New Year Skin Care Resolutions for Better Skin (According to Your Skin Type)

Are your new year’s skin care resolutions going to help you have better skin this year?  Do you have nagging skin concerns that you’ve just come to accept? Want to have smoother, clearer, more youthful-looking skin this year?

In case you still have some room on your list of goals for this year, we have some tips for to help you learn how to have better skin naturally. If you integrate these into your routine, your skin will be more radiant than you can imagine, come next winter (and probably before then).

Resolutions Specific to Your Needs

But not all skin is the same! So we’ve broken it down by skin type, with tips tailored to your specific skin needs.

If you’re suffering from oily, we’ve got resolutions specifically for you. Dry skin? You’ll find your resolutions below. Same for combination and sensitive types—enjoy customized steps designed to get you closer to that younger-looking skin we all want!

10 New Year’s Resolutions for Oily Skin

1. Wash my face before working out. I know that all that sweating mixes with makeup and can clog pores. Washing beforehand helps me avoid post-workout pimples.

2. Clean my pillowcases regularly. Skin oils and impurities collect on my pillowcase, where they can redeposit on my skin.

3. Avoid touching my face. The skin oils on my fingers can transfer dirt to my pores, and voila, breakouts!

4. Cut back on dairy, sugar, alcohol, and red meat. I know that all these can increase my risk of clogged pores. Greasy, fast-food choices are out!

5. Drink more water. Is there any better way to flush and hydrate?

6. Add more plants to my home and work area. I know they help cut down on pollutants that can contaminate my skin ( especially plants that help clean the air in your home).

7. Add one stress-relieving activity to each day. Exercise, meditation, yoga, spending time with a good friend or a pet, walks in nature, and other relaxing activities are on my daily agenda!

8. Eat more anti-0ily skin foods. I’m adding more green tea, flaxseed, walnuts, probiotics (in kefir, sauerkraut, and kombucha), and lots of fruits and vegetables to my meals this year.

9. Moisturize wisely. I now know that even oily skin needs moisture, so I’m using natural oil-based products that balance out my skin oils to moisturize and soften my skin. I’ll do my homework on which oils are good for my skin, and which oils I shouldn’t use.

10. Exfoliate regularly. I admit I didn’t keep up with my exfoliating routine last year. This year I’m committing to a couple times a week.

10 New Year’s Resolutions for Dry or Mature Skin

1. Avoid harsh cleansers. They contain sulfates, alcohols, and other harsh ingredients that further dry out my skin. No more! I’m now going to use gentle cleansing ingredients that moisturize while cleansing.

2. Shun hot water. It feels great in winter, but for the sake of my skin, I’m going to take it easy. Hot water strips the skin of natural moisturizing oils, resulting in dryness.

3. Get a humidifier. I didn’t realize how much my skin was drying out overnight. It’s time to increase the humidity level in my bedroom!

4. Make friends with fatty acids. Fatty fish, walnuts, flaxseed, and even supplements are on my list this year so I can moisturize from the inside out.

5. Don’t just moisturize — hydrate. They’re two different things! In addition to helping your skin lock in moisture, you should be using something that hydrates, like an aloe vera-based serum.

6. Find a moisturizer that does more. I want to make sure I’m using the right facial oil. Coconut oil, jojoba, or avocado oil may all be great options for my skin. I’ll also look for moisturizers with additional seed oils that are rich in antioxidants, like chia seed and sacha inchi.

7. Exfoliate regularly. I don’t want my skin to look even more dry and dull, so I’m stepping it up this year. I’m looking for Dead Sea mud, fruit acids, and other gentle exfoliants that I can use 2-3 times a week to keep that younger-looking skin visible.

8. Mask more often. Hydrating masks have become my new best friends! My skin feels so great after using them. It just drinks up the moisture. I’m going with coconut-based masks because they have those luscious fatty acids that my skin loves.

9. Helping my skin. I’m committed to finding and using a serum that will help my skin look more revived. Looking for things like antioxidants, vitamin C, essential oils that can firm, tighten and plump.

10. Protect. Sunscreen is on my list for daily use, and I’m also going to do more to protect my skin, particularly from harsh weather. Hats and scarves are my new favorite accessories.

10 New Year’s Resolutions for Combination Skin

1. Cleanse with natural ingredients. Chemical-based cleansers have left my dry areas dryer and my oily areas oilier. I now know that pH-balanced cleansers work a lot better for my type of skin.

2. Be gentle. My poor nose and chin have suffered from my wrath in the past. No more abrasive scrubs for me, as I now know they only irritate my skin further and make it more likely to break out. I’m committed to using gentler products, and gentler strokes on my skin!

3. Find a balancing toner. It’s hard to find a toner that soothes my dry areas while balancing oil spots. This year, I’m choosing a naturally balancing toner that can handle my skin type.

4. Split up my moisturizing. My skin needs less moisture during the day, but more at night, because I usually wake up feeling dry. So I’m going to split up my moisturizers into day and night, using the richer one at night and the lighter one in the morning. (Like the anti-aging oil at night, and the herbal facial oil in the morning.)

5. Cut back on coffee and alcohol. Alcohol and coffee dry out my skin, causing it to produce more oil! This wreaks havoc on my skin. I’ll moderate my consumption by dehydrating drinks and balance it by drinking lots of water!

6. Give my skin a break from makeup. Products, products and more products have left me frustrated. This year, I’m going to go easier on my skin, and cut back on some of the excess stuff I’ve been using. I’m planning to go at least once a week without makeup, and wearing only nontoxic makeup!

7. Exfoliate regularly. Like other skin types, mine needs regular exfoliation. I’m going to use an exfoliating product with fruit acids and other natural ingredients so I don’t irritate skin.

8. Water from the inside out. To help myself drink enough water, I’m going to try something new this year: adding fruit to my water. We’re talking raspberry, strawberry, and blueberry-flavored water to help me hydrate from the inside out. Of course I’ll be adding some lemon too.

9. Make friends with honey. This ingredient is amazing for my skin! A humectant, it hydrates without making me oily, and also also helps exfoliate a little bit. I’m using this one more often.

10. Eat more skin healthy foods. Foods, like green tea, fruits, and dark green leafy veggies; plus wearing sunscreen regularly; and being more vigilant in reading the ingredients on the products I’m using.

10 New Year’s Resolutions for Sensitive Skin

1. Do more to avoid my triggers. I now know that a number of things can trigger my skin to react, including allergies, detergents, dry skin, fragrances, bad weather, and certain fabrics. I’m going to be more aware of what affects me, so I can reduce flare-ups.

2. Step up my protection. This year, I’ll be using more sunscreen, scarves, hats, and other items to help protect my skin from the elements.

3. Detox! I’m doing a thorough detox of my home and daily routines. Harsh cleansers? Out. Chemical-filled laundry items and household cleansers I’m giving away, and from now on I’m using only natural products that won’t mess with my skin. I’m also going to dust and vacuum more often to reduce the toxic load in my home.

4. Become dirt and impurity aware. My skin hates dirt and other impurities. So I’m cleaning my makeup brushes more often, washing pillowcases more frequently, keeping my hands away from my face, and replacing my washcloth daily.

5. Enjoying a cleaner shower. Chemicals in my shower water? I never realized they could be harming my skin, but this year I’m getting a water filter for the shower. Bye-bye nasty chemicals!

6. Eat more skin health foods. I’m including more fresh fruits and veggies in my diet and taking a regular omega-3 fatty acid supplement, and I’m also going to try some herbs, like ginger, turmeric, and boswellin.

7. Ditching products with alcohol. Alcohol does a number on my skin. Since it’s in lots of skin care products (especially toners), I’m going to be diligent about checking ingredient labels and making sure not to buy products that have alcohol.

8. Finding a calming moisturizer. In addition to something that moisturizes my skin, I should look for something that helps me soothe. Herbs like calendula and lavender are examples of anti-aging ingredients that also help to soothe skin.

9. Changing how I exfoliate. Exfoliating with harsh, abrasives scrubs left my skin red and sad. But I know I need to exfoliate regularly and leave my skin looking radiant, so I’m opting for gentle ingredients like oatmeal or raw honey to do the job.

10. Treat myself more often. I used to feel guilty about spending time pampering myself, but no more! Now I know that it’s a necessity for my type of skin. So I’m going to take time at least once a week to truly nourish and be kind to my skin. I’m looking into nourishing masks that contain things like yogurt, honey, tea, and strawberries, and I’m thinking a half hour of just zoning out with my favorite music while the mask does it’s thing.