Life has been more stressful than usual for just about everyone over the past couple of years, making it no surprise that the concept of self-care has been growing in popularity.
Self-care simply refers to taking some time out to nurture and nourish yourself, which is why so many self-care strategies go hand-in-hand with beauty. If you’ve been looking for a way to introduce a few extra self-care activities into your life, your beauty routine is the perfect place to start.
1. DIY Facial Massages
If you’ve ever had a facial at a spa, you’ll be familiar with how relaxing a facial massage can be. However, not only is a facial massage a great way to unwind, but it can work wonders for your skin too.
It’ll tone your facial muscles, encourage the release of toxins, and boost circulation, all of which will give your skin a beautifully vibrant glow.
A facial massage is easy to carry out when you’re applying your daily skincare products. However, spend some time learning a few proper techniques – this will ensure maximum benefits.
2. Morning and Evening Meditation
All of that stress you’ve been experiencing isn’t doing your skin any good. Studies show that stress can cause a variety of skin issues, from dryness to premature wrinkles to acne breakouts.
Dedicated skincare products that target those concerns are important (check out these Proactiv reviews if you can’t seem to clear your acne), but a little stress relief could have an even bigger effect.
If meditation isn’t something you’ve tried yet, now is the time to give it a go. Just a few minutes of deep breathing exercises each morning and evening will be enough to clear your mind and lower your stress levels. Try doing this either before or after your AM and PM skincare routine to make it a daily habit.
3. Homemade Face Masks
Face masks are great for delivering a concentrated dose of nutrients to your skin. There are plenty of face mask formulas out there that you can buy, but homemade versions can be just as worthy.
Search for some recipes and you’ll find that the majority of them make use of ingredients that you probably already have lying around in your kitchen.
From avocado with its nourishing fatty acids to banana and its many antioxidants to honey for its hydrating and antibacterial properties, whipping up a homemade face mask will not only save you money, but it’ll give your skin a huge boost too.
4. Declutter and Re-Organize Your Cosmetics
Decluttering and re-organizing your cosmetics is something that you should be done seasonally. All cosmetic products have an expiry date – if you continue to use them after this, you could actually be doing more harm than good to your skin, due to how several ingredients can be dangerous once they’ve oxidized.
So, set aside some time every few months for a quick stock take. Throw out anything that has expired or changed color (this is another sign that the formula has oxidized).
Then, re-organize your products so that everything you need for that season is within easy reach.
5. Stay Hydrated
If your body is dehydrated, then your skin will be too. The lack of moisture will cause your skin cells to turn dull and sallow, and you’ll also be more prone to fine lines and wrinkles.
Moisturizing skin care products will only be able to help to an extent. Deep hydration is what you really need, and for this, you’ll need to turn to good ol’ fashioned water.
If you’ve been falling short on your eight glasses a day, try making internal hydration a part of your beauty routine. Sip on a glass of lemon-infused water while applying your daily skincare, or swap the water for a cup of antioxidant-rich herbal tea.
6. A Relaxing Bedtime Routine
Your skin needs you to sleep well each night. While you’re asleep, your skin cells are hard at work repairing daily damage and producing new protein fibers. A lack of sleep interferes with this, and it won’t take long for your skin to really start suffering.
So, once you’re done slathering on your skincare products for the evening, don’t let your beauty regime stop there.
Spend some time creating a relaxing bedtime routine, ensuring that you get as much beauty sleep as possible.
Dim lighting, soft music, the perfect temperature, aromatherapy scents, and, most importantly, no electronic devices – your bedroom will soon feel like a relaxing haven, and you should have no problems drifting off!
Summary
Your beauty routine in itself is already a form of self-care, but, as you can see, there are so many ways in which you can expand on this.
Taking that extra time to really nurture your body and skin will pay off big style – not only will you start feeling more mentally balanced, but your skin will look better than ever too!
