Whether you are stuck at home or working, your overall wellness is important, taking time for yourself, to unwind and pamper yourself is crucial during these trying times.
I encourage an at home spa routine before bed. Sound up the meditation music, aromatherapy and dim the lights, you are on your way to wellness...
Exfoliate, hydrate and brighten your skin with natural exfoliators, beauty vitamins like A & C, and enzymes by massaging your skin with a slice of papaya, apple, or kiwi. I love using cold packs for my face, it helps skin tone, blood circulation and inflammation. Massaging your skin with fine brown sugar and greek yogurt, due to the natural lactic acids in yogurt and it's brightening properties, your skin will be bright and glowing in no time while gently buffing skin with sugar.
Steam your skin: To help open up your pores, I suggest using an at-home steamer or covering your head with a towel then placing your face over a pot of hot water with essential oils or herbal tea
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Virtual Consultation:
Many beauty professionals are now offering virtual consultations to share their expertise with clients from afar. And while aestheticians can't perform extractions on your face through the computer, they can definitely help improve your skin care routine.
During a virtual consult, I go over all aspects of someone's life: diet, lifestyle, the environment they live in, etc. Next, I talk about their skin concerns and the products they're using. From there, I'll create a customized skin care regimen for them and send them the products.
De-stress:
Stress can significantly affect our skin. It physically intoxicates us with stress hormones like cortisol. Use herbal tea to relax: for example chamomile tea helps you sleep better. Enjoy some healthy and happy foods like dark chocolate which helps with the production of serotonin and others “happy" hormones.
Aromatherapy is also very helpful for stress relief. Use your favorite blend of essential oils in your home diffusers like lavender, chamomile, rose, ylang-ylang, jasmine, grapefruit, tangerine, and orange. All of those essential oils not only reduce stress and anxiety but also have a powerful antiseptic, antiviral properties and help to clean air from pathogens.
If you do not have a diffuser, you can simply put a few drops of essential oils over cotton bolls and distribute them around your home. You also can spray your rooms with aromatherapy mist made from 30 drops of essential oils and 3 oz of water.
Taking a relaxing bath will help to relieve anxiety and stress. Put a few drops of your favorite essential oils in your bathtub. You can add a cup of baking soda and Epson or sea salt in your bathtub, it will help to detoxify and soften your skin with minerals. If that is not enough, take 10-20 drops of tincture of Valerian root which will help you to relax and sleep better.
We need to remember that we nourish our skin not only topically but also from the inside out. What we eat is very important. We know that during stressful times we are often prone to eat more comfort foods. Try to stay away from processed foods, cheese, and heavy dairy products which can congest our skin. People with acne-prone complexion have to avoid sugary and starchy foods. Of course, drink plenty of water but if you do not like to drink water, you can drink herbal tea. If you do not have herbal tea you can create a tea by putting fruits in boiled water or keep them in water in the fridge overnight. However ice drinks are not that healthy for our digestive system so if you are drinking water, try to drink it room temperature or warm to support your digestive system and skin. The skin is a reflection of what is going on inside our body. By looking at the face I can also give a suggestion to my client on what I want them to discuss during their next appointment with their doctor. Breakouts around the lips very often indicate digestive issues. Dark heavy circle and puffy eyes very often can be associated with overly stressed kidneys and etc. Clean and balanced foods help you to improve your complexion and you can use them topically as well in the forms of different masks and mists. You can also freeze your masks as ice cubes and defrost them as you need. You can perform skin massage with ice cubes made from herbal tea to reduce puffiness around the eyes. It will give a skin refreshing and tightening effect on your entire face as well.
Remember to take time for yourself, meditate with music therapy, aromatherapy and breathing sessions, it is time to take action for your wellness, self-care and balance during these difficult times, the excuse of "I have no time" or "I have no privacy" is not enough, we must make it happen and once you had a taste of the self-care, you will not want to go without. Take charge, you deserve it.