Have you been finding yourself bare-faced and au naturale more than ever while working from home? Girl, SAME. And honestly? I’ve sorta been loving letting my skin take a break and just taking care of my skin while working from home. But I feel like it took a hot second to get here. The first couple weeks of quarantine were more of a roll-out-of-bed-and-rock-it attitude for me, and that was great while it lasted, until it just started to feel a little…blah. Meh. Yuck, for lack of better words. Maybe you’re in the same boat with me? (Hypothetically speaking, of course.)
So even though we’re not necessarily getting ready — at least not to the level of going into the world and having face-to-face meetings and convos every day — there are little things to do right now that’ll make you feel refreshed and get your skin feeling healthy and happy. Even though there are so many big things outside of our control, I find comfort in making space for small things that feel good, like taking care of my skin. It makes my mind feel lighter when I can take itsy-bitsy action to feel good physically, and these 4 acts of skincare love are easy ways to do just that!
01. Use a jade roller every morning.
Or another facial massage tool like a gua sha! Never heard of or used a jade roller or gua sha? Do not fret! It’s so stinkin’ easy and will leave you feeling like you just got a facial, but minus the wallet dent and it won’t even take 5 minutes of your time. Win-freaking-win. Just make sure you use light pressure — your lymphatic system is sensitive and lies right beneath the top layer of skin so it doesn’t need a whole lot! — and then roll your lil’ heart out.
My skincare obsession and one true love Primally Pure has both of these tools available on their website (use code JK10 for 10% off!) and I’ll be honest that I can’t even pick a fav between these two magic tools. I will say that the jade roller is best for beginners because it’s the most straightforward. Like you just rub that sucker all over your face pretty much, and you’ll get all the de-puffing, detoxing benefits.
Meanwhile the gua sha is a little more strategic with the motions and directions, but essentially you’ll just want to know that upward movement is lifting the skin and downward movement drains your lymphatic system of inflammatory liquid. I know, sounds complicated but I really promise it’s not, and there are tons of tutorials online. It’s such a quick and easy way to freshen up the skin, eliminate inflammation, roll out fine lines, and feel all kinds of relaxed and ready for your day. Without a ton of effort or prep.
Pro tip: Put your roller in the freezer for extra cooling and to help with any inflammation!
02. Let your skin breathe.
You may or may not already be doing this already… If you’re not, let me invite you to the glorious land of no make-up and easy mornings. And a heckuva lot happier skin. Our skin is a detox organ, meaning it rids the body of gunk through sweat, oils, etc. So when we cover it up with layers of make-up every day, it has a hard time letting all that stuff go. And just like our mental health, our skin needs room and space to let its baggage (aka toxins) OUT.
Trust me, I love and appreciate the power and joy of make-up as much as the next person, but giving myself make-up-free days is so helpful in maintaining clear, glowy skin. I’ve been trying to do as many bare-faced days as I can to just let my skin breathe! It doesn’t have to work so hard to detox and you don’t have to work so hard figuring out which eyeliner or lip tint to put on in the morning. Sounds dreamy, eh?
03. Do an armpit detox.
Okay I know we were talking face, but let’s take a hiatus and jump to our pals, the pits. Listen friends, now’s the ideal time to swap to natural deodorant if there ever was one. I’ve heard the cries and naysayers who claim that natural deodorant doesn’t work for them. I hear ya and I know the struggle because when switching from chemical-laden stuff to the natural kind, your body has a moment of “what the F is happening here” as it detoxes. And it’s not pretty at first, I’ll be honest!
Regular deodorants are full of parabens, aluminum, and other harmful chemicals to keep you from sweating and stinking. It blocks the sweat pores in your armpits so they can’t do their thing: eliminate bad stuff from your body. A natural deodorant addresses the smell, but doesn’t block your sweat because sweat actually isn’t the problem! Repeat after me: SWEAT IS GOOD. It’s healthy and normal. It’s the stink we want to get rid of, which natural deodorant is wonderful at doing (without the harsh, chemy stuff) as soon as you get past the detox.
So what is an armpit detox? It’s when you move from regular deodorant to natural and it takes a week or two for your body to adjust. This is the detox phase. Your body’s getting used to eliminating the bad stuff again and not being blocked by chemicals. And okay, yeah, it might seem to go a little overboard… It might seem extra smelly and extra sweaty for a bit there, but stick with it. After your pitties detox, you’ll experience the beauty of natural deodorant!
First of all, you’ll smell like a spa. (Score.) Second, the bad smell eventually does go away. (Praise be.) And third: you’ll feel better about what you’re putting on every day right next to your lady lumps. Mhmmm, we gotta protect the girls from scary chemicals, let’s be real. We’re all working from home anyway… So who cares if you have a couple weeks of sweatier or stinkier times in exchange for healthier armpits? Food for thought.
04. Mask while you work.
Easy-peasy. And no one on your conference call will ever know you look Jason from “Friday the 13th” as you let your skin tighten and brighten to a healthier complexion. If you haven’t pulled out a face mask while you type away or make money moves during WFH times, then you’re going to want to implement this fun self-care, skincare move ASAP. Just sayin’! I don’t like making blanket statements but it’s sort of the easiest and best thing ever.
See? Glowier skin and a little self-care can go hand in hand as we tackle our to-do lists from couches and home offices for the time being. Look, I know times are not easy for any of us and so much is uncertain, and that’s exactly why taking care of ourselves — including our bodies, minds, skin, spirits, and beyond — is of the highest importance. You deserve to feel good and these easy methods will help you feel lifted up in the simplest ways!
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