Self-care is often one of the most forgotten steps we take in our everyday routine. We as individuals tend to stem away from pampering ourselves and focusing on activities that will bring us peace and stability. One of the best ways to turn away from all the chaos around us is to truly explore and turn our attention to a little self-care.
I am always looking for fun and exciting ways to have a little bit of ‘me time’ and spoil myself in ways that will help enhance my skin, hair, body, and mind. To help you do the same, I have come up with 8 beauty ideas to practice self-care at home in ways that don’t require too much time and effort. Besides, we all need that extra push to get us feeling beautiful and healthy both inside and out. Enjoy these tips and get ready to put YOURSELF first all week long.
1. Soak In A Bubble Bath
Bubble baths are the ultimate ‘alone time’ moments we get at the end of the day. Self-sooth in the nourishing warm water with a glass of wine and your favourite tunes for a relaxing spa feel. If you don’t have a bath, a long shower does the trick when helping you unwind and untangle any stress or anxiety that you’re experiencing throughout the day.
2. Create A Personalized Face Mask
If you spend most of your time in the kitchen, then you’ll have absolutely no problem finding an ingredient or two when creating your very own homemade face mask. I usually use avocados, oats, and honey that is mashed and applied in room temperature. Not to mention, there are tons of online face mask recipes that are advanced using various oils and vinegars to amplify your skin treatments, so be sure to check those out if you want to enhance your skincare regime.
If you’re not so much into experimenting with your food and pantry, you can always substitute the textured face mask for a sheet mask instead. The sheet mask is a great way to hydrate and flourish your face no matter your skin type. I usually get my sheet masks at Sephora, my local drug store, or any speciality stores in the mall that have a variety of sheet mask purposes (anti-aging, tightening, moisturizing etc.) and scents.
3. Make A Simple Scrub For Your Face, Lips, & Body
While you’re in the kitchen working on your face mask, why not scramble around to create a scrub for the ultimate full body treatment? Check out The Benefits Of Using A Lip Scrub where I outline some great recipes and benefits to using a scrub! These same ingredients can be applied on the body, face, and lips using things like sugar, coconut oil, and so much more.
Be sure to follow the rules on how long to exfoliate using your scrub and don’t forget to moisturize your skin after the scrub to avoid any damages and further dry spots.
4. Deep Condition Your Hair With A Hair Mask
You know that feeling when you haven’t washed your hair in days and you can just feel that dry and unhealthy texture when you run your fingers through your roots? Yup, I can relate. Doing a hair mask can repair your dead ends and completely boost your hair into full hydration and volume.
Although there are tons of amazing in store hair masks at your local beauty departments, it is important to note how easy it is to make one right at home. I try to switch up my hair masks, but some ingredients can include eggs, mayonnaise, yogourt, honey, bananas, and much more. I usually sit with the mask for about 30 minutes and rinse it out with my regular shampoo and conditioner before bed.
Unlock that healthy hair and you’ll truly see a difference in the overall shine and shape over the next few treatments.
5. Clean Your Makeup Brushes
If you can’t remember the last time you cleaned your makeup brushes, then it’s been too long. Using dirty and overly used brushes that have soaked up your remaining foundation and eye shadow colours collects bacteria that can severely damage the skin. Transferring these particles can affect the application of the makeup, and overtime can produce things like blackheads, pimples, and blemishes.
Most people use a gentle amount of hand or body soap to clean the brushes out over the sink. Once you see the colours coming out, you will know that the brushes are now clean and ready for their next use. This method unfortunately leaves the brushes wet, which can take hours to dry and can damage the bristles depending on the roughness of your handle and the soap product as well.
Instead, I use the ‘Quo Makeup Brush Remover’ from my local drug store. This amazing rosewater scent spray is so easy to use and takes just a few minutes to dry before my next use. You simply spray the product directly onto the brushes and do light strokes going in an up and down motion onto a cloth or a paper towel until you no longer see any makeup residue left on the brush.
6. Declutter Your Makeup Collection
Since many of us are always ‘on the go’, we tend to forget about the importance of cleaning out our makeup bags. However, it is crucial to go through this task every few months to see which products you haven’t touched, finished using, or are just totally expired. Most products have a little open jar icon in the back of the product that indicates the shelf life in months. For example, it will say 12M, 6M, 24M etc.
Be sure to go through your collections and pinpoint any items that you feel are worth keeping vs tossing. If you find any unopened products that you don’t see yourself using and are not expired, consider donating them to organizations that can help men and women who are not able to afford the luxury to buy or use makeup products.
Check out this article called, “Where to donate beauty products in the GTA’ by Samra Habib to learn more about how you can get involved in helping women in your communitty https://bit.ly/3pBBshW !
7. Organize Your Vanity
If your makeup brushes are mixed in with your hair clips – then it’s time to readjust and get organized. Check your vanity for any unused or overly used hair elastics, pins, razors, jewellery, or makeup lying around. Be sure to clean your space and take care of the things that you use on your body daily. Organizing this space will bring you peace of mind and certainly save you time in the morning. I get most of my organizers from amazon so check out their website for endless options.
8. Give Yourself A Manicure Or Pedicure
You don’t have to be a nail technician to groom your fingers and toes. You just need the right tools to ensure a safe and successful mani-pedi finish. Be sure to soak both areas in warm water to soften the skin, and the cuticles. Trim your nails to your liking and shape the edges into your preferred style.
Apply your favourite colours on your nails and allow them to carefully air dry using a top coat for the final product. And trust me, this self-care tip can easily be combined during any face and hair mask step to get the ultimate spa experience.
The M Word 