The 80/20 rule, or the Pareto Principle, is a tool that can help us create healthy habits and allow ourselves leniency while working to achieve a particular goal or lifestyle change. I discovered this rule when I had to restrict my diet. I developed a non-celiac gluten intolerance about 3 and a half years ago that turned my life upside down. Working with this rule empowered me and ultimately was the main reason I was able to live a gluten-free lifestyle and feel better again. After successfully working with the 80/20 rule, I started implementing it into other aspects of my lifestyle and saw amazing results. It’s amazing what you can change or accomplish by giving yourself some wiggle room.
“Consider that for every 80 percent of results, we need to give ourselves a minimum of 20 percent permission to trip, stumble, or fail and reboot. Daily priorities are a moving target. Your core—what you stand for—will get challenged, too, but it shouldn’t change daily. Soften your focus 20 percent of the time. The exercise of setting up rules and then having to break them—which we know always happens—leads to a sense of failure, a feeling that you’re not good enough. The original intention gets lost in mind crap. By setting up the 80/20 rule, you give yourself permission to break the rules for whatever comes up 20 percent of the time. The point is we can’t control everything, and being perfect isn’t a good strategy. Instead of going for 100 percent, focus and be on task 80 percent of the time and allow 20 percent for a softer focus. That way you won’t waste time being mad at yourself and thinking you’re a failure.” – The Magic of Tiny Business by Sharon Rowe.
Now let’s set our skincare goals with this in mind, shall we?
Look into the mirror and note what you see. What do you like? Notice any dry skin or oily patches, notice fine lines around your eyes or the wrinkles on your decollete that used to go away within an hour are still lingering around at noon, and so on. Take this time, to be honest with yourself and write down a few concerns.
Let’s say here that your main goal is to spend 10 minutes every morning and evening on a skincare routine. The concerns you have during the assessment are the building blocks to your main goal. Your goals will be achieved by picking the right products for your routine. By making sure you complete your skincare routine, you know the products will work and help achieve your skin goals.
Yaaayyy! That was so easy to figure out right!?
Now let’s apply the 80/20 rule in our main goal of completing our skincare twice a day because, let’s face it, sometimes we are late for work in the morning, there are camping trips with no running water, forgotten toiletry bags, staying out too late…life happens, and that’s okay! I promise that skipping a wash isn’t going to set you back. (There is one thing that will set you back, but we will get to that later.)
Okay, that was easy too! What’s the catch?
It is perfectly okay to try to set a timeline for your skin goals. I like to set 6-month timelines to a particular goal, or even a timeline that lasts as long as a certain product to see its effectiveness. BUT be mindful that this is a marathon, not a race, and some conditions like hyperpigmentation or acne may require ongoing treatment. Your goals may be set in stone, but be flexible with your timeline during the journey.
We are ready to start! What now?
First, go to your cabinet and take out every skincare item you have – all the way down to your makeup and body products (we can leave hair out, as I feel like that is its own can of worms). Then, let’s take some wonderful advice from Marie Kondo – if it doesn’t spark joy, THROW IT AWAY! Then throw away anything expired!! I’m going to tell you right now, if you love a product and it’s expired, then purchase a new one. It will cost you so much more dealing with the effects of putting an expired product on your face than purchasing a new one. Throw away anything you haven’t used in 3 months. Throw away anything that you don’t like but were keeping in hopes it would magically work for you. You get the idea 🙂
Assess what you now have. If you are truly happy with the products you have, and you use them at least once per week, then let’s stick with them for now. You want to have at least a makeup remover(men too! it removes dirt and debris as well, not just makeup), cleanser, treatment product (like a functional toner or serums), moisturizer, and SPF. Use them until they are gone to establish your morning and evening skincare routine, and lay the foundation essential to achieving your goals.
If you are looking for a simple and professional skincare routine to get you started, here is my favorite go-to skincare routine for all skin types! You can use this as your base and add in products to treat your areas of concern once you’ve formed your habit.
Now that you have your routine, it’s time to look for your esthetician. This is a licensed professional (Like me!!) that will provide professional treatments, give you expert advice, and guide you to your goals. Think of your skincare journey like an athlete with the goal to achieve an Olympic medal.
You are going to hire a coach, train every day, and compete monthly in competitions to qualify for the Olympics. This is essentially the same thing as applying your skincare every morning and evening, and getting monthly professional treatments. Look for an esthetician who provides support outside of the treatment room, whether it’s free coaching via email, offering a social media community, or a blog to provide you with tips and tricks. I also highly recommend an esthetician who requires at least a 15-minute consultation, this is where you will connect and talk about your concerns and goals at every appointment – a cookie-cutter facial isn’t going to be the best way to conquer your goals.
Your foundation is set, the habit of completing your morning and evening routine will become second nature, and you’ve hired your esthetician and booked monthly treatments. Now, it’s time for the fun part….seeing your skin become healthy and radiant!
You Got This! Let’s Go!!! BUT WAIT!
As I said before – there is one thing that will keep you from reaching your goals. You could strictly complete your routine twice a day, buy medical-grade products, and hire the best esthetician, but none of it will matter if you do not wear sunscreen.
The sun damages our skin constantly; if it is light outside then the UV rays are damaging your skin.
It’s a contributing factor to almost all skin conditions and cancer. RIGHT NOW skin cancer is the most common cause of cancer in the world. Protect yourself and your skinvestment by applying sunscreen. (I will be honest, I didn’t wear sunscreen routinely until I was 27, and it shows!) I am still working on lightening hyperpigmentation from sun damage.
Now, you have all the tools to crush your goals and have the healthiest skin of your life! Are you ready?
I offer a variety of options that will guide you along your path including Virtual Coaching. We keep you on top of your goals of skincare & self-care with virtual meetings, check-in emails to keep you on track, and coaching via text whenever you have a question. In-person Journeys that will set you up with a treatment plan of three facials, retail products for home care, and access to exclusive tutorials and tips for curating an at-home routine unique to your lifestyle.