Raise your hand if you usually get home feeling kinda icky, but then cook dinner, watch tv, and go to bed. Honestly, don’t worry about it too much, it’s happened to the best of us. BUT, I will say that if you continue with this routine on a daily basis, you’ll probably stay in an indefinite loop of fatigue and demotivation. The routine I’ve laid out for you below is one that is not only efficient. But, it’s also one that you can flow through smoothly, so your self-care doesn’t seem like another chore.
Step 1: Wash face & apply mask
This step is SO important because it’s actually one that many of us skip day-to-day. Not only does washing your face help wash the stresses of the day away. But doing this on a daily basis will prove to have lasting effects on the health and appearance of your skin. Applying a mask during this routine also really helps the skin to absorb many added benefits. Whether it’s a mask with moisturizing, tightening, or anti-blemish properties, you’ll be doing your skin a huge favour. With that being said, for daily use I recommend a moisturizing mask, as the other two can be somewhat harsh on the skin. It’s best to use a tightening mask if you notice your skin needs a little “pick me up”, and an “anti-blemish” one if you notice they’re starting to appear more frequently than usual.
Step 2: Shower & moisturize
When it comes to body-care, going from head to toe is always the best practice. Which is why showering is the next step in this routine. I suggest showering (as opposed to bathing) because it can appear to be the quicker option for those who are more time-conscious. But by all means, take a bath if that’s your preference. Did you happen to notice that I didn’t mention washing off the mask in Step 1? That’s because I recommend rinsing it off either during, or just after your shower. This way, all your skin is prepped and can be moisturized in one sitting. If you use a facial toner, this would be the best time to apply. Then go in with your facial moisture, and finally your body lotion of choice.
*If your body is feeling really dry, try switching out your lotion with a body butter. It provides a lot more moisture within the same amount of time!
Step 3: Drink some Tea
These last two steps are probably the simplest, especially because the point of this whole routine is to “unwind”. This step in particular is actually the most flexible, as it only requires you to make some tea before moving on with your regular evening activities. Haha, now’s the time to enjoy your favourite show. You don’t have to make anything fancy, but keep in mind that there are many teas out there that contain caffeine (not the best for this kind of thing). I recommend going for a nice chamomile, lemon, ginger or peppermint blend, to leave you feeling relaxed and ready for Step 4.
Step 4: Get ready for Bed
As simple as this may be, it will have a huge impact on how you feel in the morning. First of all, please go to bed at a decent hour… It’s obviously up to you, but going to bed earlier really allows your body to have the time it needs to recover. It also makes the idea of waking up earlier a lot easier to cope with. Just picture this. The same activities you’re staying up late to do (in a pretty cloudy state), are the same ones you could be doing the next morning with fresh, focused energy. Which brings me to my last point. Set your alarm before bed. Doing this will allow you to fall asleep, and stay asleep, without that early-morning anxiety of trying to figure out if you should already be out of bed. I recommend setting your wake-up time to 15 minutes before you actually need to get up. This will allow you the time to snooze a bit, or do your early morning social media scroll, without the risk of ruining your whole morning schedule.
So, please try this out, and let me know what you think! I’d love to hear about what worked for you, and what didn’t.
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