New Year, Better Skin: 10 Transformative Skincare Habits to Start in 2025
With 2025 just around the corner (gasp!), it's the perfect time to reset, refresh, and recommit to your skincare goals. Whether you're a seasoned skincare enthusiast or a complete beginner, below are 10 new year (skincare) resolutions that will help you achieve your best skin yet.
10 Skincare Habits to Start in 2025
1. Commit to Consistent Cleansing
The Why: Your skin is exposed to pollution, makeup, oil buildup, and other grime every single day that can clog your pores, accelerate aging, and wreak havoc on your skin. Consistent and thorough cleansing, especially if you wear makeup, removes these impurities, preventing buildup and allowing your skin to breathe, regenerate, and better absorb your skincare products.
Resolution Strategy:
Cleanse morning and night. Consider double cleansing if wearing heavy makeup or sunscreen.
Always remove makeup before sleeping, no exceptions!
Use a gentle, pH-balanced cleanser
Avoid hot water when cleansing, which can strip natural oils. Lukewarm water is optimal.
Pat your skin dry instead of rubbing
Be gentle around your eye area
2. Prioritize Hydration (Inside and Out)
The Why: Proper hydration is crucial for skin elasticity, nutrient transportation, and maintaining your skin's protective barrier. Internally, sufficient fluids help flush toxins and keep your skin cells plump and healthy.
Resolution Strategy:
Drink plenty of water and/or unsweetened tea daily
Use hydrating skincare products with hyaluronic acid
Consider a humidifier in dry environments
Eat water-rich foods like cucumber and watermelon to help support internal hydration
3. Wear Sunscreen Daily (Non-Negotiable!)
The Why: UV rays are responsible for up to 90% of visible skin aging. Daily sunscreen protects against premature wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, and reduces skin cancer risk.
Resolution Strategy:
Use a broad-spectrum SPF 30+ daily
Try to reapply every 2 hours, especially if spending time outdoors
Don't forget to apply sunscreen to areas like your neck, décolleté area, and your hands
🧴 If you’re looking for good sunscreens to try that are gentle, effective, and don’t leave a white cast, check out: 5 Best Lightweight Sunscreens for Sensitive Skin
4. Introduce Gentle Chemical Exfoliation
The Why: Chemical exfoliants like AHAs and BHAs can work wonders for transforming the texture and appearance of your skin. They help remove dead skin cells, unclog pores, and promote cell turnover more effectively and gently than physical scrubs.
Resolution Strategy:
If you’re new to chemical exfoliation, you can start with more gentle acids such as the AHAs, lactic acid or mandelic acid, or Poly Hydroxy Acids (PHAs).
Exfoliate1-2 times per week to start
Pay attention to your skin, especially if using other actives, and adjust your exfoliation patterns if any irritation occurs
Follow up with hydration and moisturizer or sunscreen
5. Develop a Consistent Nighttime Routine
The Why: Your skin repairs and regenerates itself most effectively at night. A consistent and targeted nighttime routine can leverage your skin’s natural processes to maximize the impact of your skincare products.
Resolution Strategy:
Follow a consistent routine that, at a minimum, includes cleansing and moisturizing
Apply treatment serums that target your specific skincare concerns, as needed
Consider occasional overnight masks if your skin needs extra TLC
Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep every night to allow your skin ample time to refresh itself
💆♀️ If you’re looking for a basic nighttime skincare routine, check out: The Simple Nighttime Skincare Routine for Beginners
6. Add Antioxidant Serums to Your Routine
The Why: Antioxidants combat free radical damage, which is a huge contributor to premature aging and skin damage. By incorporating antioxidant serums into your routine, you can help prevent signs of aging, decrease skin inflammation, and improve the overall health of your skin.
Resolution Strategy:
Incorporate a vitamin C serum in the morning as it is particularly effective at combating stress on your skin during the day
Look for products with other antioxidant ingredients such as niacinamide, vitamin E, resveratrol, bakuchiol, retinol, or green tea. Bonus points if you can find formulations that effectively incorporate multiple antioxidants.
Store your serums properly (in cool, dark places) to preserve their potency as long as possible
7. Manage Your Stress for Skin Health
The Why: Chronic stress increases cortisol, which can trigger inflammation throughout your body, including your skin. This can accelerate aging, and exacerbate skin conditions like acne.
Resolution Strategy:
Exercise regularly
Get enough sleep (aim for 7-9 hours every night)
If you’re feeling stressed during the day, try taking a quick (10-min) walk outside to reset
Make sure to make time to stay connected with friends and family, and to do things that you enjoy
😓 To learn more about how stress can impact your skin, check out: Stress and Your Skin: Understanding the Connection
8. Listen to Your Skin and Adapt Your Routine
The Why: Your skin and its needs change with age, the seasons, and hormonal shifts. Products that may work great for your skin in the winter might not be ideal in summer. As such, a flexible approach to your skincare can be much more effective than simply sticking to one routine throughout the year.
Resolution Strategy:
Adjust your skincare products depending on the season and how your skin reacts to the weather. For example, you can switch to lighter formulations in humid months or find more moisturizing products for dry, cold weather.
Adjust moisturizer thickness based on your skin’s needs
Adjust exfoliation frequency based on your skin's needs. For example, in the winter, your skin might be more vulnerable and sensitive so you may want to decrease exfoliation.
Be open to trying new formulations
✨ If you’re looking for some great skincare brands and products to try, check out: 6 Best Korean Skincare Brands (that never disappoint!)
9. Optimize Your Diet for Your Skin
The Why: Skin health is deeply connected to what you put in your body. A balanced diet, supplemented by research-backed supplements can provide essential nutrients for optimal skin health, improved skin repair, collagen production, and overall skin vitality.
Resolution Strategy:
Consider omega-3 fatty acids for skin health. Some good food sources include salmon, chia seeds, or walnuts.
Incorporate collagen-supporting foods into your diet or a collagen supplement
Eat a rainbow of fruits and vegetables
Stay hydrated throughout the day with water or teas
Try to minimize sugar intake
10. Invest in Quality, Not Quantity
The Why: More products don't mean better results. Oftentimes, too many products can actually have the opposite effect and cause irriation. A targeted, simplified routine with high-quality ingredients can be much more effective as long as you invest in the right products.
Resolution Strategy:
Research ingredients and look for products that list the main active ingredients closer to the beginning of the ingredient list (this typically means that it’s present in higher concentrations)
Try to invest in fewer, multi-functional products (this will also help you get more bang for your buck)
Give products sufficient time to work. In some cases, it could take 8-12 weeks to see results.
As you set your skincare new year resolutions, remember that transforming your skin is done through thoughtful and consistent care. By incorporating these skincare habits into your routine, you’re not only setting yourself up for continuous improvement, but you’re also supporting your skin's long-term health. All it takes is a few simple steps.
Happy New Year! Here's to your healthiest skin yet in the new year! 🎇