Top 10 New Year’s Self Care And Skin Care Resolutions

‘Tis the time of year to think about goals resolutions… and we’re here to help you make the best decisions for your skin care, self care, and wellness in the New Year.

1. Clean house. Dispose of anything that is open smells or looks funky, or is expired (if there is no expiration date, look for the PAO symbol – an open jar with a number in it – that’s the number of months it’s ok to use the product once open). Also look at products that you have been using for years… are they still the right ones for your skin? Remember your skin’s needs change as you age, and your products should evolve along with them.
2. Commit to weekly exfoliation. Once to twice per week, use our Gentle Refining Scrub to slough away dead skin cells and reveal brighter skin. This will help prevent dullness and will make all of your products work better, as they are better able to penetrate.
3. Never go to bed with a dirty face. This is true even if you are not wearing makeup. Cleansing is the foundation of any skin care routine: removing dirt, excess oil, and sweat from your skin prepares it to optimally receive treatment products. Proper cleansing will also help you avoid clogged pores and breakouts.
4. Wear SPF every single day. No exceptions, including cloudy days or days when you don’t think you will be heading outdoors. Remember that UV light penetrates through cloud cover and glass (windows). A daily SPF every morning is the first step to aging gracefully.
5. Use eye cream twice a day. As our Founder Dr. Luigi L. Polla likes to say, “if you’re old enough to drink, you’re old enough for a good eye cream.” A light depuffing, lifting product is ideal in the morning, whereas a more hydrating, anti-aging treatment product will be ideal in the evening.
6. Commit to retinol. If you are over 40, and neither nursing nor pregnant, it’s time to start using a retinol serum. The gold standard in anti-aging ingredients, retinol will help build collagen, minimize the look of fine lines, brighten dull skin, and improve the skin’s overall texture. Our Advanced Retinol Serum contains 0.75% pure retinol for visible results and features a time release technology to minimize irritation.
7. Don’t forget your neck and chest. Treating the décolleté area is essential as the skin of the neck is thinner and more delicate even than the skin of the face, and will start showing signs of aging early. Use your facial products on your neck, and look for upper body treatment gels packed with antioxidants, for example as our Firming Gel For Neck And Bust.
8. Apply products in the right order. The general rule of thumb is thin to thick. Generally, this means you apply products in this order: serums, then eye cream, then moisturizer, then SPF. Read more here.
9. Get your beauty sleep. Beauty sleep is not a myth, as various physiological processes are accelerated as we sleep. Aim to get a full seven to eight hours of sleep per night, to give these processes a chance to happen. And help that beauty sleep along by applying a nourishing and reparative moisturizer every evening.
10. Step away from your devices. Our life so often is small screen to medium screen to big screen, back to small screen. Remember to put down your devices, take a break from blue light, and be still and quiet in the present.