Tag Archives: creating self care habits

Skin care is too complicated!! Let’s simplify it a little…

Why have people made skin care so complex and overwhelming?! I know we have learned a lot and really homed in on the specifics of skin care products which is great, but to the average person it seems so overwhelming that many don’t know where to begin!! So, my goal with this post is to try to simplify some things for you to give you some confidence to find and create the best simplified skin care routine for YOU!

Cleanse • Moisturize • Sunscreen

To make it extremely simple, focus on these 3 areas. First cleanse your face (Try the cleansing face bar soap I mentioned in a previous post) then you follow that with a moisturizer and then a sunscreen. Keeping it very simple will make it easy for you to stay consistent. On a relaxing day- usually Sundays for me- get yourself a face mask to do weekly!

As you create the habit of doing your skin care routine daily and are ready to add a new product(s) then you can look into other skin care products like a toner after you cleanse your face, an eye cream and serum. These aren’t always necessary though!! The rose water toner I’ve tried always made me break out and cause redness so I decided that it’s just not for me at the moment. Don’t go crazy and add a bunch of things to your routine at once- you won’t know which product your skin doesn’t agree with, which products are doing what for your skin and if you even need that extra product.

Living simply is the goal!


Some things to keep in mind when selecting your skin care products and creating your routine …

• Always check the ingredients. Avoid things with a ton of alcohol and long ingredient lists with many things you cannot pronounce. Alcohol can be drying for your skin. Also, stay far away from anything that lists “fragrance or perfume” as these may make the product smell good but can also expose you to cancerous and other harmful things.

• Big brands are not always the best! They are often times living off their name and not the quality of their products. Don’t feed into the hype these brands create.

• You are getting what you pay for when it comes to beauty products most of the time. The good stuff might cost a little more, but it’ll be absolutely worth it for your health. Keep your eye out for sales!

• Some of these new beauty tools are not worth the money or hassle and may even cause irritation to your skin, like the black head machine or electric scrubbers. Try it if you want, don’t try it if you don’t want to!

• Doing a skin care routine twice a day can be overwhelming to many people with limited time! Attempt to consistently do it at least once a day. Remember you’re doing this for YOU.

• Trail and error! Stick with a product for at least a month to see real results unless you developed irritation immediately after using, then stop. It takes time for our skin to adjust and show physical improvements so give new products time to see if they really work for you.

I hope that you’ve gained something from this post and you are confident enough to begin creating or adjusting your skin care routine. Don’t overthink it! I’m here to help the best I can so please comment or message me if you’d like me to help you with product recommendations or techniques.

Now go be great!

xo, J

Self care habit hacks from personal experiences! To be continued…

The cliche saying that self-care is not selfish is actually advice that everyone needs to take. We all need to remember that self-care is vital for our mental well being. Sometimes we do need to put ourselves first over our children and spouse- within reason of course. Don’t leave your hungry child crying so that you can go journal in the other room or call out of work several times and cause unnecessary issues there. There must be a balance though. You must be able to care for yourself on top of all of your other life duties. Creating daily habits that make incorporating self-care into your life easily is the key to having a solid self-care routine that fills your cup every day.

Okay, got it. But how do I create these habits and how do I keep them going consistently?? I don’t have all of the answers since I am currently still a work in progress. However, through my experiences I find when I make it enjoyable and easy to do, I have a little more motivation to do it. You’re not going to want to do something every day if it actually doesn’t make you feel good in some way. There has to be a reward! Once you start getting in the groove of completing the task and receiving the reward (ex, seeing fitness results, seeing your skin clear, etc.) you will want to keep doing it. 

Also, a little trick I have used to start a new habit, if it’s applicable, try doing it when you can fit it. (A name for this is “habit stacking”). For instance, if you want to make it a habit of stretching every day, do it while you wait for your coffee maker to heat up or while breakfast cooks. If you want to make it a habit of reading every day, do it while your spouse is cooking dinner, while the little one(s) naps, or during your lunch hour at work. Not only will it make it easier to do it consistently, but it also can be a little reminder as well. Once the clock hits 12 and it’s lunch time, that means you can eat and read for a bit. You’ll start associating the two together so it’ll feel weird when you skip a day because your mind remembers that it is supposed to be doing something during lunch hour. READ! Of course this isn’t an overnight thing. It’s a process that requires dedication and patience while you wait to see results. 

Always feel tired? Yea that’s a sign you have to LISTEN to your body. When you’re experiencing certain symptoms out of nowhere, it’s your body talking to you. Stop ignoring your body’s signs (random pains, aches, exhaustion, fatigue, etc like you’ve always have. If you’re anything like the old me then you’re used to powering through things because the family needs to be taken care of, bills need to be paid and life needs to be lived. If you’re always on go mode, when is your body going to release the stresses of everyday life and recharge your mind and body to tackle future obstacles? You have to REST and SLEEP!!! Take small doses of melatonin if you must, watch some ASMR, read a random book (reading makes some people sleepy), etc. Do what you gotta do to get your 8 hours of sleep every night. I’m not joking. 

Unless you have severe insomnia and are getting treatment from a doctor, this isn’t necessarily directed to you. I had a friend that dealt with insomnia so I have an idea of how hard it can be, but it’s important to still rest even if you don’t fall asleep and even more important to NOT get annoyed that you’re having trouble sleeping. Just restttt! Try laying down with your eyes closed and clearing your mind by focusing on your breathing. Put your hands on your belly or chest to feel the breathing if you’re having trouble visualizing it. Sometimes the movement will help you picture it in your head, but it will also soothe you at the same time. I try this with my son when he is having trouble getting settled for bedtime and it helps him sometimes! (He is a wild 5 year old though lol).

So that’s all I have for you today! I’m positive there will be part 2, 3 etc. to this in the future because I am always learning new things and evolving as time passes, just like you. So be sure to check back and while you’re here check out the Self Love Journal under the shop tab! It’s the perfect place to begin your self-care journey!

Please email me with any questions, concerns, feedback or just to say hello! You can find my info under the “contact” tab.

xo, J