Investing in your skin is a must and it’s never too late to show it some love. I decided to update last year’s skincare resolutions—right now is the perfect time to get disciplined with your skincare regime. While we can’t magically erase wrinkles and look 20 years younger, we surely can improve the look and health of our skin, diminish signs of aging, and look our very best. Here are 5 easy resolutions to help you look and feel fabulously glowy and bright in 2019.

Build your regimen

Finding the right products for your skin is tough, but hugely rewarding. You have to cater to your skin type and concerns. I’ve been lucky enough to try out a lot of products and have found some great ones that have made a real difference.

• Cleanser – If you wear makeup, double cleanse. Start with an oil cleanser like Olive + M or Tatcha’s Camellia Oil, then follow up with a gentle cleanser like the Skinceuticals or Tata Harper Regenerating cleanser (if not wearing makeup, you can just use these).
• Essence – Hydrates and preps skin so that the products you use after (serums + moisturizer) absorb more fully. Also targets concerns by taking the essence’s active ingredients deeper into your skin. Faves are: Caudalie & SK-II.
• Serum – The hardest working part of your regimen since these are the products that have the highest percentage of active ingredients. Use a Vitamin C serum daily in the morning, then add in any serum to help you target individual concerns (see this post for guidance). During colder months, consider adding a hydrating serum. At night I use refining and restorative serums. Faves: Skinceuticals C E Ferulic, Caudalie Brightening & Drunk Elephant Hydrating serum.
• Eye Cream – Hydrating the eye area is so important, not only to avoid fine lines and wrinkles, but also to help avoid creasing in your concealer. Really, the most important step you can take in making your makeup look and feel good is having hydrated skin. My forever fave is still the SK-II RNA eye cream.
• Moisturizer – A non-greasy, lightweight-but-hydrating moisturizer is what I use for day. If your moisturizer doesn’t have SPF, make sure you use after the moisturizer.  At night, I use my “work horse” cream—a thicker, more hydrating moisturizer (ideally with retinol) that will help renew and transform my skin overnight. Drunk Elephant Protini for day, La Mer (I know, but it’s the best) or Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2 (new nighttime fave).
• Sunscreen– SPF is a must, especially for those of us who struggle with hyperpigmentation. Never, ever go out without it. My faves are the Tatcha and the Elta MD (which is the one I use most often… I now keep the Tatcha in the car for re-application).

Don’t take a day off

Every day, friends, every single day. I know we all want to fall into the bed at the end of the day, raccoon eyes be damned, but it makes a huge difference to follow your skincare routine morning and night, day in and day out. Don’t make it a choice and it will pay off big time, and quicker than you think.

Use retinol at night

All of us, especially those of us over 30, should really be using a retinol at night. It’s the most powerful antioxidant to combat aging. Retinol can be a part of your moisturizer, or you can use it separately as an individual product before your moisturizer. If you have sensitive skin and/or if Retinol is too harsh for you, you can also try prdoucts with bakuchiol, which is a plant-based alternative to Retinol that has recently exploded in popularity.

Get your mask on

Putting on a mask feels like a mini spa day. It’s so fun and I find masks have helped my skin feel and look so good. I use several times a week… you can always make time. Try doing it at night before bed, or 10 to 20 minutes before a shower. Incorporating a mask in your routine is a fun way to give yourself some me-time while it does all the necessary work for your skin.

Wash your brushes weekly

You don’t want breakouts or bacteria on your skin, so wash your brushes every week. For a quick daily clean (if needed), I use Sephora’s brush cleaner. I spray cleaner into a dry towel and swirl the brush onto it to clean. It’s really fast and easy. For a more thorough clean (weekly), I use a brush shampoo I picked up on Amazon. I wet the brush a bit and swirl it against the shampoo, then I swirl and swipe against this cleaning pad. This gives the brushes a nice, deep clean while also conditioning the bristles. I squeeze out excess water and lay flat to dry them overnight. // See my favorite Morphe brushes

Drink more water

There’s nothing like water to help your skin look it’s best. So drink as much as you can every day (at least 2 liters a day), and you’ll see brighter skin, smaller pores and shinier locks.