Skincare Habits I’m Carrying Into 2026 — and What I’m Finally Letting Go Of
Skincare Habits I’m Carrying Into 2026 — and What I’m Finally Letting Go Of
As we catapult into the new year, my FYP has been bombarded with the “2026 Rebrand”, a trend where young girls and women alike covertly plan to take over their lives. Which is more or less a rebrand of “New Year, New Me”. While I understand the appeal, 2026—for me—isn’t about becoming someone new. It’s about refinement.
2025 for me was a year of learning and re-learning everything I thought I knew. So, 2026 I will be applying everything I learned as a rebrand. Walking into 2026 as a newly graduated esthetician, I’m entering 2026 with intention, discernment, and habits that actually support long-term skin health. And I’m not selfish, so here’s 10 intentional skincare habits I’ll be taking into 2026- and what I’m letting go.
1. Prioritizing Barrier Health Over “Results”
Healthy, resilient skin begins with a supported barrier. As an eczema girlie, this was one of the most crucial lessons I’ve learned from esthetician schooling. A compromised skin barrier is the lead cause of sensitivities, hyperpigmentation, and overall undesirable skin appearance. So, I will be prioritizing ceramides and protective products for game changing skin health instead of result driven products such as skin-brightening masks or tone evening serums. Protecting and prioritizing your skin barrier health first will allow the results to follow without all the unnecessary products.
Pro tips for skin barrier health-maxxing
- Ceramides are gentle and calming for every skin type or condition especially when irritated.
- Apply SPF every single day, because UV exposure breaks down the skin’s natural ceramides, increase inflammation and weakens natural repair mechanisms
- Use occlusives strategically. Products like Aquaphor or those that include squalene will seal in moisture and actives (if using). Use appropriately and watch your skin glow
Letting go: chasing visible results at the expense of skin stability.
2. Treating Skincare Like a Ritual, not a Chore
Moving into the New Year, I will be treating skincare as a ritual to guide me from my mind to my body. I will be offering skincare as a source of honoring my skin for keeping me protected, for working overtime to heal every scratch or wound. The most effective way to practice self-care is through slower application and intentional massage. Slowly working lotion into your skin after a steamy shower or moving more intentionally through yourself care steps. More conscious and intentional self-care is proven to benefit in regulating your nervous system and there’s nothing sexier than a regulated nervous system in 2026.
Personally, I’ll be adding affirmations as a part of my skincare and self-care moving forward. Out with a performative and ‘result-driven’ mindset from skincare and in with using skincare as a tool to feel safe and grateful in my body.
Here are personally made affirmation decks to anchor your inner muse.
Letting go: treating skincare like a checklist or obligation.
3. Supporting Skin from Within
I think the skin is the most underrated and misunderstood organ of the body. Despite being the largest and, frankly, the most visible organ of the body, many are unaware that the skin is essential evidence to the reflection of the body’s overall health. The skin is not an isolated organ. However, it is the largest map of the inner body.
As someone who has had a long-term skin condition (as I frequently mention; eczema), more often than not I found myself running through product after product that promised me smooth and clear skin before I learned more. While products can aid in progress, real progress comes from within. So, I will be supporting my skin from within with gut health, better sleep, and stress relief/management. These three categories will heal your skin surpassing any actives or fancy serums infinitely.
No esthetician nor dermatologists can outperform a good balanced diet, quality sleep, and a regulated nervous system. Of course, focusing on all these at once can overwhelm the most disciplined but slowly incorporating eating your skincare if not once but twice a week, you’ll improve exponentially one week at a time.
Letting go: relying solely on actives or serums to correct deeper imbalances.
4. Treating Skincare as Seasonal, Not Static
Another misconception I’ll die on a hill for is that skincare is seasonal. I’m not sure if I’ve seen this covered in the online skincare community but weather is a huge external factor to your skin health. As the protective barrier, the skin is exposed to many external factors, the environment is a crucial compass to your perfect skincare routine. Following the seasonal shifts with your skincare routine is the game changer for 2026. As someone who lives in the south and has dry skin, humidity can be leveraged in my skincare during the summer. When the warmth becomes unbearable, I learned to add glycerin to a spray bottle to draw moisture to my skin. This is terrible advice should someone live in a dry state. But there are plenty more different ways to wield the weather to your advantage.
In prior years, I had only one skincare routine year-round which is something I will be leaving in 2025. Skincare can be equally volatile and stable. This can seem scary or uncertain, but this is why skincare isn’t just ‘result-driven’ then you’re done. It can be a wonderful guide to things you’ve overdid or neglected and even those that will stay the same. This is just the spiral of life- skincare isn’t just vanity but a learning experience between you and your body. Listen to your body and find your soul.
Letting go: using the same routine year-round out of convenience.
5. Investing in At-Home Tools That Support Professional Results
There is countless equipment that can aid in upgrading your skin’s overall health and appearance. Most of which can be intimidating and rightfully so, but I won’t be backing down from a challenge as they can truly support your skincare. As I mentioned before, skincare is not surface level (fun fact that the first layer of the skin known as the epidermis consists of 5 layers!). Facial tools like LED therapy, ice globes, and more require a layer of intention that support building a mindful approach to skincare. Adding just one facial tool to your skincare can transform a basic routine into a devoted ceremony.
The best part is that there is no paywall nor certificated required to operate them. They are easily accessible, simple to use, and overall universal for all skin types. These utensils are often boundless and a frugal entrance to professional treatments. I have a few in the link below that I believe should be a starter kit for anyone wanting to truly elevate their skincare.
Letting go: the belief that effective skincare must be inaccessible or expensive.
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What I’m Leaving Behind Entirely
- Over-exfoliating in pursuit of glow
- Trend-driven product hopping
- Skipping SPF on “low sun” days
- Treating skincare as vanity instead of maintenance
- Expecting instant transformation instead of honoring consistency
The Way Forward
These are the habits that I learned in 2025 that will influence 2026 and I’m sharing in the hopes that you will too. Skincare can be seen as vain, but I believe it’s valuable. Admiring your body for its efforts is a requirement for the most sacred human experience. We often think that a new year is a way to start anew but I think it is a time to reflect, remove, and improve. Personally, I’ve decided that my ‘2026 rebrand’ won’t be a rebrand at all actually, that instead I choose to cultivate what was inside already - a desire to align and evolve. The growth of my understanding and learning from 2025 will be my guide for 2026. So, I encourage the same for you. Learn, Grow, Evolve.
🧿What does more intentional skincare look like for you right now?
Rooted in Ritual. Delivered with Care
The Beauty Oracle<3