Underrated Skincare Tips to Try in 2024

“Drink more water”, “Use SPF every day”, and “Cut down on sugar”…There’s a high chance most of the commonly agreed skincare tips are already burnt into your brain. Another lecture on washing your face and moisturizing? Um, no thank you.

Just to piggyback from the classics, here are some lesser-known skincare tips, or let’s say, micro habits. You might’ve overlooked them or just haven’t realized they might make a difference to your skin, yet they’re easy to implement, won’t cost you a cent, and can be a secret game-changing sauce for your routine.

Are you hurting your skin when showering? What does scrolling have to do with fine lines? Buckle up for the juicy details!

Do laundry on time 

It’s almost as important as a substantial skincare routine.

Now let us explain.

You spend around 6–8 hours a day face-to-face with your pillow. Just think about it—what else touches your skin that much? Apart from absorbing oil, sweat, and dead skin cells, your pillowcase also soaks up all the p.m. routine products you apply to get that Hailey Bieber’s glazed donut shine. By the way, research says an unwashed pillowcase is 17,000 times dirtier than the average toilet seat! No wonder it may clog your pores and promote more zits.

So should you be washing pillowcases every day?

Dermatologists say the rule of thumb is changing them every 2–3 days and washing them on hot. Yeah, yet another point for your mental load, but your precious skin will be over the moon and you may notice getting fewer pimples!

And when laundry is the last thing on your mind—use a clean t-shirt as a pillowcase. A bit of a weird stand-in, but perfectly fine for your skin (well, much better than sleeping on a dirty surface).

Make your pillow a no-go zone

OK, pet parents, where does your furry friend usually sleep? If you often find yourself napping away with your warm cutie on your pillow, we envy you—not all pets are eager cuddle buddies.

Now let us be party-poopers. Though pets can’t be the root cause of skin issues like acne, the bacteria and dirt they may bring to your common pillow might exacerbate zits and inflammation. If your pet is into outdoorsy stuff, there’s a high chance they can also bring in unwanted guests like fleas, fungus, or parasites. And even the cleanest pup in the world still could’ve chewed on something greasy five minutes before laying down and giving you a smoochy kiss!

Before you roll your eyes—yes, you’re right—setting boundaries with pets is challenging. How can you resist the look in their eyes? That said, if your skin health is your priority now, but you still want to enjoy your pet’s presence when resting, here’s a suggestion: train your dog to curl up at your feet. Ready for more profound changes? Declare your bed a pet-free zone. 

Skincare tips for fans of showering in lava

Phew… Another hell of a day at work or studying, and you finally deserve to take that looong hot shower (or bath, you do you). 

Firstly, we agree these are GOATs of at-home relaxation. But here’s the catch—your skin is probably crying and kicking while you’re singing your heart out in the steam (especially if it’s prone to dryness). 

Isn’t it supposed to love a good wash?

The thing is, hot water strips your skin of its natural oils and disrupts the moisture barrier, leaving it super dry. And to take it even further, high water temperature may even cause broken capillaries. Have you noticed how red your face is after those boiling sessions?

So, to ensure your showers are relaxing for you and harmless for your skin:

• Reduce their temperature—lukewarm water is the gold standard.
• Alternatively, cut down on the duration of your sessions (okay, your everything showers may stay intact, but mind the water temperature).

Side note: Your body wash can be irritating too, even if its smell is just divine. Take a minute to check its formula with an ingredient scanner.

Practice coffee mindfulness

Crabby monsters before a morning coffee and productivity gurus after… 

Our caffeine-addicted buddies out there, this one’s for you.

It seems like a no-brainer—coffee makes us happier, and the happier we are, the more radiant our skin should be, right? Well, here’s the bitter truth. While caffeine is indeed a holy grail for boosting your mood and focus, most studies show that consuming too much caffeine

• increases cortisol, the so-called stress hormone, which in turn raises testosterone, spiking sebum production. This means a higher chance of pimples appearing;
• can deplete your body of much-needed water and vitamin B—dehydrated skin is more likely to look dull, dry, and less toned. Probably not the result you want from your coffee. 

So how much is too much? The FDA health experts recommend setting your coffee norm at no more than 4–5 cups a day. If you’re used to drinking more, don’t call it quits abruptly—it may result in headaches and jitteriness.

One more tip for coffee devotees—always have water available and make it your staple start-of-the-day drink (yes, even before you grab that morning coffee). Not only will it help get your metabolism going, but you’ll also be able to enjoy the taste of coffee more.

Scroll it right, aka skincare tips for a gorg neck

At this point, you might be thinking, “Why is everything I like bad for me? Scrolling correctly? Seriously?”

Just so you know, we believe everyone deserves at least 10 minutes curled up like a croissant and scrolling as an evening ritual.

But, as with coffee, everything is good in moderation. The more time you spend with your back, shoulders, and neck muscles tensed, neck tilted forward, the closer you are to costly visits to masseurs (“HOW much for thirty minutes?”) and premature neck lines (dubbed as text or tech neck).

Got it, enough with the scary part. Here are some actionable skincare tips instead:

• Keep your technology at eye level so you’re not constantly looking down; 

• Carve out at least 10 minutes daily for some light-hearted back and neck stretches. We know—easier said than done. If you’re a die-hard procrastinator, stack them after another, more satisfying activity (maybe checking out a few cosmetic new-ins with an ingredient scanner?)

• Be mindful of your posture while sitting at your desk or Netflixing. No matter how irritating the ”Don’t slouch!” reminder is, you can ask those close to you to nudge you into keeping your shoulders pulled back and down.