What are your goals for next year?

I know, we’re just getting to the turkey but if clearer skin is on your list, start putting together your strategy now for best results.

Remember, everyone’s time frame is different for clearing acne. Some may see a reduction in acne breakouts and dark spots within days or a few weeks, while others may take months of consistency for results to kick in.

Either way, your daily habits–a.k.a. your lifestyle–play a big role in your skin’s appearance. Consider adding one or more of these lifestyle hacks to your clear-skin strategy to boost your journey.

1. Adopt an alkaline diet. An alkaline diet implies eating and avoiding certain foods to keep the body’s PH level balanced. Meat, dairy foods, processed foods, pre-prepared foods (like canned goods), and junk food are all highly acidic, meaning they cause the body to produce more acid to break them down as you digest them. An alkaline diet of 80% acid-neutralizing foods and 20% acid-causing foods means you get more hydrating, nutrient-dense fruits and veggies and less foods that cause inflammation and oily skin.

2. Exercise. Sweating and moving your body for a few minutes each day is sadly overrated as a form of skincare. When you sweat, your body clears away acne-causing bacteria and debris embedded in your pores, which makes your products even more effective. There are too many benefits to exercising for us not to treat ourselves!

3. Get 6-7 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Listen, I don’t care about being in grind mode 24/7–sleep is important! Getting uninterrupted sleep consistently each night promotes healthy hormonal functions, keeping your body out of stress mode and triggering acne. Not to mention your brain goes into repair mode when you’re in deep sleep, and who doesn’t need that?

4. Try not to eat in a hurry. Get intentional about taking time to enjoy and digest your food. Eating in a rush can cause digestive problems and inflammation in the body, which can lead to oily skin and acne breakouts.

5. Start the day with lemon water. Lemon water helps to brighten a dull complexion with a healthy dose of vitamin C. The citric acid in lemon juice can boost your body’s collagen production, which plays a role in younger-looking skin.

6. Take a probiotic. Gut health is super important for clear skin because if your body isn’t digesting nutrients and processing waste properly, the imbalance can eventually and severely show up on your skin. Take a probiotic each day to encourage healthy gut activity and keep inflammation at bay.

7. Start your day with calmness. How many of us are guilty of starting the day in a whirlwind of stress? Sometimes hurrying can feel like the natural thing to do each morning, but it’s not. In fact, rushing promotes those stress signals in the body that can cause oily breakouts. Definitely get those 6-7 hours of sleep, but try getting up earlier to give yourself more time to start the day with calmness. Yoga, meditation, or simple breathing exercises for a few minutes each morning can make all the difference in your day, and your skin.

8. Ask for help when you need it! Listen, stress is so overlooked when it comes to troubleshooting acne breakouts but the effect it has on your skin is real. So attack stress at every angle you can, especially if you have a support system to help you. Don’t hesitate to ask for help when you need it, however the need shows up. We’re not meant to navigate life alone, and suffering through stress acne is no fun.