New year resolutions—love them or hate them? Many people have strong feelings about the concept of new year resolutions; either that they are important to set yourself up for a successful new year, or that they are a pointless waste of time. But ultimately, what makes new year resolutions worth it is when they are made from a place of self love and positivity. 

If you’re usually a resolution denier, it may be time for a perspective shift. No one wants to do things they hate every day, so if you make a list of unrealistic resolutions revolving around doing things that you dislike very frequently, then it’s true that you are likely to drop off in the first three months. However, if you make new year resolutions that seek to encourage positive parts of your life, these are much more likely to take root. To do this, you have to approach writing new year resolutions from a place of self love and self acceptance—and that may mean asking yourself “What am I doing right?” instead of “What am I doing wrong?”

Skincare may not be a common topic for new year resolutions, especially since the mentality of “What am I doing wrong?” is far too common while writing resolutions. (Afterall, not many people consider that they are doing skincare wrong and need an intervention—unless you’re still using that toothpaste acne hack!). However, if you have a positive association with skincare and want to keep encouraging that, it is actually a perfect topic to write a few resolutions about and actually follow them. 

Here is some inspiration for some skincare new year resolutions you can actually keep:

1. Create a simple 3-5 step skincare routine and follow it for 30 days.
2. Add in body moisturizing after hot baths and showers. 
3. Drink 8-10 cups of water every day. (TIP: you can count tea, low sodium broth, and even coffee toward your hydration goals! Read more)
4. Start paying attention to freshness dates on beauty products and make sure everything in your cabinet stays fresh.
5. Every weekend, set aside 20-30 minutes for deeper skincare such as a mask, treatment, or facial massage.
6. Instead of picking or “drying out” acne, treat it with gentle, skin barrier supportive products that promote healing.
7. Remember to take off your makeup before bed.
8. Incorporate a 5 minute facial massage at least once a day to promote circulation and lymphatic drainage.
9. Find an SPF you actually like and start applying it daily (regardless of weather).
10. Speak with kindness and compassion towards your skin—it’s doing its best!

A new year can feel daunting at times, and unfortunately it can become a reminder of areas of dissatisfaction in our lives. However, if you feel frustrated in the face of writing new year resolutions, you are most likely not giving yourself enough credit. Remember to reflect on all of the positive changes, habits, and milestones that you have reached over the past year. Even if some of those things seem small, they add up to another year of memories, new experiences, and lessons learned. By incorporating new year resolutions inspired by positive things in your life (including the little moments like daily skincare rituals), you can motivate yourself to continue doing things that you love that have proven worthwhile.

If you like writing new year resolutions, will you add any about skincare this year? If not, did these ideas change your perspective a bit? We at Apoterra are always here to support your skincare journey, so please don’t hesitate to reach out for advice or share your resolutions with us!