February is the month to celebrate love, not only with your friends, family, and/or special someone but also with yourself! Practicing self-love plays a significant role in the relationship you have with both yourself and the people around you, so it’s important that you use this time to get in touch with your inner-you and prioritize your well-being. Fortunately, there are endless ways to go about doing this. Many of the most effective self-care strategies can come from some of the most basic activities you do in your everyday life.
Take your skin care routine, for example. Everything from the products you use, the regimen you follow, and other simple steps to help manage your skin can all be influential in your journey to self-love. To learn how to keep reading on!
Here are four skin care hacks to self-love:
1. Invest in Treatment Products That Actually Work
First and foremost, it’s important to invest in skin care products that actually work for your skin type and your specific concerns. Being selective with what treatments you use on a regular basis is necessary for not only making your skin look good but making you feel good too- which is really what self-love is all about! That being said, if you’re struggling with a certain skin condition, such as signs of premature aging or the natural development of fine lines and wrinkles, for instance, now is the time to invest in anti-aging skin care that’s right for you!
Remember, however, that no matter what particular condition or concern you may be experiencing, everyone’s complexion is unique to the individual and requires different levels of care depending on the severity of concern and the specific skin type they have. So, be sure to do your due diligence in researching the various skin care ingredients out there and how they can impact certain skin types as this will help you determine which treatment products are best suited for your self-love skin care routine. For additional assistance, refer to the infographic below!
2. Be Consistent with Morning & Nightly Skin Care Rituals
Consistency is key in the world of skin care. Some treatments can take longer than others to work in the way they’re designed to, so missing even one day of your routine can affect your timeline to visible results. For this reason, it’s crucial to narrow down which products and rituals to follow for your morning and evening time routine.
Aside from staying consistent with the products you use, it’s also necessary to be consistent with the order in which you layer the products as this can also be a factor in the effectiveness of your regime. Generally speaking, skin care products should be layered from the lightest to heaviest-formulated products. Usually, your skin care morning rituals should include the following steps/products: a gentle cleanser, an antioxidant serum, a lightweight moisturizer, followed by sunscreen/SPF for proper protection. While on the other hand, your nightly skin care rituals should include products/steps like a (double) cleanser, treatment product/peel/serum, eye cream, and heavier night cream for restorative benefits.
3. Apply Face Masks on a Weekly Basis
Face masks are an ancient tell-tale skin care hack for self-love as they work to replenish and rejuvenate the skin, mind, and body all at the same time. Using them as part of your extensive beauty regimen is an act of self-care in itself as face masks are exclusively designed to give your complexion some extra TLC by providing it with additional nourishment and nutrients necessary for a quick pick-me-up.
Unlike other skin care steps, face masks don’t require as much consistency as they tend to be fast-acting and provide short-term results rather than long-term. With that in mind, this ritual should only be performed once or twice on a weekly basis, again depending on factors such as skin type, individual needs, and the types of face masks being used.
More often than not, you can determine the frequency of use by examining the directions listed on the product label of the face mask. But, if you DIY your own mask, you’ll want to be especially careful with application and assess your skin’s reactiveness before continuing use.
4. Wash Your Pillowcases Regularly
The skin care hacks you adopt this month don’t necessarily have to apply only to your daily skin care regimen, they can also apply to other lifestyle habits you follow! Part of using skin care as an element to your self-love journey means being intentional with the actions you take, meaning it’s essential to monitor how other daily practices can affect your inner and outer glow.
Start by evaluating simple lifestyle habits, like how often you wash your pillowcases. Do you clean them every week? Every month? What do you use to wash them with? How does your skin react? Answering these questions can reveal a lot about the current state of your skin. Because even if you normally go to bed with a freshly washed face, your complexion is exposed to dirt, oil, and bacteria from your pillowcases.
The longer you go without washing them, the more susceptible your skin will become to acne breakout, which in turn, can alter your self-image and overall confidence. That’s why it’s recommended that you wash your pillowcases, along with your sheets and other bedding, a minimum of every two weeks to prevent any buildup and/or blemishes from occurring.
