5 Reasons Why Skin Care Is Self Care

Taking care of your skin with a daily cleanser, a nighttime mask, moisturiser and a visit to World of Faces for a treatment can save the appearance of your skin and have a positive impact on your emotional well-being.

What we all need right now in the wake of the COVID-19 era is a self care, skin care plan. Simply put, it’s committing to and following a routine that will benefit the health of your body’s largest organ, your skin and in turn creating a practice which involves  pampering that benefits your mental well-being.

Caring for your skin should be the first steps in your self care routine. Being skin focused may seem slightly fickle but there’s good reason for the dermal attention. The reality is that our skin in so many ways is an indicator of our internal health. When skin looks and feels good, we tend to feel better about ourselves and is a reflection of a healthy body. The following are reasons why skin care is self care

1. A SKIN CARE ROUTINE MEANS STABILITY

When we are not mentally well we may tend to falter with the balance of a regular routine. Those routines include healthy eating habits, exercise, journaling, and skin care. These routines are vital for your overall health and mental well-being. In a study published by Lancet Psychiatry, researchers found that people who have less consistent routines throughout the active parts of their day were more likely to suffer from major depression, mood disorders, loneliness, and are more unhappy.

Routines tend to feel good because these act as a comforting force in your life, creating a sense of security in your day and functions as a point of stability. On a small scale, you may feel like you’ve accomplished something.

2. FOCUS ON DOING SOMETHING NICE FOR YOURSELF

You might find that certain times of the day can trigger negative thoughts, but you can break this pattern with self-care. People who experience anxiety and depression often feel that their condition is intensified in the hours right before bed. This is probably due to idle time that they spend just before getting ready for bed, which escalates worry for a lot of people. However, when you’re engaged in an activity, including washing, toning, and moisturising your face, it allows you to get out of your head space and only focus on the task at hand. This goes for any activity, not just skin care, that keeps you busy like cooking or walking your fur baby.

Additionally the act of caring for your skin provides an opportunity for mindfulness. Mindfulness is the act of being present, honing in on a sensation in the moment, like  the soothing feeling of running warm water against your hand. It diverts your attention in moments of anxiety, giving you a second to breathe and reflect on the emotions or thoughts that may be overwhelming you. The practice of mindfulness has been proven to reduce depression and anxiety by stopping worry and over thinking. According to multiple studies, practicing mindfulness for a few minutes a day, can help your mind unlearn spiralling thinking patterns.

3. BONDING TIME WITH LOVED ONES

In general, spending quality time with loved ones, pursuing hobbies and enjoyable activities is linked to elevated happiness. Bonding with our loved ones is a measure of self care. There are things to do with those you love that will benefit your skin too. Why not create a mask at home made from pantry ingredients and get your teenagers or partner involved. Another great idea is to treat you and your closest humans to a skin treatment at World of Faces. Take a self care day and bond over a skin care treatment.

4. PAMPER YOUR SKIN

Creating a routine that feels good and using products that you enjoy is a measure of self care. Never underestimate the effect of gently massaging your skin with a warm washcloth to cleanse, taking extra time to smooth a silky moisturiser on your face, or applying a mask. You can even turn this into an evening event. Caring for your skin after a long day will give you something to look forward to. Why not do at-home facials and set the mood when you get home, light some candles, open a bottle of wine and play some relaxing music.

The experience of an at-home facial or treatment is certainly comforting, but planning for it gives you a lot of satisfaction to. The anticipation of happy events releases feel-good neurotransmitters in the brain. According to a studied that appeared in Frontiers in Psychology, expecting positive events has shown to activate a certain area of the prefrontal cortex, a brain region associated with the sense of well-being.

Bathing for example is inherently calming. Firstly, you expect to feel relaxed as you lower into a bath and the warm water is naturally relaxing to muscles. Physical relaxation sends your brain the message that it’s time to be calm, reducing the fight-or-flight stress response.

To make your bath an act of self-care that improves your skin health at the same time, add oatmeal to the water, specifically colloidal oatmeal, which eases irritated skin with eczema, psoriasis, and generally dry skin. You can also add essential oils such as lavender as it has calming properties. Soak for at least 10 minutes, unwind and release built up tension.

5. SKIN CARE IS AN ACT OF KINDNESS

When your mental health is suffering you might be tempted to watch TV late into the night and then roll into bed without so much as thinking of cleansing your face because you just feel so exhausted or overwhelmed by the days events. What if, instead, you focused on taking care of yourself in the smallest of ways. By spending an additional five minutes to treat your skin, you’re sending a message to yourself, you're saying, “I’m worth it,”. This is similar to when  you put on mascara, apply colour to your cheeks, or smooth on that tinted moisturiser that makes your skin glow.

FINAL WORDS

Self care is skin care when you consider that your skin is the largest organ in your body and is a reflection of your overall health. There are many ways to practice self-care, but focusing on improving skin health pays off for your emotional and mental well being too. It is important to take time out of your busy schedule to focus on you and that includes nurturing your familial bonds. Why not treat yourself and those you love to at-home facials or book an appointment at World of Faces for a relaxing skin treatment. Contact us today.