8 Tips to make your Skincare Resolutions Stick

As we start a brand new year, you may want to make changes to improve your skin health, but where do you start? And how do you follow through so that your resolutions make a lasting improvement? Our founder, Dija Ayodele (also award winning aesthetician!) shares some wise advice to help you make your skincare resolutions stick.

Prioritise what is important to you and start with those skincare changes. I always ask clients in clinic to rate their skincare concerns from one to three and we start by addressing the first issue. It’s usually the case that the other concerns start self resolving because of the initial effort, so if hyperpigmentation and dark marks are a key concern for you, your number one change should be to address the cause.

Have accountability; tell a friend what you would like to achieve with your skin this year and ask them to check in every month to hold you accountable. Better yet, find a local skincare practitioner that has a subscription plan you can sign up to. This will cost but in my experience you are much likely to stick to something that has a financial element. The bonus is that you get professional guidance too!

Take your time. You don’t have to overhaul all of your skincare products and habits in one go. Choose a couple of things to work on at any one time. An easy place to start a skincare upgrade is with your cleanser for example or make a commitment to applying sunscreen everyday.

Make your life easier by piggybacking of existing habits. If you want to get better at taking your supplements in the morning, keep them by your kettle so you see them when you go to make your morning brew. As you get better at one thing, stack another habit on top.

Learn about your skin and basic skincare concepts so that you can understand what and how you want to change. There’s no point making skincare resolutions if you have no basic foundations. The Discovery Section of Black Skin Directory is a great place to start.

Schedule and organise well so you can stay ahead of yourself. Have a set time for doing your skincare, I like doing my skincare as soon as a I get home and before I have dinner. Just like you lay out your clothes the night before, it’s also a good plan to put out the skincare products you want to use so that they are always ready and it cuts down your thinking time.

Understand that there will be set backs and humps in your skincare journey, so keep some flexibility to your expectations. For example you may experience a break out or have a few days away for work that compromise your skincare efforts. Plan for them and adjust accordingly so that you don’t completely undo your good work.

If you feel easily pressured by lofty goals, then focus on the process and taking one step at a time. Improving your technique and strengthening your discipline to stay on top of your skincare will serve you better in the long run and actually help you get to the end goal.

Celebrate your skincare wins with treats that remind how far you’ve come. I remember, year agos, I bought myself a beautiful make up bag to celebrate my skincare consistency and and everyday when I use it, I reminded of the effort I put in to achieve my skincare resolution.