5 New Years Resolutions For Healthier Skin

With the turning of the year, it’s the season to make New Year’s resolutions. It’s a time honored tradition, and vows to lose weight or go back to school to finish that degree are on everyone’s minds. In the spirit of improvement, ...

1. Protect Your Skin from the Sun.

Nothing is more damaging to your skin than the sun. Accordingly, healthier skin can be achieved by resolving to always protect it. Scientific studies have found massive differences between people who shield their skin from the sun and those who don’t. People who fail to wear sunscreen or take other important precautions have more noticeable and numerous lines and wrinkles. The result is that they look much older than people who are the same age but have taken pains to block the sun’s rays.

Wearing sunscreen is probably the most important aspect of this resolution. Sunscreen isn’t just appropriate in July when you’re going to the beach. It is a 365 days a year, whatever-the-weather precaution. That’s because your skin can receive sun damage even on a cold and overcast day. Sunscreen, or a moisturizer that contains at least 30 SPF sunscreen, should be a part of your daily ritual. This is one of the best tips for healthy skin, but don’t forget that sunscreen needs to be reapplied every few hours, particularly if you’re going to be outdoors for an extended period.

Sunscreen is indispensable, but there are other healthy skin tips that protect you from the sun. Cover your skin with long sleeves and pants and wear a hat with a large brim. It’s also easier to gain healthy glowing skin by staying out of the sun when it’s at its most intense. Usually, this is between the hours of 10 AM and 4 PM. If you must be outdoors during the hours, make sure to cover up and wear sunscreen.

2. Ditch the Cigarettes.

Many healthy New Years resolutions involve giving up on smoking. It’s a fantastic idea, especially since study after study has shown that cigarettes are thoroughly destructive to your overall health and well being. If you still need one more push as an incentive for quitting, then consider the toll that smoking takes on your skin. That’s right. You can achieve healthier skin by refusing to light up any more.

As New Years resolutions for healthier skin go, this one is probably the toughest. However, considering that taking this step can mean better heart function, improved lung capacity and healthier skin, it is also highly worthwhile. Numerous studies have concluded that the smoking habit significantly ages the skin because it causes collagen to break down more quickly and reduces the amount of the substance that the body produces. Collagen is a protein that helps skin maintain elasticity. It breaks down naturally over the years, but smoking speeds up the process. Of all your healthy New Years resolutions, this one might be the most important.

3. Choose a Skin Care Routine and Stick to It.

This resolution comes with a bunch of healthy skin tips. Most people know that a regular skin care routine that is practiced morning and night greatly improves the health of their skin. Despite knowing this, many of these people don’t seem to be able to stick to a routine. This is especially true at night. Excuses like being too tired or just not feeling up to going through a skin care ritual are common. Unfortunately, this often means sleeping with skin that is dirty, oily and still covered in makeup. This causes a lot of damage, especially when it’s a habit.

A great New Years resolution for healthy skin is to choose a routine and stick to it. A gentle cleanser, sunscreen, a serum and a moisturizer are all that’s required. Most dermatologists recommend a serum or cream that contains Retinol, a form of vitamin A that is essential to healthy skin. Add any more products to that routine, and it’s probably going to be too time-consuming and complicated to stick with.

4. Aim for a Healthy, Balanced Lifestyle.

Perfect balance isn’t always realistic, but if you strive for the best balance you can achieve, you’re more likely to have healthy glowing skin. That means staying hydrated by drinking plenty of water instead of sugary sodas. You’ll also try for seven or eight hours of quality sleep a night along with regular exercise and a healthy diet. Habits like these not only make for great healthy skin tips, but they also contribute to energized and productive days.

These healthy New Years resolutions can greatly improve the quality of your life, but it’s hard to start them all at once. Begin by choosing one place to start. Whether it’s going to bed at 10:00 or hitting the gym three times a week, the start of one good habit almost always leads to another. In no time you’ll be looking and feeling your best.

5. Make an Appointment with a Dermatologist.

Even if you’re a health conscious person and do a pretty good job of taking care of yourself, you might still benefit from an evaluation from a skin care professional. In a hectic world, it’s easy to forget to do routine things like get to the doctor. However, routine checkups with a board certified dermatologist are a vital part of achieving healthier skin.

Common skin care concerns like rosacea and eczema can be treated and controlled with the help of a dermatologist. It’s also important to have a doctor examine your moles, particularly if any of them have changed in size or shape since your last checkup. Even if you don’t see an immediate cause for concern, your dermatologist can still help you find reputable skin care products that will nourish and improve your skin.

Follow these five New Years resolutions for healthier skin, and you’ll be on your way to looking and feeling better than ever.