Welcome to Klog Chat, a series where we ask you to tell us how you do skin care and beauty. Today, we’re talking about New Year’s resolutions, specifically for your skin (because, what else?!).
As the editor of The Klog you might say that giving out skin care advice is my bread and butter. This year on the site, I and our writers talked a lot about how to make the concept of the 10-step skin care routine work for different people (TL;DR, it doesn’t have to be taken so literally!), the hyped-up trends worth buying into and those that might not be, and then of course how to successfully target common skin concerns like acne and wrinkles.
But because it’s always easier to give advice than to take it, I’ve been spending time thinking about how I can reset and reassess my own routine and goals. Here are three skin care-focused resolutions topping my list for 2020.
Prioritize My Skin Care Concerns
When I’m looking for new products, I’m often drawn to formulas that are advertised as anti-aging, brightening, acne-fighting, and host of other miraculous claims. I ask you: Who doesn’t love a multitasker? But the truth is, these products never do all of the things well.
At an event at Soko Glam’s pop-up shop Soko House this summer, something co-founder Charlotte Cho said really stuck with me. She said, “a lot of people come to me and they say, ‘I want dewy skin, and no spots’ all at once. You’re not going to achieve the world.”
Instead of attempting to tackle every skin concern in one go, she suggested focusing one at a time. This mindset not only makes building a routine less overwhelming, but can help prevent us from overdoing it with ingredients like acids that can be tempting to slather on as a fix for every little skin issue.
Be More Consistent and Patient
This is another part of being more intentional with my skin care choices.
A little story: Earlier this year I was excited to incorporate vitamin C into my routine for the first time when Soko Glam launched the Neogen Vita C Lemon Powder. For a few months I dutifully applied the powder – mixed in with my toner – three times a week. But I slowly became distracted by shiny new products and ingredients and stopped being consistent with Vita C. I never saw the results I was hoping for and let a half-full jar of perfectly good product collect dust.
It’s tempting to want to move on to the next when a buzzy new product or ingredient hits shelves, but best results come from consistency and don’t happen overnight.
Get On Board With Skin Neutrality
I turned 30 this year and suddenly I’m seeing fine lines become a little more prominent and my complexion isn’t as even-toned as it used to be. My first instinct was to go on the defense and stock my routine with every anti-aging and brightening product I could find. While I have noticed some improvements in my skin, I’ve decided to stop (or least try to stop) obsessing over these changes.
I’ve seen terms like “skin positivity” and “skin neutrality” take flight on social media lately. The latter resonates with me in particular because the term is not necessarily about embracing flaws and imperfections, but simply accepting them. And that’s a great first step.
That’s what I’ll be working on in 2020. I’d love to know what your resolutions are, plus how The Klog can help! Share them in the comments below.
