‘Beauty resolutions’ may conjure a familiar visual: shiny countertops lined with lipsticks like shrines, baskets filled to the brim with a deluge of skincare salves, helplessly muddling about through the maze-like aisles of Sephora. It’s a lot. And it’s limiting—beauty is so much more than how we attend to our face, hair or nails. In 2024, why not consider a different blueprint?

With a new year comes a new opportunity to shed (or at least exfoliate) our tired carapaces and find a fresh routine that encompasses what beauty means today: sound mind, sound body and personalised self-care rituals that are uniquely designed to nurture and re-energise you. Here, we present a thoroughly modern constellation of resolutions to uplevel your beauty regimen to the hilt. Le fil rouge? Each of these targets beauty at its roots; we know happier skin starts from within.

It’s well documented that adult acne, especially among women, is on the rise. Acne is multifactorial—our diet, environment, stress, medicines, hormones or a host of other things may be triggering our breakouts—and therefore hard to treat. But we can eliminate products from our routine that clog pores or worsen acne. Take the first month of the year to ingredient-check your beauty cabinet; you may be surprised to find hidden culprits in natural or organic oils like coconut and avocado oil that could be wreaking havoc on your skin.  

Our menstrual cycle can be broken down into four phases: follicular, ovulation, luteal and menstruation. Throughout the month, our energy, appetite and mood can fluctuate—why not align our fitness routines with how we’re feeling? From Nike to Form, industry experts are encouraging women to shift their workouts according to each phase. That could mean focusing on strength training during your luteal phase, going for a swim in your follicular phase, taking a HIIT class while you’re ovulating and gently walking or foam rolling when on your period.    

Out with the old? Not so quick. While you’re vetting your products for pore-clogging ingredients, examine which beauty brands are helping you do your part for the planet. Consider buying products that are available in pods for easy and sustainable refills or made in recyclable plastic-free materials. Unsure where to start? Look to eco-first brands like Kora Organics or Ere Perez or even closer to home—think twice before disposing of a beauty vessel that may double as a vase, stationery holder or jewellery box. 

We need not wax philosophical about the merits of staying hydrated. But how hard is your water working for you? We often neglect the discrepancies in drinking water directly from the tap versus from a filter or a bottle or downing a glass turbocharged with electrolytes. Taste aside, a water filter can decontaminate the liquid we drink from chlorine, heavy metals, bacteria, pesticides, parasites, fluoride and other toxins, while electrolytes can boost healthy cell function and improve recovery. The uptick in shower purifiers is no coincidence: it’s not just the water we’re sipping on that impacts our bodies; hard water (water with high mineral content) can inflame eczema and psoriasis and even leave our hair with straw-like texture and less elasticity. 

The benefits of LED Light Therapy speak for themselves. Whether you’re suffering from a dermatitis, acne or rosacea breakout, are working to heal sun damage or want to reduce the appearance of fine lines, regular LED sessions or an at-home mask can work wonders for your skin, and double up as a calming and effective time out.

Think of your vagus nerve as the MVP in your parasympathetic nervous system—the part of your body that activates your ‘rest and digest’. When it’s working, the vagus nerve regulates our heart rate, digestion and immunity, so we can combat stress and feel and function at our best. When the vagus nerve goes awry, so do our bodies: we can experience headaches, stress and inflammation which often manifests in upset stomachs. Thankfully, we can activate it ourselves: singing, humming or cold exposure can do the trick (and should indicate how closely linked the vagus nerve is with a sound mind). Wearables like Sensate, which release sonic vibrations, or apps like Nerva, can help you get a head start. 

Contrary to how we’ve been conditioned, there’s a lot of latitude in how one can approach a holistic beauty routine. How about starting with the removal of PFAs, the synthetic nasties hidden everywhere from our pots and pans, leggings and, unsurprisingly, our water? Studies show PFAs, or Forever Chemicals, can disrupt cholesterol levels, liver and thyroid function and even increase the risk of certain cancers. Look to pioneering brands that are PFA-free like Our Place for cookware or Happy Earth for activewear. 

We’ve heard it before but it’s true: probiotics are key for healthy gut function. Our gut is intimately linked to that long list of frustrating chronic symptoms, from brain fog to mood disruptions and chronic fatigue. In 2024, prioritise your gut microbiome but note that not all probiotics are equal—be sure to find one whose microorganisms are strong enough to make the journey to your gut alive and well.