Sure I know, resolutions may be cliche, but let’s face it, they can also be incredibly helpful. Many of us make resolutions to work out more or eat healthier, and those are definitely important, but I’ve got a resolution that I’m sure you’ll have little trouble getting behind. Here it is. In 2017 I want to take better care of my body and pamper it more. Not only is this a resolution that’s fun & easy to keep, it also makes a ton of sense. I’m so incredibly grateful to my body for all that it does for me, so I also want to make sure that I take the best possible care of it, starting with my skin. In the past few years as my skin, umm, ‘matures’, I’ve noticed that it isn’t quite as resilient as it used to be, and it’s not uncommon to have dry patches, a few spots here and there and the early sign of some wrinkles as we get older.
The good news is that just a few simple changes and tweaks can yield lasting, and radiant results. I want 2017 to be my best skin year yet (is that even a thing? Well I’m making it one!) and I invite you to follow along and make this the year that you get that beautiful, radiant skin that you’ve always wanted. Here are the top 3 changes I’m committed to making this year:
Water - Drink More During The Day
Getting enough water is one of the easiest ways to keep our skin looking and feeling it’s best. Staying well hydrated helps keep your skin moisturized from the inside out, keeps the skin supple and radiant, and helps flush out toxins from the body. Remember, our bodies are 70% water (a fact that my kids learned in science class one day and now they both remind us nearly every single day!), and the skin is our body’s largest organ, so it makes sense that getting enough water throughout the day can help keep our skin & body looking and feeling their best.
Plan - Start the day with a tall glass of lemon water, drink periodically with a goal of 1.5 to 2 liters of water every day.
Sleep (there’s a reason it’s called “Beauty Sleep”!!)
Yes ladies, make sure to get your Vitamin Zzzz’s! Getting too little sleep isn’t just going to put a damper on your energy (not to mention your butt kicking ability in general), but it also has an effect on our complexion. After all, it’s when you’re asleep that your body rests, recovers and repairs itself from all of the wear and tear of the day. Simply put, when you’re tired, you’ll not only feel it, you’ll also look it. I’ve definitely experienced this myself personally, for example, over the holidays when we had a few too many late nights with friends & family (or bingeing on Netflix). My goal this year is try to get to bed earlier and to try and get better quality sleep. I’ve also started applying this night serum before I go to bed and it helps me, well… sleep a little better knowing my skin is getting a little extra attention while I’m off dreaming in La La Land ;)
Plan - Get to bed by 11 each night, turn off electronics 30 minutes before bed
Refined Sugar - Cut down... Better yet, Cut it out!
I generally enjoy a pretty clean diet, but I definitely have a sweet tooth and there are times when I can’t get enough sugar. Similar to what I’ve found with poor sleep, I’ve really seen the negative effects that eating too much sugar has on my skin. Science has shown that the insulin spikes triggered by eating too much refined sugars leads to inflammation all over the body. In the skin for example, enzymes are released that can break down the healthy collagen and elastin that form the healthy building blocks of our skin, causing it to sag & leading to premature wrinkles. Cutting down on refined sugars has a host of healthy effects on our health, and now we can add good skin to that list!
Plan - Cut out as much refined sugar as I can, allowing myself two treats a week, saving them for social events or special occasions ;)
How am I doing so far?
We’re just over a week into the New Year, and and I’ve been practicing all of these habits regularly. I feel like my skin is already showing some signs of improvement. Naturally, as with all good things, patience and consistency is the key, so I’m obviously going to keep at it to see how things improve over time. For those of you who know me however, you probably know that I’m a little… well, let’s say, impatient by nature and I’m a big fan of seeing results sooner rather than later! That’s why I decided to try the Flawless By Friday 5 Day System. Especially coming off of the holidays when I was sleeping later, and enjoying lots of s'mores & hot chocolate with the kids, it seemed like the perfect time to give my skin a boost to help it looking & feeling energized and revitalized once again.
The idea with the 5 Day System is that you get 5 different masks (each targeting a different skin issue), and you apply a different one every day for 5 straight days. I’ve been adding it to my night time routine and I’ve found that this little self-pampering touch is a really nice way to wind down at the end of a busy day. Not to mention, they smell so good and the kids love putting the mask on for me;) I read somewhere that it’s best to apply a mask when the skin is clean and the pores are open, so I decided to try a quick workout just before applying the mask to help get a sweat going and my blood pumping ;)
In the spirit of the 5 day system, here’s a series of moves targeting a different body site every day. You can try this at home (even in the comfort of your own bathroom if you’d like!) so you’ll be able to cap off your days having done something great not only for your skin but also for the rest of your body as well!
Moisture Monday (Legs)
15 Squats
15 Jumping jacks
1 Minute Wall-Sit
Toning Tuesday (Arms)
15 Incline Push-Ups (place your arms on your bathroom counter)
15 Tricep Dips (use the ledge of your bathtub or a sturdy chair)
1 minute Plank (you can either get flat down on the ground, or do an elevated plank with your hands on the ledge of your tub or chair)
Wrinkle Wednesday (Total Body)
30 Jumping Jacks
25 Lunges (25 each side)
30 Push-Ups
1 Minute Plank
Tightening Thursday (Booty)
20 Squats with a double pulse at the bottom
20 Kick-Backs (place hands on countertop, bend 90 degrees at the knee and kick your leg backwards heel-first)
20 Dancers Squats (stand facing your counter, set legs wide apart with toes turned slightly out. Rise up onto your tippy toes and squat back down with knees opened up)
20 Side-Kicks (20 each side, can hold onto countertop for balance if needed)
Flawless Friday (Core)
12 Plank with Alternating Knee Tucks (12 each side)
15 Plank Jacks
30 Bicycle Crunches
15 Crunches with Legs up and Toe-Taps
12 Hip-Lifts
Give these quick workouts and skin tips a try! If you’re feeling particularly energetic (and want to burn off a little more steam before going to bed), you can always repeat one of these circuits two or more times
Also, I’d love to know your best skin care tips. Let me know what you do to help make your skin glow and reverse the clock! ;)
If you’d like to get your hands on the Flawless By Friday 5 day system and the AM/PM serum (a $125 value) you’re in luck, head over to my instagram to see how you can enter to win both!