Skincare As Self Care – A Ritual For Improved Mental Health?
This post may seem a little off the beaten track for CMooMuses. After all, my focus is body liberation and mental health, right? This is true. HOWEVER, one of the great things about having your own blog is that you can write about any damn thing you like 😃
Also, as I’ve come to learn recently, skincare is very related to both improved mental health and improved self-esteem. Skincare as self care definitely makes sense when you look at it that way.
I’ll admit, the importance of skincare and just how many elements can be involved has sort of passed me by til recently. One way I am lucky is that my skin is fairly clear, not prone to greasiness, dry patches, or acne. A quick wash, and I’m good to go – or so I thought!
Jayne Enters Stage Left
My sister Jayne has had more problems with her skin than I and recently developed rosacea. So rather than consult a GP, who wasn’t likely to know much, she began researching how to help herself.
For all of my American readers asking why she didn’t go to a dermatologist, they are far less common in this country.
On the NHS, your skin has to have severe problems to get a referral, and going privately is pretty damned expensive.
So she did her research and assimilated a huge amount of info as she always does. Then, she bought a load of products that help rosacea and gave them a go.
I’d love to say that all her skin problems vanished, and she discovered how wonderful skincare is. Unfortunately, what actually happened is she went too fast, too quickly, and broke her skin barrier.
Lesson number one, with skincare, start low and slow! I’m not going to go into actual skincare advice in this post. There are tons of fabulous blogs and vlogs out there who can do it much better. I’ll link to them further down so you can access all the knowledge.
Why Skincare Is Self Care
1) Let’s begin with the obvious. Skin problems can and do have a massive impact on a person’s self-esteem and mental health. Acne, birthmarks, vitiligo, eczema, psoriasis, the list goes on and on.
Having a daily skincare routine that minimises and prevents skin issues will make you feel a lot better about how you look. If you’re not worrying about how your skin looks, it helps prevent anxiety and depression and boosts your mood.
2) Having a skincare routine is taking time out of every day that is just for you. The importance of alone time in this busy, people-packed world we live in cannot be valued highly enough.
Whether you’re a mum of four, a doctor working 70 hour weeks, or simply have a partner, family, or roommates that are always around, it’s great to take a little alone time to gather your thoughts.
The actual process of cleansing, toning, and moisturising your face resembles a ritual and brings a comforting familiarity. In some ways is almost like a mini meditation session.
In a previous post, I wrote a list of 10 anxiety-busting activities and I think a daily skin routine definitely needs to go on the list.
3) It provides stability. Covid-19 and, in particular, lockdown have upended our lives in ways we couldn’t have imagined 16 months ago. So many of us have lost jobs, and those that haven’t have still lost structure.
Hundreds of thousands of people across the UK and millions worldwide have been unable to attend school, university, or their jobs. On top of that, traditional outlets like going to the gym, pub, or for a meal were often impossible for months at a time.
Even when things aren’t this chaotic, it’s good to have anchor points in your life. Tasks that shape and define your day. A morning and evening skincare routine are excellent bookends of each day and serve this exact purpose.
4) Caring for your skin is an act of kindness towards yourself, and even if you don’t mean it to, it sends your brain a very powerful message. It tells your subconscious, “I’m worthy of care and looking after myself.”
That may not seem huge, but during lockdown, it’s easy to shut yourself away, give in to a low mood, and not take proper care of yourself. So reminding yourself that you deserve care and that you’re important has never been more vital.
5) It’s a very tactile and sensory experience. When I asked Jayne what she enjoyed most about her routine, she said it was the sensory aspect.
The feel of the products and warm water on her skin. The wonderful clean feeling when she was done. She would have liked to add a beautiful fragrance to the mix, but sadly her skin is too sensitive. It’s definitely something you can consider, though.
Try making it an event that uses as many senses as possible. For example, focus on the feel off your hands as you massage your skin, the smell of the products, and the look of your clean and glowing face when you’ve finished.
To make your nighttime routine even more of an event, you could have a soothing bath in low light beforehand and maybe even put on a face mask once a week.
Just be sure you read all instructions first! A lot of face products are great if you follow the recommended amounts and times. However, leaving a mask on too long or using an exfoliant that’s too harsh can have some pretty extreme results.
Ok, You’ve Convinced Me About Skincare As Self Care! What Do I Do? Help!!
As I said above, what little I know about skincare I got from Jayne, so here are her top 5 recommendations for skincare gurus to follow.
- James Welsh. James is a UK influencer whose motto is: “progression over perfection – because perfection doesn’t exist”
- Kelly Driscoll. Kelly is an American influencer who is all about looking after your skin’s barrier and not damaging it unnecessarily.
- Beauty Within. Beauty Within is a skincare and lifestyle channel that focuses on emotional health as well as skincare and has fab hosts.
- Caroline Hirons. Caroline is the Queen Mother of skincare. Her Instagram page is packed with no-nonsense advice that debunks much of the BS out there in skincare land.
- Dr. Ranella Hirsch. Ranella is a qualified dermatologist, so skin is her business. She is very knowledgeable and offers great tongue-in-cheek advice.
Stay Tuned
I’m going to continue the skincare vibe for a couple more posts. Join me next time to talk about former model and lifestyle influencer Cassandra Bankson. She has been open about her skin problems and is a big advocate of skincare as self care.
