6 Mental Health Benefits of a Daily Skin Care Routine
A common self care activity is skin care. Whether it’s a five step nighttime skin care routine or a face mask once a week, skin care is an essential part of any self care routine. Not only does skin care benefit your physical skin health…but there are also plenty of mental health benefits of a skin care routine as well.
We all know the physical health benefits of skin care: Skin health, reduce acne, control oil, address dryness, etc. However, you may not realize how many mental health benefits of a skin care routine there are also.
And while when you think about self care activities for mental health you probably immediately think of meditation, journaling, etc. but there are plenty of mental health boosting aspects of a skin care routine.
Before we get into all of the mental health benefits of a daily skin care routine, let’s talk about the key basics of a skin care routine.
There are a few basic steps to a proper skin care routine. To reap the full mental health benefits, I recommend trying to stick to at least a few of these steps regularly. These skin care routine steps include:
Cleansing and Removing Makeup
Cleansing and removing your makeup is the most essential part of any skin care routine. Sleeping with makeup on or not cleansing your face will trap contaminants on your face. This can lead to clogged pores, acne, and skin irritation.
Exfoliation (Once or twice a week)
Exfoliation removes the dead skin cells from your face and prepares the skin to better absorb moisture. Without exfoliation, the products you’re putting on your face in the following steps won’t be as effective.
However, be sure to only complete this step once or twice a week to avoid over irritating and drying out your skin.
Toner
Toner will remove any remaining dirt, contaminants, or traces of makeup the previous steps missed. It can also help balance the pH levels of your skin and reduce acne.
Face mask (About once a week)
A face mask can help you address specific skin care issues. For example, if you have dry skin you can choose a hydrating mask. Or if you have dull skin, you can choose a brightening mask.
Typically it’s best to use a face mask at least once a week. But always read the container to understand how often to use a product and how long to leave it on your skin.
Serum
Serum is essentially concentrated hydration and nutrients for your skin. This step can be optional depending on how detailed you want to get. If you choose to use a serum, you only need a small amount of product each night, but it packs a big punch.
Eye Cream
Eye cream can aid in lessening the appearance of dark circles as well as reducing inflammation and puffiness. Eye cream also prevents wrinkles and aging so your future self will thank you.
Spot treatment (only if needed)
Spot treatment is another optional step, so if you don’t have any pimples in the given moment go ahead and skip for now. However, if you do, a spot treatment can help to repair those areas.
Moisturizer
Moisturizing helps provide soothing moisture to your skin. It will help address any dryness your face has and help you smooth out your skin.
This post is going to help you learn about the 6 mental health benefits of a skin care routine.
1. A skin care routine provides comfort and stability
One of the mental health benefits of a skin care routine is the comfort and stability it provides you. A skin care routine, like any routine, provides structure and consistency in your life.
Habits and routines provide this stability because you are conducting an act on a regular basis. Therefore, the action is predictable and you can rely on it.
A skin care routine will also provide a sense of control in your life. This is especially beneficial if you suffer from anxiety or feel you have a lack of control in your life.
In general, there are a lot of things we can’t control throughout the day, but your skin care routine is something you have influence on.
2. Increased confidence and self-esteem
The saying, “Look good, feel good” definitely has some truth to it. When your skin looks good, you will feel more confident and have a higher self-esteem.
InStyle conducted a survey of women across the United States to explore common skin care concerns and how women feel about their skin. This study actually found that 76% of women feel good about themselves if they feel their skin looks good. And this statistic holds true regardless of age.
A skin care routine also allows you to address specific skin issues or conditions that you are experiencing. This means you will not only feel more confident in your appearance, but also address any pain or discomfort that skin ailments can cause.
3. Opportunity for mindfulness
Another one of the best mental health benefits of a skin care routine is the opportunity for mindfulness that it provides.
Your skin care routine provides a few dedicated minutes to being present in the given moment. So once or twice a day, you are guaranteed an opportunity to practice mindfulness through being present in the moment.
To take this further, utilize mindfulness while you apply your skin care products by paying attention to all of your senses in that moment. For example, you may notice how the products look, smell, and feel.
Pay attention to what the products look like. What do the bottles look like? What color is the product?
Notice how the products smell. Don’t judge the scent, but rather just notice it.
Take note of how the products feel on your skin as you apply them. Do they feel cold? How do your hands feel as they apply the products?
Mindfulness has many mental health benefits on its own including reduced stress and anxiety.
For more mindfulness activities to add to your morning routine, read more here.
4. Connect with others
You skin care routine also provides an opportunity to connect with others. This can happen in a few different ways.
First, consider doing a face mask with friends or family once a week. Whether you want to make it a Self Care Sunday ritual, or some other day of the week, participating in skin care with others is a great way to deep your connection with them.
Additionally, your skin care routine can help you connect with others by talking about products or skin care tips with other people. Recommend a product to a friend or talk about your favorite beauty bloggers together.
You’ll likely find that you have a lot of tips you can share, and even more you can learn from others!
5. Set a precedent of kindness towards yourself
Another one of the best mental health benefits of a skin care routine is setting a precedent of kindness towards yourself.
By establishing a habit of caring for yourself through a skin care routine, this attitude will likely cascade to other areas of your life. As you see the benefits of a skin care routine, you may be inspired to take on other healthy habits into your daily life, such as exercising or eating food that’s good for you.
Additionally, the more you get to know your skin, you may also be more kind to yourself and your appearance rather than tearing yourself down through negative self talk.
6. Reduce stress
Lastly, a huge mental health benefit of a skin care routine is reduced stress.
Engaging in a daily skin care routine is an opportunity for relaxation every day. It’s a time when you can stop worrying about your growing to-do list for a moment, and just focus on yourself.
Skin to skin contact helps to stimulate blood flow and help your muscles relax. This experience overall will help you relax and reduce your stress.
Those are the 6 mental health benefits of a skin care routine.
Your skin care routine is not only benefiting your physical skin health and outward appearance, but it’s also benefiting your mental health as well.
Skin care can help you relax, feel more confident, reduce stress, and more. Show some your kindness today and start implementing a skin care routine using the tips in this post.
If you need more details on how to start a nighttime skin care routine, read more here.
Comment below with how you see your skin care routine benefiting your mental health.
Great stuff. Please keep sharing.