8 Skincare Resolutions to Improve Your Skin in 2021, According to Experts
A healthy diet leads to healthy skin!
The new year is here and you want to look your best so immediately break these common bad skin habits!
Watch Your Diet
Bad eating habits will cause skin to age faster and dry out more quickly. “Remember a colorful plate is a healthy plate,” says dermatologist Dr. Shaheen Khosla. “Try to strike a good balance with enough greens, protein, and good fatty foods. Always try to include vitamins C (citrus fruits), B3 (peanuts, brown rice), E (avocados), and A (carrots) in your meals to build up your skin’s immunity and health!
Don’t Overdo It
“Out of desire to quickly slow down the aging process, many patients have the habit of accidentally ‘overdoing it,'” finds dermatologist Dr. Elizabeth K. Hale. “While alpha-hydroxy acids, retinols, peels and at-home devices alone are great, using them all together is a bad habit you should break. Doing so many exfoliation treatments will actually make your skin look dry and irritated instead of youthful and dewy. Sometimes less is more!”
Stop Picking!
“It’s human nature to pick but it’s also one of the worst skin habits you can have,” says plastic surgeon Dr. Gaurav Bharti. “When you squeeze a pimple, the goal is to extract the contents but at least some of what you are trying to remove by picking gets pushed deeper and that results in inflammation. Use two q-tips after a hot shower to gently try to ‘pop pimples’ and only when absolutely necessary!”
Don’t Get Dehydrated
“To keep fine lines away, drink water each day,” recommends dermatologist Dr. Todd Schlesinger. “It is common knowledge that internal dehydration is a cause of visible skin dryness and patients who start the day with the positive habit of consuming a big glass of water have glowing, dewy complexions!”
Sleep on Your Back
“Sleeping on your side or stomach is a habit that can lead to permanent creases and wrinkles in the skin,” says dermatologist Dr. Jeanette Black. “This can be prevented by training yourself to sleep on your back or using pillows that limit pressure on the face while you sleep!”
Wear Sunscreen All Year
“Only wearing sunscreen on sunny days is an awful habit,” dermatologist Dr. Deanne Mraz Robinson says. “Daily exposure to the sun’s radiation, even on cloudy days and even in the winter, causes damage leading to uneven skin pigmentation, redness, fine lines, and eventually wrinkles. So apply an SPF every single day irregardless of the weather!”
Take Your Makeup Off
“Leaving your makeup on when you go to sleep is a habit that you absolutely have to break,” aesthetic industry titan Megan Driscoll says. “Makeup left on overnight will clog your pores and lead to unsightly blemishes and breakouts. Even when I party like a sweaty animal until sunrise in Saint. Bart’s, I still carve out the time to remove my makeup before I drag myself into bed!”
Get Off Social Media
“Social media can be a terrible habit for your skin. How? Well, there are a ton of incorrect skin myths that social media influencers push. And even worse, if you start believing the vaccine myths flying around on social media and elect not to get the COVID-19 vaccine and then actually contract get CVOID-19, you could develop long hauler skin manifestations including a rash, itchiness or skin discoloration,” claims cosmetic surgeon Dr. Alexander Z. Rivkin.