Hello Beautifuls,
April showers, planning, snacks, stretching... more planning... more snacks... well, that's my day at least. Hope yours is good, too. Nothing real deep to share today, instead, just a few of my favorite beauty tips!
not fitness or wellness, but possibly useful anyway
Working out, mindful eating, and taking time to play and rest and chill are all key to confidence and balance, but another part of self-care is how we care for the beauty we cultivate through all these good habits and practices. For me, that means consistently using natural products whose ingredients I can pronounce. Especially since I've been pregnant, I always notice if I slip up and use something chemical-ly or synthetic, and the results are never pretty. Now, everyone is different, of course, and what works for one may not for another, but in case you were curious, here's some basics I stick to:
- no chemicals or alcohol in the first 3-5 ingredients.Ingredient lists are supposed to go in order of quantity, so obviously, if you're aiming for natural and the second ingredient is dimethiparablahbidiblah, better leave it on the shelf. I include alcohols in this because while they are often natural, they are drying, and if I'm trying to moisturize something, why the heck would I want to dry it out at the same time? This is also my standard for conditioners.
- moisture means water, and water is best when wet.Pregnancy has been a long battle against dry skin for me, and I've found that my moisturizers tend to work better if applied to damp skin. Most moisturizers will lock in moisture or attract it, rather than actually providing the moisture itself, so if you want them to work, put them on over actual water. This has had enormous benefits for my skin and also helps me conserve my precious potions and lotions.
How to: After a shower, I step out dripping, dry off anything that doesn't need to be moisturized, rub small amounts of almond oil in my hands and apply in circular motions everywhere else. I try to chill for a little to let everything dry naturally, but if I'm in a rush, I just pat away the excess with a towel. You don't want to use much oil because anything that isn't absorbed by skin will get absorbed by clothes, and you want to make sure you're not actually standing in your shower when you do this or things can get quite slippery.
Same goes for my face. After I wash it with something simple, clean and often black soap or charcoal-based, I remove any raccoon eyes or pat dry and then spritz with rose water or alcohol-free toner. I leave my face wet and dab on whatever natural (sometimes homemade) face cream or oil I'm obsessed with at that moment.
- embrace your uniqueness. In this case, I mean that just because something works for ninety percent of the online beauty population doesn't mean it will work for you, so trust yourself. For instance, I love coconut everything EXCEPT in skin care (coconut oil mystically dries my skin out. The only other person I know like this is my mother, who hates coconut). Almond and jojoba oils, it turns out, keep my skin clear and softer than ever before - and this from a person who gets a stomach ache from eating actual almonds. I can't answer this conundrum, but as long as I don't get stretch marks, I really don't care. All this is just to say to experiment with different things before you give up and go back to the drugstore.
- water, sleep, sweat, vitamins. I know it's the most boring skin care advice ever, but since everything seems to magnify during pregnancy (aaaand you're not supposed to get Botox) I've really noticed what exhaustion and dehydration look & feel like in my skin. I've also noticed how regular sweatfests/exercise keep it clear and pretty, and plus, my mother says a sweaty face means I won't get wrinkles (we'll see). As for the classic pregnancy glow, I guess it's due to the miracle of life teeming inside of me, but really I think it's mostly the extra vitamins and naps. Take some of both and you can get all glowy, too.
What are your top tips? You're all epic babes, so don't be stingy with the secret, OK?
Annie
