By Erin Lukas 

New Year, new you? January tends to be a month of broken promises. Whether you vowed to exercise three times a week or read two books a month, resolutions can quickly start to feel like work, become hard to stick with, and are often abandoned by the end of the month. Yet, we continue to make them each year because they’re supposed to help us adopt better habits.

Since we make resolutions with the goal of upgrading, our beauty routines are a great area in our lives to improve upon by making tweaks to our regimens that we’ll actually follow through with in the year ahead.

Drinking enough water and flossing are probably obvious resolutions you already know, but like all good things in life (resolutions included), balance is key, and adding the extra reminder into the line-up of routine-boosting habits will only help you more. Read on for 15 resolutions to make to your beauty routine in 2016 that you’ll actually want to keep.

• 

  1. STOP PICKING AT YOUR FACE

  The knee-jerk reaction to a new blemish is to pick it or pop it, but touching the pimple can cause infection or the bacteria to spread, resulting in a further breakout. This year, cover blemishes with an acne patch to speed healing and ease the urge to pick at them. Peter Thomas Roth’s medicated invisible dots contain salicylic acid, tea tree oil, and hyaluronic acid, a humectant that helps keep skin under the patch moist and prevents dryness.

  Peter Thomas Roth | $30

  SHOP IT

  

  2. EASE UP ON BLOWDRYING

  Breaking up with your blowdryer and flatiron every once in a while are two simple ways to welcome the new year with healthier-looking hair. Overusing heat tools is the most prevalent cause of dryness and breakage. Give your hair a break by applying a primer like Living Proof’s prior to using heat to extend your style a few days while sparing your locks some damage.

  Living Proof | $20

  SHOP IT

  

  3. CLEAN MAKEUP BRUSHES

  Brushes full of dirt and grime are not going to do your complexion any favors, and can clog pores and cause breakouts. Make a vow to regularly clean your brushes once a week to rid them of lingering bacteria; your skin will thank you.

  MAC | $15

  SHOP IT

  

  4. TREAT YOUR CUTICLES

  Just as easily as you can forget your cuticles, they can become a hot mess. Start the new year off by giving your cuticles the TLC they deserve with a weekly treatment of massaging them with Deborah Lippmann’s The Cure. The cream relieves dryness, repairs, and protects cuticles with its blend of raspberry stem-cell extract, shea butter, and vitamins A, C, and E.

  Deborah Lippmann | $24

  SHOP IT
   

  5. CARE FOR YOUR COLOR

  Well-dyed hair doesn’t come cheap, and we put our mane through the ringer each week with blowdrying, straightening, curling, and styling, and harmful environmental elements like UV rays. Protect and prolong your color by treating it weekly with a mask. Oribe’s hair mask specifically tailored to color hair will enhance color, and shield it from UV rays, while add life and shine back to your locks.

  Oribe | $59

  SHOP IT

  

  6. DON’T FORGET SUNSCREEN

  Just because you don’t live near the beach doesn’t mean you don’t need to wear sunscreen. You can subject your complexion to sun damage during any season, even when it’s cloudy out. Wearing a sunscreen daily is the only way to protect against and prevent skin damage and cancer. This do-it-all product from Dermalogica shields skin from UV rays while hydrating and fighting existing hyperpigmentation for an even, glowing skin tone.

  Dermalogica | $62

  SHOP IT

  

  7. STEP OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE

  It’s easy to fall into a makeup routine and stick with it. “If it works, why break it?” is a sentiment we completely understand, but sometimes it pays to step outside of your comfort zone. Dare yourself to try one new thing—whether it’s an eyeshadow shade or filling in your brows—each month in 2016. You may discover a great product that will become a part of your regular rotation.

  Bite | $24

  SHOP IT

  

  8. SCHEDULE A FEW MINUTES OF “ME-TIME”

  Work, meetings, lunches, and happy hours can leave little time each week to relax and decompress from everyday stress. Change this by setting aside some time each week where you turn off your phone and laptop, and forget the daily grind. We recommend doing so in the tub with a luxurious bath oil and a good read.

  Jo Malone | $65

  SHOP IT

  

  9. STOP SLEEPING WITH YOUR MAKEUP ON

  We’ve all been told time and time again just how terrible it is to sleep with your makeup on, yet we still do it. If you’re prone to heading straight to bed following a long day or late night, keep a pack of cleansing wipes in one of your bedside table drawers. Since it doesn’t get any easier than cleaning your face in bed, now you really have no excuses.

  Burt’s Bees | $6

  SHOP IT

  

  10. FLOSS DAILY

  Flossing might not be the most pleasant hygiene task, but doing it daily is necessary to remove plaque and prevent gum disease. This motorized system helps to effectively and comfortably clean between teeth, thanks to its air and micro-droplet technology.

  Philips | $90

  SHOP IT

  

  11. STOP HOARDING YOUR PRODUCTS

  It’s true, even your favorite discontinued lip color that you ration for very special occasions has a shelf life. Using makeup past its lifespan can transfer bacteria to your face; not to mention, products no longer hold their efficiency. Stop hanging on to clutter that’s no longer useful by keeping your products organized in a container that only leaves you with a little extra room aside from your essentials. This way, you’ll have to toss items as they expire and they won’t take up precious space.

  $26

  SHOP IT

  

  12. DRINK MORE WATER

  Water is important for your mental awareness, but it’s also essential for healthy, glowing skin. Avoid a dehydrated, dull complexion by boosting your water intake with the help of a reusable bottle that can travel with you on the go. Bobble’s BPA-free bottle’s built-in filter guarantees every sip you take is clean.

  $10

  SHOP IT

  

  13. MASTER A NEW TECHNIQUE

  Think you’ll never get the hang of strobing or a fishtail braid? That’s what the thousands of tutorials on the Internet are for. Try out a couple and who knows, maybe the technique or style that you master will become your go-to in 2016.

  L’Oreal Paris | $13

  SHOP IT

  

  14. DON’T NEGLECT YOUR FEET

  Since our feet spend most of the year in closed-toe shoes, it’s easy to forget about them till the first warm day of the year comes around and your feet aren’t in sandal-wearing shape. Aside from aesthetics, regularly moisturizing and exfoliating year-round are important for you feet’s health.

  $40

  SHOP IT

  

  15. GIVE YOUR SKIN A WEEKLY DEEP CLEAN

  Just like your apartment, your skin needs a deeper clean that goes beyond the surface. Treat your skin to cleansing mask each week to rid skin of dirt and congestion that builds up deep within your pores, causing breakouts and excess oil.

  Glamglow | $69