Skincare Tips I'm Trying in 2024 for Glowy Skin
I’ve struggled with my skin since I was in the 9th grade. I got on birth control when I was 15 because my acne was so bad that I thought the pill would help control my hormones. It helped, but not a whole lot. Then in college, alcohol, late nights and sleeping with makeup on certainly did not do me any favors. Then in my late twenties, things were starting to look up and I felt like I’d finally won the acne battle so I decided to get off the pill this year when I turned 30. I thought that was the last of cystic acne… Sike! This year, in my thirties, I’ve undergone a resurgence of adult, hormonal acne. And it’s really not ideal, let me tell you.
The difference between now and my young self is that I use to let my acne stop me from living my life and trust me, I still feel self-conscious about it, but now, I don’t let it control my life. As much as I hate it, my focus is not on clearing my acne. Rather, I’m taking exceptional care of my skin and in doing that, my hope is that the acne will dissipate. Not just hoping- I’m kneeling and praying to the skin gods!!!
So in 2024, I’m focused on 9 things that will give me a glowiness my skin has never seen and in turn, heal my acne.
TAKing MY MAKEUP OFF ONCE I’M HOME FOR THE NIGHT.
This can be after I get home from dinner or after work. The point is that once I know I’m in for the night, immediately take my makeup off. One of my worst habits use to be sleeping with my makeup on. I’ll start watching a show after dinner and fall asleep… with my MAKEUP ON. To avoid this issue, it’d be much easier to just remove my makeup right away and not having to worry about it the rest of the night. It can be as easy as taking a makeup wipe and wiping it all off. But ideally, I’d do my whole skincare routine once I’m home for the night.
DRINKing A SH*T TON MORE WATER.
I love a good Poppi and I certainly could never give up my morning cup of joe but I really need to up my water intake. I have a Hydro Flask which I love but I think it’s my laziness of filling up my water bottle. I know, its bad. But our fridge is SO slow at dispensing water. It drives me nuts that I have to stand there for what feels like 6 hours (more like 2 minutes) Regardless, its not an excuse. So in order for my brain to not think of it as a chore, I’m going to start a new habit stack sequence where I fill up my water bottle and take 5 deep breaths. I’ve tried this already and five deep breaths usually is what it takes to fill up my whole water bottle. Yay!
TAKing EVERYTHING DOWN to MY NECK.
Now that I’m in my 30s, I really want to put more focus on anti-aging products and making sure that I’m bringing my skincare down to my neck and my hands, since those are the places that wrinkle first and is the most visible. This is an easy one!
GETting ON A SKIN CYCLING SCHEDULE.
I saw this trend on Tiktok earlier this year and its honestly one that makes sense and I can get behind! Essentially, it is a four-night skin cycling schedule as follows: exfoliation night, retinoid night, recovery night, recovery night. This regimen alternates active ingredients and allows your body to recover until you start the cycle over again. This in turn will help your skin soak up each of the active ingredients while minimizing any irritation you could get from them.
AVOIDing PROCESSED FOODS.
You all know this one by now but in case you don’t, processed food is not our friend. I want to focus more on eating whole foods; whole vegetables, leafy greens, healthy fats, legumes, nuts and fruit (but only in the morning). I’d actually like to experiment with a Mediterranean diet, incorporating 1-2 dinner ideas a week, since their foods are linked to preventing cardiovascular diseases, increasing lifespan and healthy aging.
PUT MORE EMPHASIS ON MY BODY CARE.
I think we often talk a lot about the skin on our face and not enough about the skin on our bodies and I really want to make sure I’m a moisturized girly from head to toe this year. That means I’m exfoliating and slathering a rich body cream all over so I don’t have any dry, raspy skin. Because there is nothing I get more self conscious about than when my legs are exposed and my skin is scaly AF.
LEARN TO SLEEP ON MY BACK.
This one will be tough for me because I’m a strong tummy sleeper but I know it’s not doing me any favors. Sleeping on your belly can lead to more wrinkles, more acne, more slobber on your face. LOL. But for real, this is one I really want to focus on. Did you hear that Megan Fox taught MGK to sleep on his back because that’s how she avoids getting wrinkles? I’m takin any advice Megan is sharing.
TAKing SKIN SUPPLEMENTS.
Glowy skin comes from the inside out and sometimes you need that extra support to make your skin the best it can be. Growing up, my mom would always tell me to take my beauty vitamins which would be a gummy vitamin that would have Biotin in it. And I’m not sure how effective they were but I’m going to start doing that again but probably with a more scientifically-backed brand. I’ll also add a Vitamin C and an Omega supplement. Omega comes from fish which have essential fatty acids which help keep skin hydrated and provide protection from the damaging effects of the sun. Biotin promotes fingernail strength and supports healthy skin and hair. And Vitamin C helps limit free radical damage to the skin.
remember Less is more.
In the age of influencing, there is so much information that swirls around the internet. I’m choosing to ignore the noise and just get back to the basics. I’ve spent thousands of dollars over the years trying “this” and “that” product and more often than not, it’s just a waste. I’m getting back to the basics and focusing on a simple skincare routine with 1 or 2 specialty products. Additionally, letting your imperfections shine through your makeup is something that I want to do more of. It’s okay to have a zit, it’s okay to have texture, it’s okay to have pores. I’m just going to let my natural skin shine through. Because it’s beautiful.