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. 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.” And honestly, allowing yourself to be taken care of is something profound. While I’m choosing facials as my modality, it doesn’t have to be facials if that’s not available to you. Whatever small ways you can embrace being cared for, I encourage you to enjoy those moments this year. 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. As for lifestyle habits, I’ve become a stickler about getting adequate sleep—and craft my entire day around optimizing my circadian rhythm (read about how to do so yourself here). And, of course, I’m utilizing collagen peptide supplements every morning: They can improve skin density, hydration, and improve the appearance of wrinkles. (Read more about collagen here.) So, it’s time I start doing something about it. Because the skin on your decolletage is very thin and sensitive, I don’t use any harsh actives—rather I pay special attention to the area with an antioxidant-rich body lotion (such as mindbodygreen’s postbiotic body lotion, which has coenzyme Q10, fruit extracts, and botanical oils for antioxidation support). At night I layer on mindbodygreen’s dry body oil on top for an extra dose of antioxidant-support, thanks to its blend of vitamin E, squalane, and organic safflower seed oil.
