These skin care resolutions are worth sticking with for healthier skin in 2022, per Everyday Health.
Related: Industry Input: Winter Skin
Apply Sunscreen Every Day
The most basic, but effective, skin care tool is sunscreen. The top resolution for skin health should be to wear sunscreen every day, no matter the season. It has the greatest impact in preventing accelerated aging and skin cancers, according to Mamina Turegano, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist in Louisiana.
Turegano recommends a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher. Broad-spectrum means the sunscreen will guard against the harmful effects of UVA rays, which contribute to premature skin aging, and UVB rays, which cause sunburn.
Blue light exposure from digital screens can also have a negative impact on skin, so it is recommended to use sunscreen even when staying indoors.
To save a step, find a moisturizer with SPF to use every day.
Don’t Sleep in Makeup
Sleeping with makeup on can cause various skin issues, from clogged pores and breakouts to extreme lip dryness and severe eye damage, according to Cheryl Burgess, M.D., founder and president of the Center for Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery in Washington, DC.
Prepare Skin for Winter
Drying Winters require extra attention. It is recommended to use additional products with moisturizing actives like glycerin and ammonium lactate.
Don’t Use Indoor Tanning Beds
Indoor tanning significantly increases the risk of melanoma. It is banned in Brazil and Australia. Turegano hopes the United States also bans tanning beds in 2022.
Throw Out Expired or Unused Products and Keep a Simple Routine
Turegano’s personal skin care resolution for 2022 is to streamline and organize her skin care products. A skin care routine can feel overwhelming with too many products, and often using too many products can lead to irritation.
Turegano suggests ditching products with the same actives and anything expired or irritating. Consider using a minimalist routine of cleansing, moisturizing and sunscreen.
Don’t Pick at Skin
Skin picking can cause infection and scarring and while many pick their skin for stress relief, there are healthier ways to relieve stress.
In some cases, skin picking is a clinical impulse control disorder and needs to be addressed with a medical professional.
Use Retinol and Vitamin C
For those who enjoy having a longer routine, consider adding more targeted products. Vitamin C serum and sunscreen for prevention in the morning and retinol at night for repair treatment can have beneficial skin results, according to Burgess.
Retinol can minimize visible signs of aging but can make skin more sun-sensitive, so it is recommended to only use it at night and at least two to three days apart at first before increasing use.
Don’t Smoke
Many people still smoke cigarettes and the rise of recreational cannabis is expanding the smoker category. Smoking will make skin dry, dull or ruddy, whether it's tobacco or cannabis, according to Burgess.
