My Guide to the Ultimate Self-Care Day

Self-care is all the rage right now, and for good reason. In this hectic world, we must make time to focus and check in on ourselves. Here I have compiled my ultimate self-care duties into a step-by-step guide. Starting from the time you wake up, until the time you go to sleep, I will give you a full-day routine to wake up the next morning feeling like a goddess (and looking like one too). These tips are all from self-experience and may not be ideal or work for everyone. Feel free to modify, omit, or add steps! These are all my suggestions and every product I recommend I use personally. Nothing here is a paid ad or promotion.

Wake up

1. Sleep in! Turn off your alarm clock the night before and get your beauty rest.
2. When you wake up, open your curtains and the window! Get some sunshine and fresh air.
3. Grab an entire bottle of water and drink it to start your day. This will wake you up and cleanse you (add some freshly squeezed lemon for additional cleansing benefits). It is a great way to start your day on a healthy note!
4. Turn on a brief guided meditation while you are still in bed. Any 10-minute meditation that sparks your interest and promotes a positive outlook for the day ahead is perfect! You can find plenty on YouTube or Spotify. I love to start my self-care day, actually, any day for that matter, with Spotify’s “Habits of A Goddess” podcast. The episode titled “Morning Goddess Affirmations” is my go-to!
5. Fix yourself up a healthy meal with plenty of protein to fuel your day. I recommend items such as eggs, avocado toast, Greek yogurt, granola, fruit, and oatmeal.
6. COFFEE! Brew yourself a fresh cup of hot coffee or iced coffee (my fav) to energize you for your morning workout sesh (this is coming later). Ideally, you want to drink it black; however, I struggle with the taste of black coffee. Opt for non-dairy milk to flavor it. Lately, I am obsessed with Silk’s almond milk creamer. They have so many delicious flavors like mocha, vanilla, caramel, and more! I always recommend drinking coffee on a full stomach, after you’ve eaten your breakfast. I get nauseous or even dizzy if I drink coffee on an empty stomach.

workout

1. Brush your teeth and rinse your face because we are about to go for a workout! I recommend just rinsing your face before the gym so that once you are finished with your workout and sweaty, dirty face, you can use a cleanser. Cleansing before and after the gym can be harsh on the skin.
2. Put on a cute matching workout set. I swear my workouts are significantly better when I like how I look. It makes me feel confident and confidence is a natural energizer, stronger than caffeine!
3. Now, the workout is up to you. I recommend something that will get your heart rate up, like cardio. I like to hit the gym and do the stair climber, elliptical, treadmill, or stationary bike for 30-40 minutes, then follow it up with a few weight exercises. However, it is completely up to you and your body’s needs. If it is nice out, take a walk out in nature and get some fresh air. Vitamin D from the sun does wonders for your physical and especially mental health. Yoga or Pilates are also great options. Try to aim for an hour-long workout.
4.  Before leaving the gym, if you do not shower and change there, MAKE SURE you rinse the sweat off your face immediately. The longer you let sweat sink into your skin, the more likely it will cause acne.
5.  Pick up a healthy lunch or make one at home! A chicken salad with kale, quinoa, almonds, avocado, cranberries, and balsamic dressing always hits the spot after a good workout.

shower #1

1.  Now for the good part! Once you get home, time to take the best shower of your life! (This is shower #1 for your self-care day. Yes, you will be taking 2 showers!)
2. The first step in the ultimate hygiene shower is shampoo. On the self-care day, it’s all about cleansing and ridding your body of residue, therefore, use a clarifying shampoo. I recommend Suave’s Daily Clarifying Shampoo. It works great and doesn’t break the bank. Make sure you concentrate mainly on your scalp and use less on the strands and ends of hair since it can be a bit drying. A super hack for a clean scalp that also promotes hair growth is using a scalp massager. You can find this tool on Amazon for 10$ or less, and they are truly worth it! Massage your scalp all over in circular motions for 30 seconds or so with the shampoo in. This will give you the optimum scalp cleanse and the massage stimulates blood circulation to your scalp, promoting hair growth.
3. Rinse out the shampoo fully, then coat your hair generously with conditioner. I would always recommend something moisturizing but use what fits and addresses your hair’s needs. I typically use a Bed Head brand conditioner because it is salon quality, but I can always find it at Ross or Marshalls, or TJ-Maxx for half the price. (Check out those stores for amazing deals on hair care and skincare.) Another hack I have is for you hair shedders/thinning hair girlies. I always shed a ridiculous amount of hair in the shower and it’s highly upsetting. To combat this a bit, add a drop or 2 of castor oil to your hair with the conditioner. Not only does it moisturize the hair, but I have noticed I shed less hair in the shower when I do this. Put your hair in a shower cap so you can get a nice deep-conditioning treatment while you scrub and shave your body.
4. Use a loofah or washcloth (or whatever bathing tool you prefer) to lather yourself in body wash, this will get you squeaky clean. Don’t forget your feet and behind the ears! After you rinse off the body wash, repeat with a body scrub. I recommend Tree Hut’s Shea Sugar Scrub in the scent of Tropical Mango. The scrub polishes off every bump or imperfection on your skin and smells fantastic. Not to mention it’s only 10$ on Amazon! We love a good deal.
5. Rinse again and shave time! This is fairly self-explanatory, and I don’t really have any hacks for it, it’s simply my least favorite part of my self-care routine. Lather up with shaving gel and get to work!
6. Now the critical facewash step. It is time to really get all the sweat and grime out of your pores. I try to wash for a minute, lightly massaging the product into my face in circular motions. I recommend CeraVe’s Moisturizing Foaming Facewash. I feel like it really cleans out your pores without drying out or irritating the skin. This face wash is good for people with combination skin like me. However, pick whatever face wash works best for you and your needs. CeraVe is my favorite skincare brand, and they have face wash for every skin concern!
7. Now rinse everything! Fully rinse out your hair and your face.
8. When you are drying off, don’t touch your face!!! Leave it damp!

skincare #1

1. Now, skincare! (Again, you will have 2 skincare sessions today. This is #1)
2. With your face still damp, apply an essence. I am obsessed with Korean skincare right now (as is the rest of the world). I recommend CosRX Snail Mucin Essence. I apply 2 pumps all over my damp face and neck. This product locks the water and moisture into your face and helps repair the skin barrier.
3. Allow your face to fully dry, then apply a vitamin C serum. This helps brighten skin and fade dark spots. I recommend L’Oreal’s Revitalift Vitamin C Serum. I have a lot of acne marks and scars and this product has visibly faded them.
4. Next, apply moisturizer. I recommend a cream that contains hyaluronic acid, like Neutrogena’s Hydro Boost Water Gel.
5. Finally, the MOST IMPORTANT step. Sunscreen! After your skin has fully dried, apply sunscreen. Ideally, one with a strong SPF. You must use sunscreen. Of course, to prevent cancer and premature aging, but by blocking sun exposure, your skin can focus solely on repairing older damage. I recommend EltaMD’s UV Clear Broad-Spectrum SPF 46 facial sunscreen. This works great for people with sensitive and acne-prone skin like me. It is pricey, but considering just how crucial sunscreen is, I think it is worth the splurge.

Haircare #1

1.  Time for haircare! I have thin, curly, bleached hair, so keep that in mind during this guide. I still believe this will be very applicable to any hair type, though.
2. Using a wide-tooth comb, start on the ends of your damp hair and work your way up! My mother is a hairdresser and she screamed this at me for years when I was younger and had thick hair. I never listened until now, after I’ve pulled out half of my gorgeous thick hair and must savor every single strand I have left, treating it with the utmost care. They make combs specifically for wet hair detangling now, using curvy spikes. You can find them for 5$ or less. If you are trying to minimize hair fall-out, it’s worth a try.
3. After my hair is knotless, I will take the scalp massager and work on my scalp again for 2 minutes, massaging in circles to promote blood circulation. Then I add hair oil to my scalp. Hair oils can be really useful for scalp health, minimizing fall-out, and promoting hair growth. I recommend either castor oil or rosemary oil. Apply it all over your scalp, and, again, massage for another minute or so. Comb the residual scalp oil throughout your hair to the ends, then braid it. Leave your hair like this with the oil in while you work on other self-care.

chores <3

1. Matcha time! I love a good green tea as a mid-day pick-me-up. Whether you brew a regular green tea bag or use matcha powder, this healthy, antioxidant-rich tea is perfect for sipping on during your day. It is soothing and packed with health benefits.
2.  Clean! Deep clean! Clean your room or your dorm or your apartment. Clean your whole living space. Put away all your clothes neatly. Change your bed sheets and pillow covers (I am obsessed with silk sheets and pillowcases; they feel so comfy and luxurious). Clean your bathroom, clean the kitchen, clean the refrigerator, and wash all your dishes. Do your laundry! Take out all your trash! A clean and organized space is one of the single greatest things you can do for your mental health. Again, to quote my mother (an absolute clean freak), “Messy room, messy mind.”
3.  While your clothes are in the washer and dryer, do some yoga or meditation. Whether you go to a class in person or just watch a YouTube video and follow it at home, this will be a great way to center yourself and connect your mind and body. Self-care includes your mental health just as much as your physical.
4.  Paint your nails! Full-on manicure and pedicure. I actually love doing my own nails from home. I ordered a dip-powder set for beginners on Amazon for $30. It came with 20 colors, all the base coats, topcoats, activators, etc. that dip powder requires, and it came with a nail file, cuticle tool, and oil. The brand Modelones on Amazon seems to be the best bang for your buck when it comes to a dip powder set. Make sure to pay special attention to calluses on the feet.
5. Now it’s time for dinner. Seafood for dinner is my favorite. I love a good air-fried salmon with veggies.  

Shower #2

1. After you have let the oil sink in your hair for at least 4 hours (that’s what I recommend, but use your own discretion), it is time for shower #2 to wash the oil out of your scalp! (Put a jade roller and Gua-Sha in your refrigerator, you will need this later).
2. The first step is optional, but I personally love it. Dry brush your body before you shower. Using a hard-bristled boar’s hair body brush, brush your entire body from the feet up to stimulate your lymphatic system. It is generally recommended to brush in circular motions toward your heart. Take your time with this step and focus extra attention on your problem areas. Dry brushing aids lymphatic drainage and helps reduce the appearance of cellulite.
3. I like to double cleanse my face at night to really clean out makeup and sunscreen from the day. Using either an oil cleanser or micellar water (I use Garnier Micellar water, it’s cheap and amazing), cleanse your face before you enter the shower.
4. Now, hop in the shower. Rinse out your hair thoroughly, then apply shampoo. Do not use a clarifying shampoo again, as this will dry out your hair.
5. After you have thoroughly rinsed out the shampoo and scalp oil, apply conditioner. Again, put it up into a shower cap so you can moisturize while you work on other tasks.
6. I love to brush my teeth in the shower. Brush your teeth for at least 2 minutes, then rinse.
7. There is no need to wash your body again unless you feel like it. But definitely wash your face again! Using the same 1-minute face massage method as shower #1, gently cleanse our face again.
8. Rinse off the face wash and hair conditioner.
9. While your body is still damp, apply body oil. Baby oil works great, but whatever you like, it’s up to you! This is my secret to smooth skin. And remember, leave your face damp!

post-shower #2 care

1. Apply a paper face mask sheet. I don’t have a specific preference, but I usually look for a mask containing collagen for its anti-aging benefits. Use a cold jade roller to run over the mask, this helps the product absorb into the skin.

2. Floss your teeth and use mouthwash as directed on the packaging. After your mouth is completely cleaned, apply whitening strips. Crest Whitening Strips are tried and true. Leave them on while you work on other steps.

3. Apply body cream all over your body. I am obsessed with Jergens Natural Glow Moisturizer. It really builds a natural and glowing tan on your skin. If you aren’t looking for tanning effects, CeraVe’s Moisturizing Cream is ultra-nourishing for the skin.

4. Now back to your hair! Combing it out the same way I recommended before, I like to apply a leave-in conditioning spray treatment for its detangling and moisturizing benefits. Then apply hair serum or oil, concentrating it mainly on your ends. This is different from scalp oil! This is to moisturize and nourish your strands. Garnier’s Marvelous Oil works great and is another drugstore bargain. Braid your hair to prevent knots and tangles while you sleep.

5. After you have let the mask sit for its allotted time (generally 20 minutes), remove the mask, and follow the instructions on the packaging. (This is also probably around the time you should remove the whitening strips but use the time frame designated on the box’s instructions.) Most sheet masks recommend massaging the additional product into the skin and letting it fully absorb. After that dries, apply a ceramide moisturizing cream. Ceramides help repair the skin barrier; this is particularly beneficial as you sleep. I recommend, yet again, CeraVe’s Moisturizing Cream. Apply this sparingly as it’s extremely concentrated and you do not need much. Follow up with a Gua-Sha facial massage.

6. Apply castor oil to your eyelashes and eyebrows to stimulate hair growth while you sleep.

7. Use a lip scrub and follow up with a lip mask. I use the iconic Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask, but there are plenty of cheaper alternatives on the market now.

Night-time ritual

1. I love to end my night with a nice sleepy-time tea. I love chamomile, ginger, and turmeric-containing teas for nighttime. As long as it isn’t caffeinated though, feel free to choose what you prefer!
2. Turn off the lights and play a relaxing sleep playlist. They have different playlists on YouTube and Spotify that play white noise to promote sleepiness.
3. READ A BOOK FOR AN HOUR (OR UNTIL YOU FALL ASLEEP)!!! Turn off your phone notifications and your TV and your computer. Opt for a good book over Netflix. Whether it’s a romantic fiction novel, a non-fiction self-help book, or even a Harry Potter book, just read! It is relaxing and good for your brain.

final step

1. GO TO SLEEP EARLY!
2. Try to fall asleep by 10 PM so you can wake up tomorrow feeling completely refreshed and reap all the benefits of your self-care!

I hope I have inspired you to take a day to focus solely on yourself and your well-being. Or at the very least, you implement one step from the routine into your day. Treat yourself and enjoy.

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