While we're not necessarily subscribing to the whole "New Year-New Me" mantra, there is one aspect of our lives that we're looking to evolve - our beauty regimes. So, the woman&home team are sharing eight resolutions that we're looking to keep in 2024, to help inspire your own.
Afterall, a new calendar year is a great opportunity to get back on track or implement a change (or ten) to your routine. Whether you're looking to add a few of the best hyaluronic acid serums into your arsenal or reap the benefits of red light therapy devices, we're dubbing 2024 the year of all things beauty.
In light of this, our team of skin and makeup connoisseurs have dished on what healthy, time-saving and glow-boosting resolutions they're looking to keep in the new year - all of which are attainable and most importantly, affordable.
woman&home's 2024 beauty resolutions
Of course, your skincare routine is a personal one - some products and practices that work for us might not work for you - but sometimes it's helpful to get a glimpse into someone else's routines, even if it's just for brand recommendations. And let's face it, a new year can come with a lot of pressure and expectations attached.
Well, we're getting rid of all of that, with a list of eight resolutions that don't feature luxe lotions and potions and are attainable within your everyday routine - if you choose to partake.
1. Simplify my skincare routine
"My job means I get to try a lot of products. This is obviously a huge privilege, but it means I can be very easily distracted when it comes to my routine. I'll have a generally solid base, but then I'll hear about a new wonder-serum and chuck the whole regime aside to incorporate it (while also trying a new cleanser, night cream and SPF while I'm there) - my skin hates this.
"I'm learning that my complexion is much clearer and content when I keep things consistent - and borderline boring. So, in 2024 I want to be better at keeping my skincare simplified. I'll stick to frill-free ranges (best La Roche-Posay products, you have my heart - and my sink), and keep the blinkers on when it comes to those wild TikTok hyped buys."
- Rhiannon Derbyshire, Senior Beauty Editor, woman&home
RRP: £45
I'm becoming a bit of a hyaluronic acid bore. It's the main thing I recommend to people asking about any aspect of skincare. It's just such a superstar ingredient - hydration is obviously its main job, but that leads to a happier complexion in so many ways - skin is plumper, bouncier, tighter and glowier. LRP do one of the very best HA serums on the market - I have a stockpile at all times.
Rhiannon Derbyshire is the Senior Beauty Editor for woman&home, where she covers matte lipsticks, posh shampoos, and every skincare product imaginable. She is is well-versed in all things blemish and acne-related after tackling her own demons and embraces her natural 3B curl hair texture on the daily - making her w&h's go-to expert in nailing a curly hair routine.
2. Invest in my smile
"I have just spent the past 18 months paying for my teenage daughter to have her wonky teeth fixed. A rite of passage for many teens. But last month, when her fixed braces were finally removed to reveal a wonderfully straight smile, as well as being delighted for her, I must confess, I was jealous! So even though my daughter’s treatment has been tough on my wallet - orthodontic work is EXPENSIVE - I have decided that at the grand old age of 45, I want straight teeth too!
"I’ve heard that correcting the teeth and improving one’s smile can make the whole face look firmer and tauter. Sign me up! Forget Botox, I think it's going to be the best anti-ageing treatment I can give myself."
- Sarah Cooper-White, Beauty Director, woman&home
Sarah Cooper-White has almost 20 years experience as a beauty journalist. After being diagnosed with skin cancer in her 20s, Sarah developed a passion for skincare and is constantly on a quest to educate people about the importance of looking after their skin. She'll never say never to Botox but believes that a good skincare regime (as well as staying out of the sun) is one of the best investments you can make for your future self.
3. Pay attention to moles
"As well as a resolution that’s going to help me look good, the other is for my health. I have a friend with stage 4 melanoma, which all started with a mole on her back. Her experience has made me so much more aware of the moles on my own body, especially because in my late teens and early twenties (before I became a Beauty Editor), I was a complete sun worshipper.
"This year, I’m going to make time to book in for a mole check, either with a dermatologist or the moleclinic.co.uk. And always, always wear SPF50."
- Sarah Cooper-White, Beauty Director, woman&home
4. Do regular facial massages
Facial tension has been a big problem for me for a while now – eyebrows, cheeks, jaw, you name it. I tried all the facial gadgets I could think of – from the Foreo Bear for a microcurrent massage, to the PMD Clean for an intense facial wash and the Therabody Theraface for percussive therapy and more to the best gua sha tools on the market. And while all of them have helped me somewhat, the only time they seem to actually make a difference is when I use them regularly - which I am not good at.
So my beauty New Year's resolution is to make facial massage a daily habit by carving out a small chunk of time each day to do a treatment for whatever my skin and facial muscles might need that day - be it a gua sha massage, a facial roller, microcurrent, percussive therapy or a good old-fashioned knuckle massage.
- Aleesha Badkar, Beauty Editor, womanandhome.com
RRP: £40
For those looking for advice on how to use gua sha, these aesthetic palm-sized tools are ideal for facial massages and lymphatic drainage. This one, in particular, hugs the curvatures of your face and glides across the skin.
RRP: £29.99
This roller offers a deep, sculpting massage whilst also providing a cooling effect to the skin to help to depuff, tone and brighten.
RRP: £33
This weighted ball offers a workout for the face, as it works to target the facial muscles, rolling over the skin to provide a massaging effect.
Aleesha is Digital Beauty Editor at woman&home, where she gets to share her expertise into all the best techniques, sharpest tools and newest products - with a particular savvy in skincare and fragrance. With years of beauty product testing experience, she always knows what to recommend.
5. Make time for dry hand and cuticle care
"I've been renovating an Edwardian property, which means my bank balance is taking a hit, and so are my hands. This causes a chain reaction - the dryness turns into easy picking opportunities, so any ragged cuticles or flakes of dry skin become a target.
"Keeping a super-rich cream is the only way to stop this cycle. I pledge to stockpile some extra nurturing concoctions - I love the Clarins Hand & Nail Treatment Balm and L'Occitane She Butter Hand Cream - both help heal any sore, dry bits quickly. Thus, my NY resolution is to use them consistently, after every hand wash, when I'm on the go or tempted to pick."
- Sarah Joan Ross, Editor-In-Chief, womanandhome.com
RRP: £22
This luxurious hand cream is formulated with shea butter (20%) to nourish and soothe your hands whilst also protecting the skin barrier from environmental aggressors. If you have dry or chapped hands, this is a must-buy!
RRP: £26
Another saviour for dry and chapped fingers, this hand and nail treatment is enriched with shea butter and sesame oil to nourish and shield your hands from the element. It also absorbs quickly and is non-greasy.
RRP: £19.90
If you're a lover of BIAB nails or doing your manicure at home, cuticle oils - like this one from OPI - can help boost the longevity of your nail designs and ward off dryness around your fingertips.
Sarah Joan Ross is Editor-In-Chief at womanandhome.com, with over 20 years of experience as an editor, consultant, digital writer & stylist and experience working in London, New York, Milan, Paris and the Middle East. She began her career at ELLE, where she tested the latest beauty launches (by the sack load) and is a happy hoarder of fragrances, has tested zillions of products and believes the power of finding a good one — can be life-changing.
6. Use SPF regularly
"I've got fairly wrinkle-free olive skin (for my age) and have been really cavalier about using SPF (as in, I really haven't ever used it). So, my New Year beauty resolution will be to invest in a good one, to use rain or shine.
"If I can find one that's not just protective but restorative, too, I'll see that as a win."
- Lucy Searle, Content Director, woman&home.com
RRP: £19.90
This is one of the best facial sunscreens on the market, according to the woman&home beauty team. Its lightweight formula is formulated specifically for sensitive skin types and offers SPF50+ protection.
RRP: £37
This sunscreen is a little special as it comes in serum form and works to shield your skin against pollution and UVA/UVB rays.
RRP: £33
Another favourite of our team's, this Kiehl's sunscreen is fast absorbing, providing an invisible shield against environmental aggressors and UVA/UVB rays.
Lucy Searle has written about interiors, gardens and travel for over 30 years, starting within the interiors departments of women's magazines before switching to interiors-only titles in the mid-1990s. She is now Content Director across Homes & Gardens, Woman & Home, Real Homes and Ideal Home.
7. Stick to a regular skincare routine - and cleanse before bed!
"Next year I want to commit to a better skincare routine. I sometimes go to bed with my makeup on (eep I know!), so won't be doing that anymore! I want to cleanse my face properly every day, exfoliate more often and do at-home facials at least once a week.
"After a night out I sometimes forget to take my makeup off, so will invest in wipes to keep in my bag so I can start the cleanse on my way home!"
- Paula Moore, Fashion Director, woman&home
Paula Moore has been working in the fashion industry for over 30 years. She is a high street girl at heart who occasionally treats herself to a designer item or two and has worked on numerous titles from Shout to Vogue, as well as appearing in front of the camera on Lorraine, QVC and Matalan: The Show.
8. Be mindful of building a good habit day-by-day
"Every year I get to about February, when the seemingly relentlessly cold and wet days set in and the next break (Easter) seems like a lifetime away and I lose my motivation for the New Year's resolutions I have set.
"Not this year! No pressure to be something I can never be and just more time with family and friends. The people that keep our lives fun and full of joy. I listened to our February cover star, Susanna Reid, who spoke passionately about how important her time is with her children and how in her fifties she feels more confident and resilient.
"In a world where we are exposed to so much, how lovely to have such a positive outlook. She says; ‘I look at the opportunity in front of me right now that I can take or not take. When you build day by day, that’s how you achieve things. Rather than have a goal that is six months away…’ Wise words."
- Hannah Fernando, Editor, woman&home
Hannah Fernando is Editor of woman&home, where she works with celebrity talent and looks after all of the sections of the magazine.
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