My favorite self-care tips and products

     
One of my resolutions for the year 2020 was to treat myself well, and come 2020, I think I've started the right way. There are so many ways in which I can have some sort of self-care despite my full schedule, yet, I don't always have the time to go out to salons and nail spas, so I'd rather do things at home. 
     However, I believe self-care is a whole lot more than just the physical stuff. There's way more to it. It involves taking care of our entire self, from the physical, to the mental, to the emotional, to the social, to the spiritual aspects as well. It means savoring the pretty moments and indulging our senses in nice things, as well as feeding our souls with mentally-rich activities. 
     During the winter break, I started taking care of my skin again, and managed to find the time to follow up on a routine - not that this is new to me. I've always been a skin-care fanatic, but I've barely had the time recently to start from A to Z on a particular routine. I did things randomly. However, with the drying weather of winter here, I decided to do things differently and to create the time needed to do that. 
     In this post, I'm going to share what I'm doing so far in terms of self-care, and I'll be sharing the products I've used (regarding skin and hair care), the beverages and treats I've been enjoying (regarding health and diet), and books I'm currently reading as well (to feed my intellect and mental well-being). 

*N.B. All skin and hair products are pictured at the end of this post.

1) Skin care routine

• Face brush - I bought mine from The Body Shop, but any regular small towel can work as a scrubbing tool.
• Small towel - Any small towel will do. You will need it to pat dry your skin, and might use it as a scrub. 
• Face cleanser - My favorite right now is the L'Oréal clay cleanser, because in winter my skin tends to get dryer than usual, but this one doesn't dry it up.
• Face scrub - sometimes I just put the regular cleanser on the wet bristles of the face brush and just gently scrub. 
• Face mask - I've bought a few but right now I'm loving the Garnier Skin Active Vitamin C Shot. Sometimes I use the other moisturizing Garnier masks. 
• Eye mask - My favorite right now is the Garnier Hydra Bomb Eye Tissue Mask because it contains vitamin C and is a good moisturizer for the under eye are. Also, it's not expensive.
• Face moisturizer - I like Toleriane Ultra Fluide from La Roche Posay, because it's suitable for combination yet sensitive skin, and goes on smoothly under makeup without being sticky. However, I found this cheaper alternative Botanical Day Cream from Garnier SkinActive. It's also rich, goes on smoothly, and is suitable for putting as a makeup base. 
• Eye cream - I use Pigmentclar Eyes from La Roche Posay, but to be honest, you can use any drugstore cheaper alternative. Any moisturizing cream would work, but if you have a sensitive eye area, you might want to avoid the heavy oils like coconut oil because it might give you small bumps around that area. I'm just waiting to finish this one before I find another cheaper drugstore option.
• Eye lash serum - I swear by this one: Lilash, which made my lashes long and full, but you can also try castor oil, which is sold in pharmacies and is much cheaper. 
• Sunscreen - I'm currently using the Garnier Ambre Solaire for sensitive skin, which is not too heavy and doesn't leave white streaks. It's also not expensive.
• Body butter and shower gel - I use the ones from Body luxuries in the Tropical Woods scent. I used to have the matching body spray and hand cream but I consumed both. I was in love with the scent. 
• Face and body cream - I use Ictyane as a body cream. It's smells great and is super rich and hydrating. I sometimes use it as a night face cream on those dry-skin days, but I don't like applying it under makeup because it's quite heavy. 
• Hand cream - I'm currently using Le Petit Olivier hand cream. It has a nice smell and is rich in olive oil, which is very moisturizing. 
• Body Scrubs - I use two different scrubs: Wild Argan Scrub from The Body Shop and Sherbet Body Scrub. They both smell nice. 

Procedure: 
     
     After removing makeup (if any) with Johnson's makeup remover wipes, I wash my face with the L'Oreal cleanser. I apply a small bit on my wet brush, and scrub gently in circular motions all over my face. I then pat dry my face with a clean towel and apply my moisturizer, eye cream, and eyelash serum. During the day, I apply my moisturizer and then sunscreen. 
     Twice a week, I apply a face mask in the evening, after cleaning my face, and I leave it on for 15 minutes. When I'm done, I apply the eye mask, also for 15 minutes. There's no need to apply moisturizer or eye cream after the masks because they are already moisturizing enough and last until morning. 

N.B. Always apply products (creams) on your face from lighter to thicker because thick products will not allow the skin to soak up the thinner ones. 

     For my body, I like to use the Wild Argan Scrub in the shower, and then follow up with the Body luxuries shower gel. I make sure to moisturize with the matching body butter after the shower. During the day, I like to use the Ictyane face and body cream. 
     Sometimes I like to give myself a quick hand treatment and scrub my hands with the Sherbet body scrub, which smells awesome. and then I moisturize my hands with Le Petit Olivier.

2) Hair care routine

• Shampoo - I use Organica 9 Secrets shampoo, which is sulphate-free, silicone-free, and paraben-free.
• Conditioner - I use the As I am coconut cowash conditioner, which is so luscious.
• Leave-in conditioner - I also use the As I am leave-in conditioner.
• Curl activator - I like to use the moisturizing curl activator Cantu to enhance my wavy hair. It smells good and is very moisturizing.
• Curl revitalizer - I also use the Cantu Comeback Curls the next day to refresh my waves. 
• Deep treatment - I bought the Cosmaline Fall-control mask for weak and thin hair, which is paraben-free. 

Procedure: 

     When I shampoo my hair, I like to use natural products that don't irritate my scalp and dry out my hair, and I like the Organica one because it's suited for hair loss, which I've been experiencing a lot lately. After I shampoo, I condition with the coconut cowash, and then I apply a bit of leave-in cream. I don't always dry my hair, so I apply the curl activator and let my hair air-dry. The next day, I apply the revitalizer to refresh my natural waves. Once a week, I apply a deep treatment mask or oil and leave it on for half an hour before I shower. 

3) Fitness and diet

     One of my resolutions for the year 2020 was to get in good shape. I admit, I haven't re-registered at gym or been exercising much lately (yet), but I've changed my nutrition plan and have just started using my dumbbells. Although I've never been on a diet plan (and I'm still not), as I mentioned earlier, I've been ordering sandwiches and croissants a lot lately at work and haven't had time to prepare healthy meals, so I decided to change that. Now, I've gone back to my usual breakfast: milk and cereal. 
     I indulge in a good cup or two of Turkish coffee early in the morning, which is good for my sanity and emotional well-being, too. At work, I have my milk and cereal for breakfast, and make sure I'm fully satisfied. By 11:00 a.m. or noon time, I have two small bran sandwiches of anything I desire. 
     Because the weather is cold, I like to have something warm to drink, but I've been cutting down on Cappuccino recently. Rather, I'm drinking herbal tea, which - I admit - don't really like. Still, I have two drinks throughout the day: one at noon, and one in the afternoon, and they keep me full. For snacks I have a couple of biscuits (not too many), some fruits (banana mainly), and raw nuts. For lunch, I have home-prepared salad of fresh greens.
     I usually have dinner at around 6:00 or 7:00 p.m. and I eat healthy, cooked meals without bread. I don't often snack after dinner, but might have a warm cup of herbal tea in the evening. It's not all about losing weight to me; it's just about eating more healthy food while still taking pleasure in the things I like. It's important for me to relish such things, and currently, I've been losing myself in some roasted chestnuts in the evening. It's simply couthy roasting them at my cozy, warm, enclosed balcony. 

4) Mental and spiritual care

     Part of health care lies in stimulating your brain, and I tend to do that with a good book or a challenging game. Right now I'm reading Exploring Positive Psychology by Erik M. Gregory and Pamela B. Rutledge, which I purchased online from Amazon, and The Gambler by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, which I just started reading. 
     I also like to burn some incense of something rather effluvious like vanilla or some musky scent in the room I'm sitting in, or in the large living room, to nourish my olfactory sense. I cherish such moments where I can savor a good cup of coffee or warm tea while reading an appealing book amidst an air of lovely aromas. It just puts me at ease immediately. 
     


And this is how I've started with my health care routine, hoping I can follow with it and make the time for that. 

*These are the skin and hair products I'm using right now.