By Summer Rayne Oakes

Posted: 01.26.10 | Tagged: health, savings, shopping

The New Year is always a good excuse to try something new - especially if it is affordable, requires minimal effort and makes us look good in the process. Perhaps 2010 can be the year of the Beautiful You. Try upgrading your beauty routine from the inside-out with these five simple strategies.

Hydrate Responsibly. You want to know how you get that salon shine? I'll let you in on a little secret: it's in the water. Do yourself a big favor this year and get a water filter for both your shower and your kitchen sink. Water filters remove all the unwanted chlorine and heavy metals that can make our skin and hair feel dull, limp and lifeless. Filters also help ensure that we are drinking the purest water possible, eliminating the need to buy bottled water. It's a good idea to carry water around to stay hydrated (at least 70 percent of our skin's blemish and wrinkle fighting ability comes from the water we drink), but try to carry a reusable container. It makes perfect sense (and cents!). The average American actually buys 170 bottles of water a year at an average cost of a little over a dollar a bottle. Up to 40 percent of bottled water in the United States and Canada is sourced from public tap water - so companies are literally using the water you are already taxed on and selling it back to you at a premium. But there are ways around this - purchase a filter, a reusable water bottle and drink more water. Check out: Multi-Pure Water Filter; Nikken water filter; PUR faucet filters.

Go Naked. Use less makeup or no makeup at all. This will not only allow your skin to breathe, but will begin to make you feel comfortable with the woman "behind the mask."

Face it. No matter what season it may be, it's always a good idea to apply (and reapply) a layer of sunscreen. Most of us forget that the sun is still harsh during the winter, especially if you are caught on a ski slope with the sun reflecting off the snow and ice. If your pores clog easily, look for a light broad-spectrum SPF 8 or 15 lotion for the face. More brands are also creating tinted moisturizers that act like a foundation with built in SPF. Check out: Kiss My Face, Lavera Tinted Moisturizer, and Jane Iredale Dream Tint.

Simplify. Use products with fewer or no unwanted chemicals or synthetic additives. This ensures you get the best products for your body with a minimal amount of effort, giving you more time in the day. How do you determine what's in your cosmetics? Read the back of the ingredient list, then check out Teen's Turning Green's "Dirty Thirty" - the thirty chemicals to avoid in your cosmetics.

Play dress up. Wear clothes that make you feel good about yourself, accentuate your figure, and bring out your natural color. When you put together a wardrobe that works for you, you may find that you don't even any makeup.

Have any easy, affordable beauty resolutions? Share them with the community.

Summer Rayne Oakes is the author of the best-selling book, "Style, Naturally: The Savvy Shopping Guide to Sustainable Fashion & Beauty."