I'm a Beauty Director & These Are My 3 Skin Care Resolutions For 2023

Well, here we are in 2023. Despite me saying "It simply can't be the new year already" over and over again for the past several days, it simply is. And with it comes a more refreshed, refined approach to habits. Or so I hope! 

The adage "New Year, New You" has felt dated for quite some time, but I do think there is value in setting intentions and resolutions this time of year. It's less about rebranding once the clock strikes midnight and more about committing to rituals that you think can benefit your life in some way. This can happen on any calendar date, of course, but there's no time like the present. 

Years out from its onset, the pandemic affected my regular beauty appointments in ways that I don't think I'll ever fully get back to. I have a loose hair-trimming schedule and am even less regimented with color. I often find myself painting my nails at home over heading to a salon. And forget about brow appointments! 

However, I do miss facials, and how they make me feel. As I've been interviewing folks for our series As of Late over the past several months, the most common response to "what's your favorite beauty pleasure?" is getting facials. 

As Deborah Hanekamp, commonly known as Mama Medicine, told me: "Receiving facials is one of my favorite ways to treat myself. I feel it is super important to be able to receive healing, and facials are my favorite way to do so," she says. "As a mother and with how much I work, it's really hard to find time to care for myself. And even the very simple fact that in a facial, you're just going into a room and you are being taken care of rather than taking care of everyone else. That's just so healing for me—and whatever other magic happens after that is a bonus." 

With each passing year, I become more and more aware of the fact that, yes, collagen declines with age. At some point in our late 20s (it's different for everyone), our ability to naturally replenish our own levels diminishes at a rate of about 1 to 1.5% per year. And with it, we start to see the telltale signs of aging: loss of firmness, density, and fine line formation. 

So, I'm committing myself to be more mindful of the steps I have in place with my skin care routine. For my topical routine, I use a vitamin C serum and sunscreen during the day; at night I skin cycle with glycolic acid, retinol, and a peptides cream during my recovery days. For at-home treatments, I've been using my microcurrent more diligently—as it can stimulate collagen production and lift skin. 

I have started developing fine lines on my decolletage; I'm in my 30s, and such is a fact of life. Unfortunately, much of my most severe sunburns of my teens and 20s were in the area, and I know the accumulated damage has certainly contributed to the increasingly crepey appearance and other faint signs of premature aging.