Hammerling-Hodgers: Still looking for a resolution? How about taking care of your skin

With the onset of a new year, many of us try to make a list of our New Year’s resolutions.

If you're a little bit behind and don’t have any picked out yet, here are some resolutions to try and establish a skin care routine to help your skin be healthy.

Diet correlates to health skin

You’ve heard the saying of you are what you eat?

A poor diet may lead to breakouts, but a healthy diet can provide the nutrients needed for great skin.

Some basic skin-friendly foods include a variety of fruits and vegetables. Eating a wide variety of fruits and vegetables helps to increase the antioxidant intake and protects collagen from the environment.

Be sure to include a source of omega 3 and protein in the diet. However, if you’re vegan, try cashew nuts or flaxseed oil to supplement your diet.

Susan's previous three columns:

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Hydrations = healthy skin

Hydration is key for glowing skin. Water is essential and your body needs a lot of it. Try to keep a bottle with you throughout the day and drink as much as you can throughout the day.

According to mayclinic.org, the old adage about drinking eight glasses of water a day is easy to remember and a reasonable goal, but it may be on the low side of what you may need. Still, 64 ounces is a good start.

Yes, even sleep is good for skin

Sleeping at least 8 hours a day can help reduce stress, which is one of the causes of acne.

It also can help prevent dark circles under the eyes.

Exercise for more than your heart

Exercising regularly is also helpful to keeping a healthy glow to the skin by keeping the blood circulating.

By simplifying your skincare routine, it may be giving your skin the break it needs.

Too many ingredients in products can make the skin appear red and make it more sensitive.

First, start with cleaning out your make-up bag and emptying out your medicine cabinet to get rid of old skin care products that are six-to-12 months old.

Then, re-evaluate your skin needs to see if you need to focus on other areas or adapt to the season.

During the winter, skin becomes drier and more sensitive. Some people think exfoliation would exacerbate dryness but it's important to keep up with it by toning down the potency to avoid potential irritation as your skin's sensitivity changes.

Sometimes, with pregnancy, the skin can change with all the fluctuations of hormones.

In addition to wearing skin healthy makeup like Clinique or quality mineral makeup such as Jane Iredale or Glo, be sure to wash your makeup brushes, and be sure to always wash your face before bed.

Better types of makeup

The benefits of using mineral makeup is the ingredients.

In comparison to regular makeup, mineral makeup mainly contains natural ingredients.

Some brands might have small amounts of synthetic, lab-made substances, but reputable brands will use synthetic ingredients proven to be safe for humans.

Most cosmetics that are not mineral based are made with ingredients such as: Parabens, phthalates, formaldehyde, oxybenzone, fragrance and talc which can irritate the skin and cause breakouts.

As tempting as it is, get rid of the magnification mirror and do not pick your skin! This can result in scarring and increased breakouts.

Try to incorporate a quality vitamin C product and retinoid into your routine. Skinceuticals and ZO Skin Health are great lines. By adding these two products they can help with brightening of the skin as well as being anti-aging.

The most effective products are prescription strength.

Wearing a moisturizer with sunscreen daily and a moisturizer at night helps to protect the skin and keep it looking young and feeling healthy. Some over-the-counter products to try are by Cerave, Vanicream or Aveeno.

Keeping your skin healthy with a nice glow doesn’t have to be complicated.

In addition to the previous recommendations, you can supplement the basic routine with wearing a mask once a week, get facials or peels monthly.

At home masks by ZO can soothe and hydrate the skin or cleanse the pores and absorb excess oil. Think of going to an aesthetician as regular maintenance like you do with your car.

If you have any questions or hesitations about using certain products be sure to ask your dermatologist what is best for your skin.

Susan Hammerling-Hodgers, a Member of the National Psoriasis Foundation, is a PA-C (Certified Physician Assistant) and MPAS (Master of Physician Assistant Studies) and works at Brevard Skin and Cancer at the Merritt Island, Titusville and Rockledge offices.