#SelfCareSunday

Ok, Self-Care Sunday has become a bit of a trend, but in all honesty I am loving it. It helps me to remember to check-in with myself and take a few minutes for myself, but being completely transparent my nightly routine is one of the things I do daily to treat myself. Other things that I have noticed that are great for my health is reading a devotional daily and taking some time for journaling and meditation, breathing and stretching every day, and incorporating cardio or yoga in a few mornings a week. I also have done some research on the best supplements for myself to take, and taking care of eating healthy most of the week has become big for my energy level and mental clarity (typically lower carb meals). I also try to take care to meet with one of my good friends weekly for some encouragement and laughter and a boost to my week, and go on a date with my husband most weeks.

Now, back to my nightly routine. I used to just use soap and water on my face and maybe a bit of almond oil if my skin felt tight. I have always been fairly low-maintenance and also just always had the mentality that I really didn’t need anything else. I also never found anything that I loved and thought what I had was “good enough”. Until my SIL handed me a little travel bag of goodies that she wasn’t going to use. It was filled with Laneige products. “Sounds fancy!,” I thought. Well, I tried the cleanser, face lotion, and water mask everyngiht for a few weeks and noticed that my skin was softer and seemed a bit brighter and NO breakouts, which is surprising for me since I have always been prone to breakouts and stayed away from most products due to that. I am not one to really advocate for certain products, but I have found a winner! The first step I did decide to take one Black Friday 3 years ago was to indulge in a Clarisonic. Now, they ARE expensive, but Black Friday is the time to buy one. This acts as my exfoliator every night and has been an incredible investment. Along with the foamy Laneige cleanser, my skin feels so incredibly smooth. Next, I remove my make-up with Now Almond Oil. Then my toner, which I put in a small spray bottle, is filled with 1 part Bragg’s apple cidar vinegar and 2 parts water. I spray that on a cotton ball and dab it all over my face. Next, I have started massaging my face with a Gua sha Board to increase blood flow in my face. It feels really relaxing and reminds me to relax my face neck and even shoulders. I’ve heard of women even dropping their head down between their legs for a couple of minutes to increase blood flow. Apparently this is important, especially as we get older. I finish with a mask. on most Sundays that leaves me feeling rejuvinated from my week. My absolute favorite sheet mask is Acure and my favorite clay mask is Aztec Secret. I leave on one or the other for twenty minutes. Then I finish every night with Laneige Water Sleeping Mask. This stuff is magic. I wake up with my face feeling so smooth and hydrated.

When I get in bed, and after every shower I cover myself in Welda Skin Food Body Butter. This stuff is a mircale worker! I have had dry spots on my feet and arms and elbows for years that I haven’t been able to get rid of. After using this stuff for only a few days they are no longer lingering around. I always put on lounge wear after that.. My favorite thing to relax in right now are these soft shorts and top combo. Then I put on thick wool socks over my body butter covered feet. I usually have one glass of wine or some kind of stress relief tea as a wind down with Netflix (Restaurants on the Edge and The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez are my binges right now) or a good book (the classic story Little Women and Get Out of Your Head by Jennie Allen are my reads on my night stand). Lights are out for me by 10:30P and we sometimes use a sleep sound app, relaxing oil in our diffuser, and always a night mask.

Ok, maybe I am high maintenance now that I think about it ;-)

Take care!

XO,

LE