Good Morning America asked 5 docs to share tips for healthy living within their field, and I am honored to represent the dermatologists! I want to share my 2021 skincare resolutions with you.
- Sunscreen EVERYDAY. SPF 30+, broad spectrum, rain or shine. Make sure it blocks both UVA and UVB, and reapply every 2 hours.
- Quality > Quantity. Time to hone in on high quality key ingredients that are proven to work.
- Sleep hygiene. Beauty sleep is a real thing! Try to get 8+ hours of sleep a night (my goal…which never happens >_<), invest in a humidifier for the dry cold winter weather, get blackout shades or a noise machine. Do what you need to create an optimal sleep environment so you wake up feeling rested.
- Hydrate inside and out. Drink plenty of water (aim for 8 glasses a day!) and remember to hydrate your skin using ingredients such as glycerin, ceramides, hyaluronic acid, etc.
I am actively working on drinking more water and sleeping better this year. 2020 was a bit of a wash for me in terms of sleep; the stress of the year plus an infant meant no sleep (or rather, poor quality broken sleep) for months! I can see the effects of not sleeping on my skin; I have dark circles in my undereye area and I’m more prone to breakouts (though that is partially due to maskne as well). I’m hoping that will take a turn for the better this year.
What are your skincare goals?
I have a question! The advice to wear sunscreen everyday has somehow always felt very distant to me because I’ve been assuming that this would apply more for 4 season weather where the sun truly hits differently. I live in tropical Malaysia, and I dunno, I feel like I rarely ever hear tropical ppl talking about sunscreen? I’m just wanting to cut down on any product I can skip if it isn’t gonna do much.
Random thoughts that contribute to my (unscientific) thought process:
– I notice that when we travel to 4season weather and take photos, those photos generally turn out MUCH better than when we take the same photos with the same phone cameras here in tropical weather. I’ve always attributed that to the sun hitting differently.
– I’ve often felt that, apart from genetics and starting skincare young, Korean/Japanese skin can also be because of all the probiotics they’re consuming daily simply because it’s just part of the culture? Whereas here where I am, it isn’t part of the culture so it’s something you’d have to choose to include.
I sincerely hope more professionals will soon start mentioning differences in climates more, coz it plays a huge role in many aspects that are on trend right now, like skincare and plant care HAHA! =D
Thanks for your time!
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Hi Joni, thanks for your question. I think sunscreen is very important all around the world, especially if you are prone to sun damage or have a history of skin cancer in you or your family. My husband’s family is Korean and they are really really careful about wearing sunscreen every single day, mostly for preventing sun damage.