Over the course of 365 days, a lot can happen in terms of your beauty game. That’s plenty of time to slather on armfuls of new products, incorporate varying practices into your routine, get your skin used to new ingredients, and try all the buzzy treatments out there. Personally, I’ve had my skin zapped, needled, and peeled, and with each professional appointment I learned something new (like microneedling isn’t as scary as it may sound).
Sure, 2019 will have a lot of exciting skin-care innovations to experiment with. But before you start slathering on bakuchiol (the modern-day retinol alternative) or integrate beauty IV drips into your regimen, the Well+Good team would like to take a moment to look back at the best-of-the-best skin-care tips we’ve picked up in the past 12 months.
As you could imagine, just as everyone has unique skin types, so too, has everyone gleaned a variety of beauty tidbits that have upgraded their skin-care routines. For me, it’s that taking acne medication is totally fine (thank you, Spironolactone). It’s the year that some have discovered the game-changing benefits of retinol while others now incorporate beauty products they would’ve never touched before—regardless, one thing rings true: We’ve all gotten better skin for it.
Well+Good’s top beauty advice from 2018
“My sister told me to ice my face for two minutes a day—AKA set a timer on my phone and rub an ice cube all over my face. It’s a total game-changer—it’s helped a ton with acne and inflammation.” —Danielle Vogl, senior designer
“Sometimes, over-the-counter stuff just can’t cure everything. There’s no shame in going to a dermatologist. I finally went to one about my hormonal acne and it has made a huge difference—especially since she also diagnosed me with rosacea, which affects what kinds of acne-fighting ingredients I can use. I’m on prescription acne treatments now and it has really caused such a massive improvement in the quality of my skin.” —Jessie Van Amburg, senior food and health editor
“I was always hesitant about using facial oils because I (foolishly) thought that they would make my skin greasy and gross. But I started using them this past summer, and have become completely obsessed. I have—no joke—17 different options in my skin-care arsenal because I love the way they hydrate my skin and help prep it for makeup. When I’m traveling especially, I’ll skip out on the zillion products I usually use and just pack an oil (my go-to is Odiele Rose Serum,$125) because it functions as a serum, moisturizer, and primer all in one.” —Zoe Weiner, associate beauty and fitness editor
“This was the year I decided to try retinol for the first time, and the best beauty advice I received was to follow it with vitamin C serum in the morning to maximize the glow-inducing benefits of vitamin A. That, and to always put on a good SPF 50 before leaving the house (thanks, Ali!) are the two skin-care tips I’m taking into 2019.” —Jordan Galloway, senior style editor
“My technician at Caudalie told me that when you apply serums, you should first rub it between the palms of your hands, then place your hands over the bridge of your nose. This is so that the outer edges of your palms are touching the bridge. Then, use a butterfly motion to fan your hands across and down your face. This helps to evenly apply serums, and also prevents you from rubbing them in too much—which means you’ll better reap the rewards of the magical elixirs.” —Kendall Bryant, director of product
“This year I finally learned to pay attention to ingredients and understand what they’re good for. In doing so, I finally incorporated vitamin C products into my skin-care routine, which has done wonders for my hyperpigmentation.” —Tamim Alnuweiri, assistant style editor
“The best beauty tip I learned this year was to chill the F out! Sometimes, I’m just too lazy to wash my face at night and after learning about beauty JOMO, I started cutting myself some slack every now and then. And you know what? My face didn’t break out into a million zits like I feared. Everything was…okay!” —Emily Laurence, senior food and health writer
If you’re looking to copy some of these tips, here are the best facial oils to fight acne. And the top dermatologist-approved vitamin C serums for even skin.
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