As much as we love our skincare around here, we have to admit that we’re far from perfect all the time. We’re diligent about layering, exfoliating, hydrating, and applying daily SPF, and we’re damn near obsessive with our morning and nightly routine. As we’ve started to focus more on youth-preserving skincare, we realized we’d been neglecting a major area of concern: our necks!

Your neck starts showing signs of aging way earlier than a lot of areas on your body, and it’s entirely avoidable. Crepey skin, sun damage, broken capillaries, and splotches are the result of simple neglect, and we’re all guilty of not paying the skin on our necks enough attention — but that stops here. Here’s how to start reversing some of the damage and make your neck as high of a priority as the skin on your face.

 

Cleanse All the Way

One of the easiest ways to better care for your neck is to start cleansing it properly. Your neck is exposed to environmental pollution, makeup, hair care products, perfume, and oil throughout your day, so be sure that you’re not skipping it when you cleanse your face at night. Massage your oil cleansers into your décolletage and neck in firm circular motions, and always start from the bottom and work your way up to your jawline, then repeat with your water-based cleanser.

Note: always apply products to your neck in an upward motion toward your jawline.

 

Treat Wisely

Skincare is expensive, and treating your neck along with your face basically doubles the ground that needs to be covered, so decide which products are worth carrying over to treat this area. If you feel comfortable using all your products on your neck too, by all means, go for it! But if you need to be a little more sparing, your retinol and vitamin C serum are both sufficient to ensure your neck skin is being protected and replenished. Start applying them to your neck at the same time you apply them to your face!

 

A Little More TLC

If you really want to rev up your youth preserving efforts, consider purchasing neck-focused products that make the special needs of this area a main focus. These products typically will include hydrating acids, vitamins, peptides, and firming ingredients, such as collagen or proteins. Layer them on at night after retinol and in the morning before SPF.

 

SPF Always

UVA/UVB rays are public enemy #1 when it comes to early signs of aging, protect ya neck (sorry, had to) by applying SPF all the way down to your décolletage every day. Keep in mind that SPF 40+ is ideal, and sun exposure throughout the day should be minimal even when wearing SPF.

 

Log Off

As if millennials didn’t have enough to worry about, we’re the first generation up against the phenomenon of “Tech Neck,” which is early signs of aging, back pain, and bad posture that come as a result of staring down at our phones and computer screens. Deep horizontal lines form across your neck when you are constantly looking down and are hard to reverse once they have settled in. 

Try to be more mindful of how you hold your head when working or scrolling through Instagram, and take a break every so often to roll your shoulders back and align your chin to be parallel with the ground. And please, stop taking your phone with you to bed!

The post Don’t Forget Your Neck: How to Protect & Treat This Delicate (But Forgotten) Area appeared first on The Everygirl.

If you’ve taken up any interest in skincare, by now you should know to remove all our makeup before bed and drink a lot of water throughout the day to keep our skin hydrated. In addition to your regular skincare routine, there are other things you can do to ensure great skin. As a self-proclaimed skincare enthusiast, I have spent my fair share of time reading, talking with professionals, and experimenting to nail down the best tips for great skin. Today, I’m sharing my favorite hacks for glowy skin that I swear by.

 

Use a hydrating mask right before your period

This has hands down been some of the best advice I’ve ever received. I told a facialist about my problem of hormonal breakouts on my chin around my time of the month. She suggested putting a hydrating mask on my t-zone, or where ever I am breaking out, a few days before my period to prevent this. It is now one of the only things to make my period a little more bearable!

 

 

Introduce double cleansing into your routine

I’m so glad my eyes have been open to the miracle that is double cleansing — first washing your face with an oil-based cleanser, and then washing with a water based cleanser. This may seem unnecessary, but if you are only using a regular cleanser then you are only washing off the first layer of dirt. The oil cleanser pulls the oil-based impurities out of your skin and removes excess sebum and any extra makeup — then you massage it into your face which promotes blood circulation. Then, go in with a gel or foam cleanser to more thoroughly clean your skin.

READ: What Is Double Cleansing, and Should You Be Doing It?

 

Use an eye cream with caffeine to combat dark circles

Dark under eye circles are something I have always struggled with, as it runs in my family. I have tried just about every eye cream under the sun and never really experienced any success. I spoke with a nurse practitioner about her professional advice on how to handle this and she told me to be sure my eye cream contains caffeine, and I realized the ones I was using weren’t! Caffeine helps to diminish the appearance of dark circles as well as brighting and reducing puffiness.

 

 

Always wear sunscreen – even when it’s cloudy

Starting to use sunscreen while you’re young is so important! I use a facial sunscreen everyday, except when I know I’ll be inside most of the day. Sunscreen not only protects your face from UV rays, but also slows down premature aging and wrinkles from sun exposure. Your future self will thank you! I also am a huge fan because it reduces the appearance of pores before I put on makeup.

 

Add more salmon & other healthy fats to your diet

Ever since I heard that Victoria Beckham ate salmon everyday for glowy skin, I was on board. The girl can do no wrong. Salmon contains omega-3 fatty acids which help keep skin moisturized and reduce inflammation. Now I don’t actually eat salmon everyday, but I do still try to get plenty of healthy fats in my diet by adding avocado, coconut oil, green leafy vegetables, and nuts.

 

Just because it’s burning doesn’t mean it’s working

There is a skincare myth out there that if it burns and stings then it must be working, and this is not always the case! Benzoyl peroxide is a common ingredient in skincare for acne and is one of the causes of that burning. This ingredient can help you fight acne, but can also irritate your skin leaving it dry, red, flaky, and inflaming your acne even more. Products like this can dry out your skin and strip it of its natural oils and moisture. I tend to avoid products like this that make my skin feel really tight and dry!

 

 

Korean sheet masks are your holy grail

These are one of the simplest and cheapest ways to get glowy, dewy skin. After reading The Little Book of Skin Care, I became obsessed. They’re packed with antioxidant and vitamins that get soaked into your face. You can find a sheet mask for any skin condition you want to fix. My skin is always left brighter, softer, and more hydrated.

 

It’s never too early to start taking care of your skin

The more you take care of your skin now, the better it is going to look when you’re older. It is totally okay to invest in your skin while you’re young. This could mean getting regular facials, simply just drinking more water to keep it hydrated, or investing time to learn about your skin. Since everyone has different skin, It is important to identify your skin type and the products that work best for you. Not everything will work the same for everyone.

 

What are your favorite skincare hacks that you use? Let us know in the comments.

The post My Favorite, Underrated Skincare Hacks appeared first on The Everygirl.

We’re fast approaching New Years, which means time for New Year’s resolutions. I know, I know, every year you think, this year I’m going to be my best self! But 2019 can be your year where you actually are your best self! While you’re thinking of what New Year’s resolutions you’re going to make, you might as well take one step towards being your best self by getting your best hair.

The right cut makes all difference between lifeless, limp hair and a supermodel mane, making your hair look healthier, shinier, thicker, and all-around more stylish. We’ve gathered up all the coolest haircuts to give your hair a major 2019 upgrade. Here are the trendiest, chicest haircuts for every length, that will help you achieve the hair of your dreams. Every day will be a good hair day.

 

Short Hair

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Medium Hair

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Long Hair

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The post 30+ Inspiring Haircuts for 2019 appeared first on The Everygirl.