When Skin Care Also Self-Care Together
self skin care
Dermatologists have
long endorsed the benefits of a daily skincare routine. And those benefits
might go beyond appearances.
An article last
month in The Outline referred to the quest for perfect skin as a “scam” and “a
waste of money.” But what takedowns of skin care regimens often fail to
acknowledge is an important health aspect: Any act of skin care can be
considered self-care. That can be an important step to possibly improving your
mental health, according to Marie Jihn, a dermatologist at Premier Dermatology
in San Carlos, California. It doesn’t matter if it’s taking a few minutes to
don a face mask or adding a dollop of moisturizer to your cheeks.
“By having a set
routine, one knows what to expect, and this is a relief,” she said. “The more a
routine it becomes, the less stress it becomes. In the process, you also look
better.”
The mental health
perks of a skin care routine While not everyone begins a skin care regimen for
beauty reasons, the very act of looking out for your skin, no matter the purpose,
is comforting and soothing by nature, according to Rena Jogi, a dermatologist
and affiliated physician with Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center in
Houston.
“When you do a skin
care routine, you’re usually alone, in your bathroom or somewhere quiet, and
it’s just you and the mirror,” Jogi said. “There’s something slightly
meditative about just sitting there and taking that 10 minutes just for you.”
She encourages her
patients to take the self-care practice a step further and listen to relaxing
music or a guided mediation app during the process.
“My skin care
routine for me is really just time that I take for myself twice a day,” Cameron
said. “I’m able to take a break from whatever the day is throwing at me and
just put everything on pause to focus on me.”
There’s no limit to
what routines or rituals could be considered self-care, explained Patricia
Normand, psychiatrist and director of integrated health and wellness at Rush
University Medical Center in Chicago.
“Anything that makes
you feel good is usually a means of self-care,” Normand said. “That can include
getting enough sleep, taking the time to exercise or getting proper nutrition.”
She explained that
self-care is often a process of trial and error, with patients endeavoring to
discover what reduces their stress and makes them feel good. If taking the time
to look after your skin is what alleviates some of the day’s stresses or helps
you feel calmer overall, then there’s benefit.
In fact, Normand
pointed out that more people need to participate in self-care, and in some
cases, her patients feel guilty about taking the time to enjoy something they
love.
“You can’t be your
best self if you’re not taking care of yourself,” she said. “You’re likely to
do better in other parts of your life if you take the time for you.”
