Skin-Care Routine and your Mental Health. Reasons how they relate

1. A Skin-Care Routine Provides Stability in Your Day That Benefits Your Mental Health “One of the bigger things we’re experiencing right now is the transition from being out and about to home all the time. What happens during that change is that you lose the structure and routine of your day. Those routines include healthy eating habits, exercise, journaling, and skin care,”. Those routines are critical for your overall health, in both body and mind. In a study published in June 2018 in the Lancet Psychiatry, researchers found that people who have less consistent routines throughout the active parts of their day were more likely to suffer from major depressive and bipolar disorders, mood problems, loneliness, and less happiness.

1. Everything You Need to Know About a Minimalist Skin-Care Routine

These routines feel good and act as a comforting force in your life, providing an anchor to your day and serving as a point of stability in your week, says Traube. On a small scale, you may even feel like you’ve accomplished something. “I think that especially now, because of COVID-19, it’s vitally important to maintain some routines during the week, otherwise one day begins to blend into the other. Now, in particular, is a fantastic time to reap the benefit of these habits,” he says.

* 2. Focusing on Doing Something Nice for Yourself Helps Stop a Worry Spiral*

You might find that certain times of the day can trigger intrusive thoughts, but you can break the negative thoughts with self-care. “Patients who experience anxiety and depression often report that their condition is exacerbated 30 minutes to one hour before bed. This is when they have more idle time, which increases worry for a lot of people,” says Traube. It’s when you’re engaged in an activity, including washing, toning, and moisturizing your face that you can get out of your head and focus on what you’re doing. (This goes for any activity that keeps you busy, like working on a new project, cooking dinner, or walking your dog around the neighborhood.)

The act of caring for your skin additionally provides an opportunity for mindfulness. Mindfulness is when you home in on sensations you’re experiencing in the present moment without passing judgment (the soothing feel of warm water, for instance). This practice has been shown to buffer depression and anxiety by stopping worry and rumination, according to a study on more than 1,100 adults published in March 2019 in Frontiers in Psychology. “By engaging in this activity for a few minutes, you can help your brain unhook from less healthy, spiraling thinking patterns,” says Traube.