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Promise Your Skin And Hair That You'll Do These 12 Things In The New Year
Aight. We all know that this is the time of year when resolutions are at their peak. My suggestion? Make less resolutions (80 percent of them fail within the month anyway) and instead focus on vowing to do some things that are manageable, super attainable, and can be easily added into your self-care routine. Things like the following 12 on this beauty list — six for your skin and six for your hair.
To be honest with you, some of these are big beauty trends for 2024. Others? They are simply things that, I can say from very up close and personal experience, will help you to achieve glowing skin and longer and healthier hair.
So, are you ready to make this the best year yet as far as how your appearance goes? Me too!
From Vitamin C to Tea Rinses: The Beauty Resolutions That Will Elevate Your 2024
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Skin: Topical Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that, health-wise, can help to keep the common cold at bay, make it easier for your system to absorb iron, and it can fight off free radicals as well. As far as your skin is concerned, if you apply it in the form of a cream or serum, vitamin C can deeply moisturize your skin, help to fade hyperpigmentation, boost collagen production, reduce sagging of the skin, and help you to look years younger. As a bonus, if you happen to battle with dark circles underneath your eyes, it can help to fade those out, too.
So, if flawless skin is your goal for this year, Elle has their top list of vitamin C serums here, Byrdie has some of their favorites here, and we have some of our favorites here.
Hair: Bond-Building
Even though some folks are haters of this next recommendation (because they aren’t convinced that they actually work consistently and effectively), I’ve been sold on bond-builders since, I think, late 2022. Since my hair has high porosity, I get that my cuticles stand out and that there are gaps in them. What bond-builders do is help strengthen the chemical bonds of your hair strands in a way that can literally make you feel like your damaged or weak hair has been “cured” after one treatment. To be fair, if you’re looking to do something like repair any split ends that you may have, nothing can fix that — you’ll need to cut them off.
However, if you want more elasticity, for your strands to feel smoother, and for styling your hair to be a lot easier, bond-building is that one, you hear me? What I can personally vouch for is Marc Anthony’s line. His Marc Anthony Repairing Leave-In Conditioner Treatment and Marc Anthony Repairing Mask are the absolute truth.
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Skin: Neck Care
Y’all…Y’ALL. I know that Black women like to brag on us not crackin’; however, the reality is that if we don’t take care of our skin, crackin’ is on the horizon (check out “Yes, Black CAN Crack. Here's What To Do About It, Tho.”) — and that is especially the case when it comes to women who ignore their neck. I ain’t gonna name no names, but there are some celebs out here who look amazing in the face, yet their neck tells on them every single time because it sags, it wrinkles, or it’s got rings all around it. That’s why there’s no way I could do an article like this and not mention how important neck care is.
You need to moisturize your neck (with a thicker cream than what you would use on your face). You need to exfoliate your neck. I actually read that consuming omega-3 fatty acids like salmon, walnuts, and eggs, especially at night, along with applying retinol (because it helps to increase the elasticity in your skin) can also do wonders for your neck.
If retinols are something that you’d like to get more into this year, Today has a list of serums that they stand behind here. Whatever regimen you decide, don’t neglect your neck this year. It’ll tell on you every time if you do.
Hair: Hair Follicle Care
The reason why I’ve written articles for the platform like “Top To Bottom: 10 Tips To Strengthen Your Hair Follicles & Protect Your Ends” before is because, if you’re on the journey of attaining some serious length retention this year (check out “Let's Gain An Inch A Month Of Hair Growth 'Til December, Shall We?”), there’s no way around the fact that you’re going to have to give your hair follicles (the roots of your hair) and your ends (check out “Your Ends Are How You Get Length. 10 Things They Desperately Need.”) some serious TLC. As far as your follicles go, some signs that they are weaker than they should be include having a dry scalp, experiencing excessive shedding, and having brittle hair.
One thing that can nip all of this in the bud is limiting the amount of heat that you use. Some others include massaging your scalp on a weekly basis (check out “10 Things Your Scalp Has BEEN Waiting For You To Do”), getting more zinc into your system (it helps to strengthen your hair follicles and prevent hair loss, so either take a zinc supplement or eat zinc-enriched foods like beans, pumpkin seeds and whole grains) and being very gentle with your hair when it's wet; that’s when it is its most fragile.
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Skin: Facial Peels
The main reason why I wrote “I've Been Doing At-Home Chemical Peels. Here Are The Pros And Cons.” for the platform last fall is because I know that DIY skincare is steadily on the rise, if for no other reason than the fact that it’s easier on the wallet. Personally, since I’ve been more proactive about my own skin at home, I’ve had no regrets, facial peels included; although it did take a bit of trial and error before I figured out what worked best for me. That said, whether you go to a licensed esthetician, you choose to take care of your skin 100 percent yourself, or you want to implement a combination of both — definitely make facial peels a part of your face’s skincare routine.
They have the ability to do everything from even out your skin tone, and reduce breakouts to minimize pores and soften the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. A line that I am fond of (because I use it) is Perfect Image. I’m a fan because they come in different concentration levels, and the prices are pretty fair. If you follow the instructions to a “T,” you should be fine. Again, though, there are always people who are trained in facial peels if you’re a bit on the fence about applying facial peels yourself. Don’t feel bad if you prefer going that route instead.
Hair: Coating Ends Nightly
As I’m continuing to learn more about my hair, two of my biggest mistakes have been not giving it regular protein treatments (which should happen every 4-6 weeks) and not coating my ends on a consistent basis. Since our ends are the oldest parts of our hair, this means that they’ve received the most wear and tear — and that makes them the most fragile. So yes, if you want to gain some inches, they need to be pampered the most. One way you can do that is by “coating your ends” at night. Basically, what I do is apply a leave-in conditioner that is water-based and then seal that with a carrier oil like sweet almond or grapeseed because they are both light in texture.
Some like to use a grease like Blue Magic instead (I ain’t knockin’ it; I wrote an article shouting it out a few years back entitled, “Looking For Hair Growth? It Might Be Time To Bring 'Blue Magic' Back”) because it’s thicker. It’s totally up to you. Just make sure that you don’t go to bed with your ends being parched. It’s not a good look and will probably lead to breakage more than any type of growth progress.
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Skin: Back Facial
Four times a year, something that I will see a skin professional for is a back facial — and I can immediately tell the difference every time that I do. For one thing, I have about four, what are known as pores of Winer, which is basically a stretched-out pore (that probably resembles a small mole) that contains a blackhead or something that looks like a small black seed once it's removed. Unless you get a healthcare provider to stitch up the pore, it’s going to constantly fill back up over time, so yeah…back facials are one way to prevent them from irritating you or becoming unsightly. Another reason why I am consistent about getting back facials is because I have a tiny eczema patch around where my bra straps connect, and since it’s hell trying to reach back there, I get it “tended to” by a professional.
And finally, until someone comes up with a tool that will help us to thoroughly pamper our backs (and boy, do I live for the day!), I get my back deep-cleansed and exfoliated. It is worth every penny, I tell you. So, whether you can relate to all of these reasons, you workout a lot and you want to keep back acne from getting out of control, or you like to show off your back as much as possible (or all of the reasons above), invest in at least a couple of back facials this year. There is no way that you will regret it.
Hair: Scalp Exfoliation
Something that will have you out here feeling like a whole new woman is exfoliating your scalp. I wish it was something that I had gotten into years ago — hell, decades at this point. What put me on was when I was fully transitioning out of texturizers (which are mild perms; please don’t tell yourself otherwise because it’s simply not true) to full-on natural hair. When I tell you that my scalp was shedding something serious? I didn’t realize how much trauma I had been sending it through with years of damaging it from various chemicals to the point where it literally took a year for my scalp to fully recover. One thing that helped? Exfoliating because, just like the rest of our skin sheds dead skin cells, so does our scalp.
And if you do exfoliate it on every wash day (or at least every other one), it can help to get rid of dead skin cells, remove product build-up, stimulate your hair follicles, remove dandruff flakes and soothe an itchy and/or irritated scalp as well. There are scalp exfoliants that you can purchase (like these here), or you can go the DIY route. One of my favorites consists of white sugar, sea salt, some grapeseed oil, and peppermint oil. Apply the mixture to damp hair, gently massage for about 2-3 minutes, let it penetrate for five more minutes, and then shampoo. Some other effective scalp exfoliant recipes are located here.
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Skin: Using Body Serums That Contain Niacinamide
Has your skin been looking dry and dull lately? Perhaps it appears even a bit tired. Something that you might want to look into is a body serum; preferably one that contains what is known as niacinamide, which is simply a form of vitamin B3; it’s an ingredient that is going to be very popular all this year. Probably one of the best things to say about niacinamide is what makes it different from hyaluronic acid is, while the acid deeply hydrates your skin, niacinamide also reduces the appearance of pores, lightens dark spots, and softens the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
My recommendation is to use the serum 2-3 times a week and the acid, especially on your face and neck, twice a day. Your skin will be on-point from head to toe if you do.
Hair: Softening Your Water
Did you know that over 85 percent of the people who live in the United States deal with hard water? When it comes to your skin, hard water can clog up your pores, which can lead to breakouts. When it comes to your scalp, hard water can leave it extremely dry and irritated. And when it comes to your hair, the build-up of the minerals that are in hard water can leave your hair dry and brittle while causing a significant amount of hard-to-manage frizz. Although clarifying shampoos and even apple cider rinses can help to reduce the damage that hard water can cause over time, one of the best ways to prevent it from becoming an issue for your hair at all is to get a solid showerhead filter. Why? Well, they are specifically designed to take impurities out of the water that can cause hard water in the first place.
A list of some highly recommended filters is located here. If you happen to be someone who shampoos your hair in one of your sinks, some cool faucet filters are found here.
Skin: Tea Rinse
I’m a tea fan. I grew up on it. That’s why I try and pitch articles on tea (check out “10 'Uncommon' Teas You Should Add To Your Stash (& Why),” “8 Teas That Are Really Good For Your Vaginal Health” and “So, Here Are Some Teas That Will Make Your Sex Life So Much Better”) as much as possible. It’s also why I thought that a great way to wrap up some things that you should do for your skin and your hair is to mention tea rinses. Bottom line, teas (especially herbal ones) are packed with antioxidants, tannins, and nutrients that will be great for your natural beauty goals because pretty much whatever is in the tea is what will transfer onto you if you “rinse yourself” with them.
Teas that are great for your skin include chamomile (it reduces inflammation), rooibos (it helps to treat acne), blackberry leaf (it gets rid of free radicals), white tea (it helps to prevent wrinkles), and peppermint tea (it kills bacteria and could even help to heal breakouts). Simply steep your favorite tea (or a combination of teas) for 20 minutes. Let it cool completely. Cleanse your skin. Then saturate a cotton ball in the tea solution, apply it to your skin, and let it sit for between 5-10 minutes before rinsing off with cool water and moisturizing. Your skin will feel immediately refreshed.
Hair: Tea Rinse
And finally, just like your skin can benefit from all that comes with a tea rinse, so can your hair. Three Black YouTubers have videos that expound on this very fact: Limitless Bloom (here), Sharon Nwosu (here), and DINMA OKIKE (here). If you want less shedding, a healthier scalp, more moisture in your strands, and faster hair growth, making time to rinse your hair on your wash days will help you achieve all of this. Some teas that are awesome for your hair are nettle leaf (it strengthens your hair), rosemary tea (it soothes your scalp), and jasmine tea (it stimulates hair growth). My two cents would be to steep the tea for about 45 minutes, add some honey (if you want to deep condition your hair via the rinse), apply the rinse, put a shower cap on your head, and let the rinse sit for 30-60 minutes. Then rinse with lukewarm water and apply a deep conditioner. Your hair will feel so much softer afterward.
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There you have it: 12 things that are reasonably priced, easy to apply, and super effective. So, rather than pressuring yourself with resolutions, just start to implement things that are proven to take your beauty goals to new dimensions. It’s less stressful and so much more beneficial to take that approach.
Welcome to a brand-spankin’ new year, y’all!
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Different puzzle pieces are creating bigger pictures these days. 2024 will mark a milestone on a few different levels, including the release of my third book next June (yay!).
I am also a Professional Certified Coach. My main mission for attaining that particular goal is to use my formal credentials to help people navigate through the sometimes tumultuous waters, both on and offline, when it comes to information about marriage, sex and relationships that is oftentimes misinformation (because "coach" is a word that gets thrown around a lot, oftentimes quite poorly).
I am also still super devoted to helping to bring life into this world as a doula, marriage life coaching will always be my first love (next to writing, of course), a platform that advocates for good Black men is currently in the works and my keystrokes continue to be devoted to HEALTHY over HAPPY in the areas of holistic intimacy, spiritual evolution, purpose manifestation and self-love...because maturity teaches that it's impossible to be happy all of the time when it comes to reaching goals yet healthy is a choice that can be made on a daily basis (amen?).
If you have any PERSONAL QUESTIONS (please do not contact me with any story pitches; that is an *editorial* need), feel free to reach out at missnosipho@gmail.com. A sistah will certainly do what she can. ;)
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This article is sponsored by Hulu.
UnPrisonedhas returned for its highly anticipated second season, delving deeper into the complex dynamics of the Alexander family.
The series premiere comes a year after its debut season garnered rave reviews from fans and critics and earned record-breaking ratings for Hulu's Onyx Collective brand. UnPrisoned's success can be attributed to its raw, relatable themes and comedic appeal.
Inspired by creator Tracy McMillan's life, the show follows Paige (Kerry Washington), a therapist and single mother whose life takes an unexpected turn when her father, Edwin (Delroy Lindo) --who was released from prison-- moves in with her and her teenage son, Finn (Faly Rakotohavana).
Throughout UnPrisoned's first season, viewers witnessed how Edwin's incarceration deeply affected Paige's life and relationships. In the series, Paige unpacks her trauma through interactions with her inner child and her online followers. Meanwhile, Edwin is overcoming specific struggles with his own past that led to his life of crime, including a dysfunctional upbringing and his mother's arrest. As the Alexanders attempt to reconcile, new challenges arise.
This new season promises to further explore their unconventional family dynamic. Here are several compelling reasons why season two of UnPrisoned should be on everyone's watchlist.
The Alexander Family Life Is Still In Shambles
UnPrisoned's second season resumes where the series left off, with Paige grappling with the fallout from her troubled therapy practice and Edwin navigating life independently after moving out. Meanwhile, Finn faces his own challenges. The teenager is battling anxiety and seeking information about his father—a topic Paige avoids discussing.
The Alexander Family Are Attending Therapy To Resolve Their Underlying Issues
Amid the chaos in their lives, the Alexander family decides to mend their bond by confronting their past traumas. They seek professional help and attend therapy sessions with a “family radical healing coach,” played by John Stamos, a new cast member. This collective effort aims to unravel the complexities of their shared history and strengthen their relationships.
The process of unraveling each character's internal conflicts and their potential impact on future relationships may clash with Paige's textbook therapy approach. While Paige is used to being in the therapist's seat in both career and family, this forces her into the unfamiliar role of a patient during therapy sessions. This shift would compel her to look in the mirror and try a radically different approach.
The Alexander Family Learned A Big Lesson During A Therapy Session
In therapy, the Alexanders are tasked with addressing their individual traumas to salvage their remaining relationships. One of the family therapist’s eccentric suggestions was an exercise involving a family wrestling match. During this session, Paige faces tough questions about her refusal to share information about Finn's father.
While it's unclear whether this scene is reality or fantasy, the image of the family duking it out in the ring certainly makes for hilarious yet compelling television.
Paige Tries Dating Again Following Failed Relationships
Amid her life's chaos, Paige decides to step back into the dating field. However, her many attempts have left her with mixed results. The dating apps have turned out to be a fail, and an outing with her ex Mal (Marque Richardson), who is also her father's parole officer, doesn’t go quite as expected after he brings an unexpected guest – his new girlfriend.
The situation takes an awkward turn when Mal's new partner learns why the former couple split, partly due to Paige's self-sabotage.
UnPrisoned Is A Perfect Balance Of Comedy And Drama
As a dramedy, UnPrisoned takes a comedic approach to its heavy subjects. The show takes us on a ride with Paige's dating misadventures and navigating a friendship with her ex.
Other lighthearted moments include Edwin's attempts at CPR based on online videos and, of course, the antics of the Alexander family's unconventional new healing coach.
The second season of UnPrisoned is now available on Hulu.
UnPrisoned | Season 2 Trailer | Hulu
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Mariee Revere On Her History-Making Million-Dollar Sales And The Future Of MoonXCosmetics
If the name Mariee Revere sounds familiar, it's probably because you heard of her beauty and skincare brand, MoonXCosmetics, or you may have heard about her history-making achievement of making $1.8 million in less than eight minutes. But before starting her million-dollar brand, Mariee was just a teenager trying to cure her acne.
While she grew up in the skincare capital of the world, South Korea, Mariee didn't really experience breakouts until her senior year of high school. Like many people who get their first breakout, she didn't know what to do, and there weren't many products out there at that time. So she decided to experiment. What she didn't know was that what she came up with would ultimately be her ticket to success.
"When I graduated high school, I moved back to America, Georgia, and I ended up making, like, the oil, the Rose Galore oil, which is like the staple product of my brand. I don't know what made me make it, but I did, and it literally cleared my face up," she tells xoNecole in an exclusive interview.
"I end up selling it as a body oil first because, obviously, I'm 17, [and] don't have any background as an esthetician or anything like that. I just made a product that worked for me, but people bought it and was using it, and I reformulated it, and then it just stuck like with me."
While MoonXCosmetics is known for its facial products, it wants to expand to body care and home. It just released its new product, Moon-Gel body wash, and it's only up from there. As Mariee continues to grow the brand, it's more than likely that she will see more history-making moments. And so far she has.
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When asked if she feels pressure to obtain more of those milestones, she says yes and no. "I did $1.8 [million] again, and then I did $2 million but I feel like now, currently, I don't look at that as one of my goals anymore because [of] the headache and just everything that came with it, but I was thankful and blessed to have that milestone, but now I'm looking for more," she says.
"I want to say more reach than more like fast-paced sales. I do want that. Obviously, every girl wants that, but I do want to have a better overall reach for my brand because I did take two years off so I was able to learn, [and] study a lot of different things. See how things have changed from 2020 to now."
"I did $1.8 [million] again, and then I did $2 million but I feel like now, currently, I don't look at that as one of my goals anymore because [of] the headache and just everything that came with it, but I was thankful and blessed to have that milestone, but now I'm looking for more."
Another part of expanding for any company is hiring people. Finding the right person to help you can be a hassle, especially for business owners who are used to doing all the work themselves. Mariee can relate to this, and she touched on this topic in her documentaryThe Million Dollar Story. She recommends having someone be your "right-hand man" who you trust to handle the ins and outs of the company.
"I could say, definitely get, like a right-hand man to help you within the process because that really was what helped me. I never had a job. I literally was 18 now, being like, you know, the boss of over 30+ employees at one point in time, and I didn't know anything. I didn't know anything about no W-2s, no taxes, no clock in, clock out because all I [have] ever known was my brand," she explains.
"So I definitely partner with people who are very skewed and versed in those areas, and they helped me get through it. Even to this day, I still have my same person helping me with hiring, firing, [and] doing everything that I can right now because I'm still learning. But obviously people get jobs young, so they have way more experience than me, but still learning."
And though she is still learning, one thing she makes sure to stay on top of is being consistent. Consistency is what trips many people up when it comes to achieving goals, but Mariee says it's all about scheduling. Whether it's when to post on social media or email marketing, scheduling it out can make a world of difference. That same practice also works when planning out her future goals for the company.
"Right now, future goals would be to drop at least five more products before the end of the year. We always do outreach, where we do drives and all that, but definitely do way more this year, she says. "Then really dive into body [care], and then hopefully open up MoonXBody underneath MoonXCosmetics to let that branch out and be open and definitely get back consistent."
For more information, visit moonxco.com.
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