The New Year offers a chance to press reset, with many choosing to adopt new habits and goals after the excess of the festive season.n For many, the late nights, richer food & hectic schedule of December can leave skin looking and feeling lacklustre, with flares of skin conditions such as acne and rosacea being common.
Whilst I personally do not opt to make New Year's resolutions, and am much more of an advocate of checking in with yourself regularly through the year, January is as good a time as any to look inwards, identify what your body, mind and skin need and set goals to achieve this.
Healthy Body. Healthy Mind. Healthy Skin. This the mantra I swear by for myself and my patients, as it is so important to recognise that your 'whole' is intrinsically linked. For example, to achieve good skin this doesn't just mean you need new skincare.
So with that mantra in mind, here are my top good skin habits that should will allow you to hit the ground running and continue with good skin through to next festive season and beyond.
1) Build a daily routine that works for you, and get back to it as quick as possible-
December is often jam packed with events and responsibilities, which can often mean our normal routine goes out of the window. Many of the changes that happen leads to our lifestyle being more proinflammatory to our body, mind and skin and hindering its natural ability to repair. Changes can happen across the board and include our hobbies, exercise, eating, work and social habits. The longer we stay away from doing things the harder it is to get them back. Often the thought of getting back to things is way worse than actually doing them, so set a date and time and maybe even add in a smidge of accountability by including a friend in your plans and throw yourself back in. You will thank yourself as your motivation, energy and satisfaction through January will benefit from it.
2) Stick to an exercise routine by include regular movement that you actually enjoy!
Gyms and classes are often full to the brim in January and by February see numbers dwindle. Regular movement, that includes some cardio, strength, balance and rehab is not just importan to burn calories and shed the Christmas weight but to keep our body working smoothly (and this includes skin!), reduce inflammation and calm minds. Setting a new routine for movement includes factoring in how achievable it is to sustain. Going all in too quick leads to burn out so better to start with small goals that you know you can achieve, in something that you will enjoy, and give yourself credit for each win, then build on them.
3) Prioritise a gut friendly diet and help your gut-skin axis
I absolutely love enjoying the richer foods of the festive season. But often this can mean that over December your diet included more refined sugar, carbohydrates unhealthy fats and alcohol. The shift in balance of nutrients directly raises inflammation through body, mind and skin and can our gut microbiome. It is well known that the balance of bacteria in our gut directly influences not just how much nutrients we absorb but also our mental health (gut-brain axis0) and skin health (gut-skin axis). Try to focus on; eating the rainbow, including prebiotics, rebalancing your plate to include the right amounts of all food groups, avoiding pro inflammatory foods such as ultraprocessed foods, preservatives and colourants, and consider adding in supplementation and gut powders to top up nutrients.
4) Healthy sleep habits should be on your mind all day
Sleep is the time when our mind, body and skin repair from the damage and stresses of the day. A routine is useful as your body will quickly learn to expect when to go to bed and when to wake up and starts to release hormones that aid sleep or wakefulness. A routine doesnt just mean going to sleep and waking at a set time, it includes an awareness of sleep hygiene through your whole day. This can range from avoiding caffeine after lunch time, to including regular movement, eating dinner a few hours before bed and screen free time.
5) Socialise and nourish your body and mind
Taking down decorations, January weather and festive fatigue can lead to the an overwhelming desire to hibernate. Whilst it is of course important to prioritise self care and down time, being to isolated and inactive leaves us feeling deflated, low in energy and less resilient to stress. Opt for social engagements or activities that don’t overstimulate but aim with calmness, satisfaction and give you a sense of support. All of this adds up to hinder our ability to repair, adding to inflammation through the body and contributing to skin flares and faster signs of aging.
6) Avoid chopping and changing your skin products
Whether you are cycling your way through skin care gifted to you or frantically trying to find a product to solve your post-Christmas skin complaints, Janurary can often mean your skincare routine can include new and varied products. The key to a skin care routine that works is, finding products that give your skin exactly what it needs, that you are confident in and will not inadvertently be setting you back, and that will be used consistently. This does not always mean you cannot use new products, but make sure you know how to build them in from the base up, starting with keeping skin barrier strong, then adding in actives in a conscientious way, only using what you need.
Remember the key to progress, health and happiness is to make changes that are sustainable. Often support of others helps us achieve and maintain out goals and offers an external perspective and often unexpected suggestions and views which both allow us to take pride in progress and grow further. Why not book your consultation; skin, antiaging or lifestyle; to find how changes such as these can help you.
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