I know I should wash my face every day. And, thanks to Isabelle Bellis, I know how to wash my face (and to even enjoy it). But in the spirit of Miranda Kerr’s 80%/20% rule of responsibility vs. indulgence, and with illusions of Stéphane Marais-worthy slept-in-makeup sex appeal, sometimes I (tequila) allow(s) myself a night off. Because, really, what’s the worst that could happen?

For those of you who don't regularly tune in to daytime television’s The Doctors, let me just brief you that it’s a lot worse than we thought. Right before 2013 came to a screeching halt, I was introduced to a little eye-opening segment on just how detrimental this seemingly innocent 20% has been to my skin. It turns out that washing your makeup off before bed also prevents premature aging, and not in that fear-mongering “ loss of radiance” way. As the brave soul in the experiment illustrates, going cleanser-free for 30 days is equal to an added decade on your face. 10 effing years. Ignorance may have been an occasionally sexy (and always lazy) bliss, but I think a Botox-free future will be a different, much more rewarding kind of joy.

I like New Year's resolutions, as cheesy as they may be. I don’t believe a group sing-and-sway of “Auld Lang Syne' requires me to become a new person, or to shed the weight of a person at the gym, or even to respect my bank account more. But if I have any takeaways from my winter break’s Bill Murray movie binge, it’s that successful change occurs in baby steps. According to What About Bob’s Dr. Leo Marvin, I’m more likely to become the Woman I Was Meant To Be if I set “small, reasonable goals one day at a time.”

So I figure if I can remember to get my credit card back from the bar, I think I can smear some Aurelia Miracle Cleanser on my face before falling asleep in my dress. And on evenings when I’m feeling too cocooned by my silk pillowcase to get out of bed, I’m nearly certain Clarisonic’s new ultra-soft LUXE Satin brush paired with the promise of a Somme Institute insta-glow can coax me to the bathroom sink. Immediate reward, lasting results. Baby steps.

—Mackenzie Wagoner

Photo by Mathea Millman.