As we all spend more time at home than ever, it can get a bit overwhelming, especially if you are accustomed to being on the go. Today I’d like to talk about some beauty related ideas and tips for treating yourself while you are at home. Who knows, maybe you’ll find that you want to add these steps to your beauty routine on a regular basis or start a beauty and self-care routine if you’ve never had one before.
While these suggestions are not groundbreaking, they are reminders that sometimes a simple act of self-care does not take much time or money to soothe your wired brain or tired body. I like to remind myself that when you take care of yourself and rejuvenate your mind and body, you can be a better version of yourself to those you love.
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Skincare Treatments
Face Masks
There are many beauty treatments out there that I like to incorporate into my beauty routine on a weekly or semi-weekly basis. Face masks are one of them. Face masks are a fantastic way to treat your skin, and if you are using a sheet mask, it will also force you to sit still for a few minutes, because if you walk around with the mask on your face it will slide around and cause a mess.
I like to reserve Sunday evenings for masking and special skin treatments, but any time of the day that works for you will give you a chance to soothe and treat your skin! Check out my post on hydrating drugstore sheet masks for some inexpensive options for treating dry and parched skin.
Hand Treatments
If your hands are really suffering from all of the handwashing and sanitizing, be sure to check out some great hand cream options, both drugstore and high-end in this post on the best hand creams.
If your hands really need some TLC, you may want to consider trying Aveeno Repairing Cica Hand Mask. While the photo looks a little silly, the treatment really works. The one-time-use gloves are lined with sheet masks formulated with prebiotic oat and shea butter to balance the skin’s natural moisture barrier. These gloves are a good excuse to sit still for the 10 minutes needed to soothe and nourish your hands. They left my hands feeling so incredibly smooth. Just like a spa treatment but at home!
At-Home Manicure
When your regular manicure at the salon is not an option, why not treat yourself to a quick manicure at home? Looking down at your nails will remind you that you are taking time for yourself and of course they will be pretty to look at!
I recently discovered Sally Hansen Good. Kind. Pure Vegan Nail Polish, and wow, was I impressed. The nail polishes are formulated without 16 unwanted ingredients for a cleaner manicure. You can choose from 30 beautiful shades in a collection that ranges from pale neutrals to deep earthy hues. The line also has a Nail Hardener and Top Coat.
Related: Sally Hansen Good. Kind. Pure. Vegan Nail Polish Collection Review
Aromatherapy in the Bath and Shower
Aromatherapy can be just what is needed to uplift your mind and mood. Try scents such as lavender and jasmine for calming, geranium and ylang ylang for balance, and eucalyptus and peppermint for invigoration.
If you have a bathtub, you might want to find the time to take a bath. It’s your chance to soak your muscles and have a few minutes of peace and quiet. While a bath can be just as luxurious without products as it can with, you can always step it up a notch and add relaxing bath oils, salts or a bubble bath to add to the pamper quotient.
Although on the pricier end, Aromatherapy Associates Miniature Bath And Shower Oil Collection contains 10 award-winning bath and shower oils to explore the power of aromatherapy. This would be a great gift for mom as it might not be something she would splurge on for herself. This collection includes the following oils at 3ml each:
- Deep Relax Bath & Shower Oil
- Light Relax Bath & Shower Oil
- De-Stress Mind Bath & Shower Oil
- De-Stress Muscle Bath & Shower Oil
- Revive Morning Bath & Shower Oil
- Revive Evening Bath & Shower Oil
- Support Breathe Bath & Shower Oil
- Support Lavender & Peppermint Bath & Shower Oil
- Support Equilibrium Bath & Shower Oil
- Inner Strength Bath & Shower Oil
For a simpler, less expensive bath additive, try Deep Steep Lavender Chamomile Bubble Bath. I sold this bubble bath at my bath and body shop and let me tell you, their scents are fab. If lavender isn’t your thing, they have many other scents, including Brown Sugar & Vanilla, Rosemary Mint, Mango Papaya, Passion Fruit, Pure Coconut and Fig Apricot.
Dresdner Essenz Well-Being Sparkling Bath Essence has a very affordable set of 4 bath salt packets that are scented with Lavender, Juniper, Melissa Lilac Lavender, and a blend of Eucalyptus, Fennel and Honey. Each packet of bath salts contains natural essential oils to soothe your body and mind.
For the shower, I have been a fan of Bath and Body Works Stress Relief line since the 1990s! Products in the line are fragranced with eucalyptus oil & spearmint oil. Their Eucalyptus Spearmint Moisturizing Body Wash is uplifting and simply makes me smile. It contains coconut oil, shea butter & cocoa butter and is the perfect wakeup call for tired mornings.
Self Care for the Body and Mind
These last two suggestions are not beauty specific but these self-care practices are sure to reflect in your skin and your entire body by getting your circulation going and helping you sleep better. Both have helped me tremendously on a day-to-day basis long before we were social distancing and staying at home.
Move Your Body
Exercise and moving your body is key during a time when we are all cooped up with nowhere to go. A quick walk outside or even up and down the steps will get your blood flowing and increase your heart rate.
When I started to spend long stretches of time working at the computer, my muscles and joints began to ache from sitting. I decided that I can’t sit all day. For those that are working on a computer at home, getting up and moving periodically will give your mind and body a break.
I wear a Fitbit that reminds me to get up and move every hour. It suggests you get in at least 250 steps/hour. It’s a wonderful wake-up call when you’ve been sitting too long.
When you don’t have the luxury of getting up and moving your body outside, you have to be a little more creative. As an alternative to a large piece of exercise equipment, I purchased Sunny Health & Fitness Mini Stepper with Resistance Bands, an affordable compact mini-stepper, on Amazon over four years ago, and still use it today.
I don’t have the resistance bands attached and just use the stepper. A few minutes go by quickly and its relatively painless. Although not my first choice of exercise, it gets my heart rate up quickly, is very compact, and easily storable.
Meditation
Last but certainly not least, meditation is a tried and true way to show yourself self-care. Meditation has always been a challenge for me, as sometimes I have a difficult time quieting my mind, but I always make the effort daily, even if it’s just for a quick 5-minute practice.
I discovered the Insight Timer app a few years ago and I use it every day! It’s a free app available for iOS and Android that has over 30,000 free meditations and music tracks. Of course, there is a premium version with paid options in the app, but I use the free version and it’s fantastic. From breathwork and visualizations to children’s meditations and music tracks for better sleep, this app provides so much value!
My favorite in-app Insight Timer option is called The Daily Insight. Described as a mindfulness practice for each day of the year, The Daily Insight provides a recording for every day of the calendar year. You decide how long you want to listen by choosing 5, 10, 20-minute options for most recordings. I like this because I don’t need to think, I just press play, start breathing and let the Insight Timer app handle the rest. I can’t recommend this app enough!
Final Thoughts on Incorporating Self Care Practices into Your Beauty and Daily Routines
Unfortunately, there is no magic wand that will bring us immediate peace and total relaxation during trying times like these, but if you slowly and consciously make healthy choices for yourself, it will start to pay off. Show yourself some compassion and by treating your body and mind kindly, you are bound to feel better.
Do you have any beauty and self-care rituals that you love? Let me know in the comments, I’d love to hear what works for you!