As creatures of habit, we enjoy sticking to our tried and true routines. Sadly, this comfort with sticking to old habits does not translate to us being able to easily form new ones. Not such a bad scenario when our habits include brushing our teeth, working out and going to sleep at a reasonable hour. A worse situation when we’ve fallen into the bad habit of neglecting the largest organ of our bodies: the skin.
Starting a skincare routine doesn’t need to be complicated, challenging or painful. As any leadership or personal development coach will tell you, your goals need to be “S.M.A.R.T.” in order for you to achieve them. This witty, memorable little acronym stands for “Specific, Measurable, A Reward associated with doing it, and Trackable.” Luckily, designing, planning and following through with a skincare routine is not just a smart idea, but a “S.M.A.R.T.” one as well!
More tips and tricks for sticking with a new habit is to break the larger goal, let’s say, oh, I don’t know, beautiful skin, into a series of small, discrete steps such as the ones that make up a complete skincare routine. Moreover, we generally find it easier to commit to habits when we are part of a community of people who are doing the same. Following Dr. Devgan’s Scientific Beauty blog will give you a sense of belonging to a community of people who understand, are passionate about and actively participate in comprehensive skincare regimens may give you the boost you need to create and stick to your own!
Aside from the techniques that make adopting a new habit easier, what’s even more important is knowing why you want to improve the quality of your skin. Are you doing it for yourself or are you doing it because you believe it’s what your partner expects? This kind of introspection can be intimidating to some people, but you come out of the other side of it having a much more solid foundation upon which to put in the work to form a new habit.
Experts estimate that it takes between two to three months to turn a pledge into a habit that becomes so automatic that it no longer feels like an onerous burden; it feels like something you just do - like brushing your teeth. To help you along to the point when skincare is as second nature as brushing your teeth or showering, we have compiled a list of handy habit-forming tools:
Look inward to understand why you want better skin.
Set alerts on your smartphone to remind you when and what you need to do.
Start simple; washing your face and moisturizing is much better than nothing!
Use the buddy system; finding someone who is equally (or more) committed to skincare than you is a great way to make sure that you follow through with your habit.
Automate as much of the process as possible. Keep your skincare products in order of their use and easily accessible so that you can seamlessly transition to each step during your wakeup and bedtime routine.
Find a skincare role model and follow her on social media so that, when the habit seems too time-consuming or complicated, you remind yourself of the light that beckons from the end of the tunnel.
Along the lines of finding and emulating a role model, read up on the benefits of skincare so that you can describe to yourself precisely what you are working for.
Not only should you be aware of the benefits that come from succeeding in your newfound skincare routine, but you should also be aware of the consequences of failing in it.
Take pride and congratulate yourself on your daily victory of sticking to your routine!
Accept imperfection. Some days you’ll forget to take off your makeup or you’ll oversleep and not have time for your full routine - and that’s O.K.!
