Do you find yourself breaking out often? Does your skin take a really long time to heal from spots and inflammation? If you’ve tried everything you know on your skin care list, perhaps it’s a good time to start looking into your daily stress level.
Stress impacts our skin.
Whenever we feel stressed, our body releases a substance called cortisol, which signals your skin to produce more oil, potentially leading to breakouts.
Stress can also aggravate existing skin conditions such as acne, eczema and rosacea, making such conditions difficult to heal.
How you act when you are stressed plays a huge role in your skin health too. Behaviours such as skipping face washing, indulging in a food binge and loss of sleep can land your skin in a bad state.
Ease your stress by being more mindful
In short, mindfulness is about being present and simply enjoying the moment. Being more mindful in your skin care routine helps you focus on self-love and increases the appeal of your seemingly monotonous ritual.
In an age where we are constantly bombarded with noises, requests, email pings and texts, taking that 15 minutes in your skin care routine to reconnect with yourself can do wonders for your soul and reap benefits for your skin.
Here’s how you can practice mindfulness in your skin care routine:
1. Inhale
Breathe. Take a moment to breathe in and enjoy the light fragrances of your essences and creams, paying attention to their subtle botanical or floral notes. Certain scents such as lavender and eucalyptus can act as calming agents while other scents may influence moods by triggering a pleasant memory, a sense of familiarity or nostalgia that can bring peace and joy.
On a fragrance-free skin care diet? No problem. Try lighting up a candle or use a diffuser during your night routine to create a light aroma in your bedroom.
DR’s Secret Tip:
Mix PentaLab Balancing Oil together with Toner T2, Moisturizer 6 or Spot Serum 8 before applying. Balancing Oil gives off an herbaceous soothing scent that both invigorates and relaxes your soul at the same time.
2. Feel
Instead of slapping on your products in a hurry, take time to feel the luscious textures of your products. Feel your skin drinking up the glorious actives as you slowly sweep your serums and emulsions across your skin with a soft, gentle touch.
DR’s Secret Tip:
Apply C15 Essence 7 and retreat into its delicate warm touch, much like a pair of soft warm hands cupping against your skin.
Apply Refining Serum 9 for a cooling effect that soothes and relaxes the skin. Perfect for those who often experience skin redness.
3. Massage
A good massage makes us feel relaxed and rejuvenated. Same goes for our skin. Instead of rubbing at your skin with full force, slow down and devote extra time to your cleansing regime by gently massaging your products in.
Observe your strokes and pay attention to how much strength you are using. Massaging allows for a deeper clean, which translates to a healthier skin glow.
DR’s Secret Tip:
To remove makeup or sunscreen, massage Cleansing Cream A1 into your skin in light circular motions. Feel the smooth milky texture as you glide and tissue off gently when it turns slightly watery.
Foam up Cleanser 1 into a thick lather with very fine bubbles and massage into your skin, using the fingertips in small circular strokes. (Take the chance to inhale the light citrusy fragrance!) Press softly against your skin and use slower strokes for a more relaxing experience.
On days when you covet a lustrous skin glow, use Miraglo to exfoliate with slow gliding strokes. Nothing spells delight more than having a clear face with fresh pores!
Learn how to get your cleansing routine right with “Our must-have products for a perfect cleansing routine”.
4. Relax
On days when you can indulge in a longer break and delight in some personal space, go for a pampering mask therapy. Turn on your favourite playlist and get a quick shut-eye while putting on your favourite cooling mask sheet. Wrap yourself in the comfort of your soft cotton bedsheets and you have a perfect DIY home spa.
Just be sure to remove your sheet mask before you snooze for the night!
DR’s Secret Tip:
Unwind with LIF, a skin-perfecting device that helps to revitalise and rejuvenate tired-looking skin.