I always have one day a week where I can take a breather and treat myself to a night of self care to reset, de-stress, and enjoy some pampering. I feel very strongly that every person should have this kind of a night for their mental health as a way to calm their nerves, especially during the semester when one’s schedule is filled with activities and homework.This is a small but big way to feel better about yourself by feeling a bit put together even if the rest of your life is a little bit of a mess or hectic. When I feel like I look good and ready for the day, I notice how my mental health follows, even if it just makes me a little bit happier about the day. Not only do you need it, but your skin does too! It’ll appreciate the help to its moisture barrier, stress induced acne, and, if you wear makeup everyday, the reset for your skin for the week or weekend to come.
I always like to start with a clean surface by washing my face with my favorite cleanser. It doesn’t matter what kind of cleanser, just whatever you usually use. After freshening up, I go in with a mask to fight my weekly breakouts, yes weekly. I don’t wear makeup that often because, quite frankly, I am too lazy to get up early enough to actually put on foundation, powder, or mascara. Most days, I just walk out of the door hoping no one will pay attention to the bags under my eyes or the imperfections on my skin. I leave on any harsh acne clearing face mask for less than the allotted time they recommend because I find my skin is very sensitive and it could leave me with very rough and red skin. While I wait for that time to be up, I remove the nail polish from my nails and lather in a moisturizing hair mask before I hop in the shower. One hair mask that I am currently into is the Moroccan Oil hydrating hair mask. When it comes to a spa day, a lot of people overlook their hair and it is something that needs just as much attention as one’s skin. This is to prevent split ends, dry ends, and overall damage your hair goes through especially if you, like me, use products or heating tools to style it during the weekend. A nice spa day shower consists of scrubbing, shaving, washing my hair with a detox shampoo, and using a special conditioner (the Olaplex hydrating conditioner) to give my body that little extra care it needs once a week. Occasionally, I will dry brush before my shower because many studies show how it helps with your circulation, cellulite, and has anti-aging benefits, but again, like I have said before, sometimes I can be a bit lazy.
After I come into my dorm room all squeaky clean, then I change into my most comfy set of pajamas and get to my nails. For this, anything works, and if you want to leave your nails naked and shaped that is perfectly okay, but I do love a pink nail to look put together. I find three coats of nail polish and a coat of quick dry helps make the polish last longer and the process quicker so you can get to bed earlier. At this time of my spa night I always put on a show while I wait for my nails to dry such as the Big Bang Theory, Euphoria, or maybe even a movie like 10 things I Hate About You. I continue with my normal nighttime skincare routine of serums, toners, moisturizer, and any cream for acne, and the belief that I will look like I got my beauty sleep (keyword here is believe).
A time to yourself is necessary during a stressful semester filled with classes that may or may not be interesting depending on what professor you have, or what subject you are taking, but after taking it week by week it is so nice to have a period of time every 7 days to relax and pay attention to yourself. Always listen to yourself and what you, your body, and your skin needs.