A truly effective skincare routine isn’t static – it alters and adapts according to the seasons and the changing needs of your skin. Whether your goal is eliminating acne, treating and preventing signs of aging, or simply updating your look for the New Year, it helps to have a step-by-step plan. Consider this guide your monthly beauty companion, complete with practical tips for creating the perfect – and flexible – skincare regimen for the year to come.
WINTER
The colder months of winter are an ideal time to reflect on your skincare habits and introduce new ways to nurture your skin. It all starts with understanding your skin type and choosing the right products and ingredients to address your needs. The following articles will get you started in creating a fresh approach to caring for yourself from head to toe.
January: Re-evaluate your skin care needs.
Many of us rarely think about assessing our skin. It’s easy to go years without re-evaluating skin’s needs — even though they can change dramatically in a short time.
As the New Year begins, take some time to examine your skin. Is your skin drier than it used to be? Is it rougher? Does it look and feel oilier? Does it seem more sensitive? Do you notice any signs of sun damage? Then, make a list of short-term and long-term goals you’d like to achieve with your skin care routine.
- Check out: Sidestep Stale Skin Care: How to Reconsider Your Routine, a how-to guide for evaluating your skin type and determining its unique demands. You’ll find helpful advice for creating short- and long-term skin care goals.
February: Update your arsenal.
Go through your whole beauty stash — including cosmetics, skin care formulas and hair products. Toss items that are expired or outdated as they may no longer work — and in some situations can even compromise your health. Then, write out a shopping list to update your arsenal.
- Check out: Update Your Skin Care Arsenal. This article contains all the information you need to decide when to pitch products and how to avoid the problem of expired formulas in the first place.
After the busyness of holidays and adjusting to the harsher elements of winter, devote some attention to your own beauty goals – and set the stage for the year ahead.
SPRING
It’s time to spring into action! Refresh, renew and rejuvenate your skin as the weather turns warmer with decisive steps toward healthy skin. Learn the value of consulting with a skincare professional and discover fun, skin-boosting ways to pamper yourself with both decadent and DIY beauty treatments.
March: Schedule an appointment with a dermatologist.
When it comes to effective skin care, regardless of age or skin type, there’s much to be gained from a short sit-down with a dermatologist. In just a quick visit, he or she can provide essential information about the condition of your skin and recommendations to improve your regimen.
- Check out: Dermatologist 101: How a Visit Can Transform Your Routine. Whether you’re a regular at your dermatologist’s office or scheduling your first visit, we provide everything you need to know to get the most out of the in-office experience.
April: Experience a new way to pamper.
Like anything in life, it’s more fun to change habits when there’s a reward involved. Take this month to find an enjoyable way to pamper and indulge yourself — while improving your skin at the same time. It could be as extravagant as a day at the spa or as simple as an at-home facial.
- Check out: Experience a New Way to Pamper, an assortment of pampering skin care experiences for every age and budget — including classic treatments, do-it-yourself indulgences and ideas for the spa.
May: Skin Cancer Awareness month — have a professional check your skin.
Whether you tan or burn in seconds, it’s essential to shield skin from skin cancer. In fact, diagnoses are growing among younger age groups and dark-skinned ethnicities. Even if you already use a daily moisturizer with SPF and avoid tanning beds, schedule an annual skin cancer screening with a professional. Your dermatologist can keep an eye on any unusual changes in your skin and let you know what to look for at home.
- Check out: Celebrate Skin Cancer Awareness Month With Skin-Saving Screening. This article offers the latest, science-based approaches for how to incorporate skin cancer prevention into your routine. We also provide advice for your skin cancer screening and what to look for at home.
Spring isn’t about resting on your laurels – it’s time to take skincare into your own hands and ensure beautifully healthy skin not just this year, but in the years to come.
SUMMER
By summertime, you’ve probably hit your beauty stride – but now it’s time to switch it up. Get tips for updating your beauty goals and designing your warm-weather skincare routine to include a sun-kissed glow without the sun damage. Plus, inform your skincare choices with research into the latest ingredients for acne, anti-aging and other skin conditions.
June: Assess your summer skin care.
As summer arrives, we’re often too busy updating our warm weather wardrobe and hitting the beach to worry about skin care. But by summerizing your skin care routine, you’ll ensure a healthy, gorgeous look that lasts long after your bikini is put away for the fall. From self-bronzers and sunscreen to SPF hair sprays and hydrating creams, discover how to re-invent your summer skin care routine.
- Check out: Reinvent Your Summer Skin Care Routine, a checklist of summer skin care, including everything you need to protect skin from the sun — the best SPF formulas, sunless tanning products and more.
July: Evaluate your progress.
After six months, it’s time to revisit your skin care goals and evaluate your progress. Have your immediate skin care problems like acne or dryness improved? What about your long-term goals? Take this opportunity to revise — or rev up — your skin care goals.
- Check out: Evaluate Your Skin Care Journey So Far, offering advice on evaluating your mid-year progress and staying on track to achieve your skin care goals.
August: It’s back-to-school time — do some homework.
Even if you’re long out of school, embrace the back-to-school vibe and do some skincare research. If you haven’t yet determined your skin type, find out how and use the results to guide your skin care decisions. Also, research the latest innovative ingredients that have emerged on the skin care market and incorporate them into your routine.
- Check out: Back To School Beauty Guide Part One: Ten Up-and-Coming Skin Care Ingredients, a complete study guide for finding science-based and balanced information on the latest, greatest skin care ingredients — and what products to find them in.
The lazy days of summer don’t mean you can slack off in your skincare regimen. Keep your beauty goals alive by tracking your progress and recording your skin’s changes from month to month – and enjoy the fruits of your labors now that you’re halfway through the year!
FALL
The transition from summer to fall can mark a dramatic shift in your skin, as the weather grows cooler and drier and schedules often get busier. Prepare yourself by going back to basics with effective, go-to skincare ingredients and the season’s latest makeup trends.
September: Simplify your skincare ingredients.
Once you’ve delved into innovative ingredients and established an effective skincare routine customized to your skin type, take some time to revisit the basics. Whether you’re looking for relief from acne, hyperpigmentation or aging skin, conclude your “back to school” skincare studies with 10 ingredients that offer time-tested results.
- Check out: Back To School Beauty Guide Part Two: Ten Tried and True Skin Care Ingredients, offering in-depth information on some of the most reliable and effective ingredients on the market for acne, aging and more.
October: Ready your winter skin care routine.
Often, summer ends and winter begins before you have time to update your skin care routine. Ready your routine for cold, dry weather by stocking up on moisturizers and adding a few warming treatments to your routine.
- Check out: Winter Beauty Guide: Skincare Routine for Cooler Weather, a complete guide for winterizing your skin care routine —including leading products and treatments for maintaining gorgeous, glowing skin during cold, dry weather.
November: Get a makeover by a professional makeup artist.
With the holidays around the corner, November is the perfect time to freshen up your look. Stop by a makeup counter for a consultation or schedule an appointment with a professional makeup artist or esthetician.
- Check out: ‘Tis the Season For Style: Tips For Enhancing Your Holiday Look, presenting easy tips for updating your look, such as how to get the most out of a makeover or consultation, and the hottest color and cosmetic trends for the coming year.
Keep your skincare routine fresh in the fall by stocking up on season-appropriate products, from the latest in anti-aging serums and moisturizers to nail polish and eye shadow trends. You’re nearing the finish line, so don’t be afraid to take some beauty risks and experiment with new ingredients.
Back to Winter for the Final Rewards of 12 Months to Skincare Success!
The last stage of our 12-month journey is an opportunity to reflect and rejoice in your skincare accomplishments. As you ready yourself for the short days and long nights of winter, acknowledge the changes you’ve made and turn an optimistic eye toward the New Year.
December: Celebrate success! And make your holiday wish list.
If you’ve stuck with your New Year’s resolution, chances are you’ll have a healthier complexion — and reason to celebrate. Take some time during the busy holiday season to reflect on your achievements. Also, don’t forget to make your holiday wish list and start dropping hints about what great products you’d like to see in your stocking.
- Check out: Celebrate Skincare Success! And Make Your Holiday Beauty Wish List. Not sure how to measure your success? In this article we help you evaluate your year-end achievements — and offer some indulgent ideas for celebrating your skin care success. Also, you’ll find tips for taking your new skin care regimen into the New Year.
This is the year to stick to your resolutions and transform the health and appearance of your skin. Use our monthly how-to guide to help you adopt — and keep — these new skin care habits, giving yourself the gift of beautiful skin throughout the year and beyond.
[Source:- Skincare]
