give is this:
“Think about how horrible the walls in your home would look if you spackled them but didn’t sand them prior to painting. That would look awful and it would be a complete waste of time. Imagine just putting layers of paint over it every day hoping it would just smooth itself out…not likely.
If you have dead skin cells just sitting on your skin and then accumulating, the product that you do put on will just become another layer in those dead cells.”
Make sure to set up an appointment with your aesthetician. Even if it’s the only time you go in 2024, they’ll help you get started on the right foot.
Hydration
Depending on if you are doing a proper daily exfoliation, the amount of hydration your skin gets will vary. It’s best to add a layer of hydration after exfoliating to give it back the moisture the exfoliation took away. It’s also imperative to maintaining the integrity of your skin.
A common misconception with many patients is not using any kind of moisturizer because they have oily skin. This is not the case. Again for the people in the back THIS IS NOT THE CASE! You should always use a moisturizer, regardless of your skin type. If you have naturally oily skin, your body is in overdrive to produce sebum to hydrate your skin naturally. The problem comes into play when that overproduction produces clogged pores (which will always happen). It’s best to use a light moisturizer instead of forgoing it altogether. Your aesthetician will be able to help you pick out the right product for your skin care needs.
If you’re on the dryer side of things, make sure to find a rich moisturizer for the colder, dryer months and your skin will thank you.
SPF
Ahh SPF, our longtime readers will know how much we love our SPF (SPF on the blog is like “I have a bad feeling about this” in Star Wars, we mention it all the time) and that it’s non-negotiable in terms of daily use. USE IT. Just because it’s colder out and your days on the beach are on hold, that doesn’t mean you don’t still need your SPF. The sun is still shining in the winter which means your skin is still being exposed to UV rays.
Not using SPF could render your treatments useless and a waste of money. And who wants to waste money these days (have you seen the cost of a gallon of milk?)
The New Year New You routine is super simple and should be easy for anyone to integrate into their daily routine. It’s 3 steps that will make a massive impact on the health of your skin. Make sure to schedule a visit to your aesthetician today to get 2024 started on the right foot!
As the leaves begin to change and the fall social scene beckons, this is the perfect time to kiss that tired, summer skin goodbye!