For those of you following and playing along with our Dozen Little Things series, you know this January we’re committing to washing our face every single day, with the goal to make this an instinctual habit in the months to come.

How’s it going for you? We’re keeping pace over here, though admittedly some nights is still tough to muster up the energy. So for some extra motivation, we’ve been brainstorming a few tips and tricks to make sure we stick to our washcloths on the daily.

• Find a good time. Stick to a routine that works for you and your schedule. If you combat fatigue late at night, assuming you’re home for the evening, how about washing your face right after dinner instead? Wash dishes. Wash face. Has a nice sequential ring to it, no?

• Keep it Simple: Despite what the beauty mags and endless cosmetic store shelves tell you, don’t feel obligated to use a regimen that requires a gaggle of products targeting specific problems and areas (insider secret…underneath the cap, it’s all pretty much the same). Keep your routine quick and easy. That is the premise behind our Kari Gran Skin Care System, which requires only a simple and relaxing oil cleansing step, followed by mixing together our Hydrating Tonic and Essential Serum to moisturize. That’s it, and that’s all you need!

• Let your face breathe at night. Sleeping on your back allows your face to receive oxygen and keep clean throughout the night. Sleeping on your stomach or with your face in the pillow causes your pores to absorb dirt and oil from your hair and pillowcase. If you can’t change your sleeping position, make sure to wash your bedding regularly and consider sleeping with your hair in a loose bun in order to keep your face away from dirt.

• Make your face-washing routine unavoidable! Ever heard of “out of sight, out of mind?” Put your cleansing routine products front and center. Purchase a beautiful tray to set next to your sink and make your own little “skin care-scape.” Place your beautifully packaged products on the tray, along with a pretty headband or hair tie, a perfume bottle and maybe the occasional fresh flower or two. Fancying up your routine and keeping it right at your fingertips is a good way to stick to it.

• Give yourself a cheat day (or two). However, note, a cheat day is not a skip-washing-your-face entirely day. Invest in a pack of all natural facial cleansing wipes (or as our friend who shall remain nameless calls them – drunk wipes!) to keep in your bedside table. On the nights when you’ve dug deep and truly can’t be bothered, whip out a wipe, which is much better than nothing.

Have any other tips to help motivate us in sticking to a solid face-washing plan through the rest of the year? Let us know!

-Kari