A Skin-Care Routine Provides Stability in Your Day That Benefits Your Mental Health
It’s crucial for both your body and mind to have a well-organized day filled with regular, healthful activities. “Those routines include skin care, journaling, exercise, and healthy eating habits,” says Santa Barbara, California-based licensed therapist Matt Traube, who specializes in treating skin disorders. Researchers observed that persons with less regular routines during the active periods of their day are more prone to have mood disorders, loneliness, and unhappiness, as well as serious depressive and bipolar illnesses. Their findings were published in the June 2018 issue of Lancet Psychiatry.
According to Traube, these routines bring stability and anchor your day, making you feel good about yourself and acting as a consoling force in your life. You might even believe that, on a minor level, you’ve accomplished something. “It’s crucial, in my opinion, to stick to certain routines during the week; otherwise, the days start to get the same.”
Focus on Doing Something Nice for Yourself to Stop a Worry Spiral
Even though intrusive thoughts may seem more likely to come to you at particular times of the day, you may overcome bad habits by taking care of yourself. “People with anxiety and depression frequently report that their symptoms worsen 30 to 60 minutes before going to bed. They have more free time during this period, which makes many people more worried, according to Traube. However, while you’re doing something, like cleansing, toning, and moisturizing your face, you put your thoughts aside and concentrate on the task at hand.
Taking care of your skin also offers a chance to practice mindfulness. Focusing on your current experiences without putting judgment on them is what’s known as mindfulness. A 2019 Frontiers in Psychology study showed how this exercise reduces concern and rumination, which in turn buffers depression and anxiety. According to Traube, “you can help your brain unhook from less healthy, spiraling thinking patterns by participating in this activity for a few minutes.”
Regular Skin Pampering Triggers a Cascade of Chemicals in Your Brain That Boost Your Mood
While getting a facial or other treatment at home is undoubtedly soothing, there may be benefits to simply making the necessary plans. According to Traube, “feel-good neurotransmitters are released in the brain when happy events are anticipated.” Studies have demonstrated that anticipating a good thing to happen turns on a specific part of the prefrontal cortex, a part of the brain linked to happiness, resulting in a straightforward, organic high.
Baths have a naturally relaxing effect for this reason among others. As you sink into one, you anticipate feeling at ease; also, warm water naturally relaxes muscles. According to Traube, “physical relaxation reduces the fight-or-flight stress response by sending your brain the message that it’s time to be calm and mellow.”
According to Dr. Davis, you can make your bath a self-care ritual that also benefits the health of your skin by adding oatmeal to the water and soaking for ten minutes. Seek out packets of colloidal oatmeal, since it relieves psoriasis, eczema, and dry, irritated skin in general.
Skin Care Provides a Chance to Bond With Loved Ones — and That’s a Boon to Mental Health
Sharing this habit with my teenage daughters has been a crucial part of this journey lately for me,” she says. “Achieving a balance of physical and mental well-being—the ultimate goal of self-care—is so much more effective when I spend my self-care time with my kids,” the mother claims.
You have the power to make this enjoyable for all involved. A case of fresh goods doesn’t need to be bought. Instead, give your attention to the people you already love and have at home. Alternatively, you might look through your kitchen for some skin-friendly products to make your own DIY mask, like mashed avocado, coconut oil, or milk compress for a cheap and silly family activity.
Skin Care Is an Act of Kindness That Sends a Powerful Message
The world is a tough place right now. You’re simply too exhausted to resist the temptation to watch TV late into the night and then fall asleep without even sprinkling water on your face. But what if you put more of an emphasis on caring for yourself in this tiny way? You’re saying to yourself, “I’m worth it,” if you take an extra five minutes to take care of your skin, according to Traube. This is similar to the benefit you may experience when you use a brightening mascara in the morning, highlight your cheekbones with color, or apply a tinted moisturizer that leaves your skin looking radiant.
Finding a moisturizer you adore is one of the most effective measures. (A few things to think about: Does it feel comfortable against your skin? Does it have a nice scent? Afterward, does your skin feel good? In addition to preserving and enhancing the skin’s ability to act as an environmental barrier, moisturizing helps to make the skin seem better overall.