Mindfulness is a wellness buzzword that has been around for quite a while — but it’s not all hype. Practicing mindfulness in various aspects of your life, including skin care, does have its benefits.
What is Mindfulness?
The American Psychological Association (APA) Dictionary of Psychology defines mindfulness as the “awareness of one’s internal states and surroundings.” According to the APA, it is cultivated through the regular practice of meditation, wherein a person focuses on their breathing and the sensations in their body. In layman’s terms, it’s being more present and making an effort to feel what you are feeling – physical or emotional – now. You can also develop it through yoga, tai chi, and Qigong.
Once mindfulness becomes a habit, it can have multiple benefits. The APA notes that it minimizes rumination or the repeated thinking of negative thoughts. It also and anxiety by helping people change the way they experience or . In addition, it boosts memory, improves focus, and enhances cognitive flexibility.
How to Practice Skin Care with Mindfulness
One of the best times to practice mindfulness is while you’re doing your skin care. There’s no situation more conducive to being in the moment than when you’re slathering silky serums on your skin, feeling the buzz of a microcurrent device, or rinsing your face after a satisfying cleanse. Here are a few ways to introduce it to your skincare routine:
Don’t rush it.
It’s an unspoken skincare rule that you should be cleansing your face for 60 seconds. This alone should hint at how much time you should be spending on all the other steps. There are no exact rules or number of minutes to follow — simply slow down and take your time. Set aside a moment in the morning and evening for yourself and your skincare routine with no distractions or interruptions.
Feel the textures against your skin.
Ever notice how, after exfoliating with a scrub, your skin immediately feels smoother and looks brighter? One way to infuse your skincare routine with a dose of magical mindfulness is by feeling these textures between your fingertips and your face and judging how much pressure you should be applying as you go along. Try different methods of application — patting, pushing, slathering, whisking — and see which of them works best for you.
Savor applying POND'S NEW YORK Brightening Day Serum Essence with Vitamin C PRO and POND'S NEW YORK Brightening Night Serum Essence with Niacinamide on your skin. These formulas give you a luminous complexion with vitamin C pro and Actience, which protect skin from external aggressors, such as UV rays and blue light. They also repair the cells while you sleep.
Know your skincare ingredients.
It seems intuitive to use natural products when adding mindfulness to your skincare routine, but what if you turn out to be allergic to its ingredients? The better thing to do than to assume that all things natural can solve your problems is to be more attentive to what you put on your skin in general. What ingredients make your skin thrive? What ingredients are you allergic to? Be aware of how your skin reacts to your products and adjust your routine accordingly.
For example, if you have acne-prone, sensitive skin, use products that have soothing ingredients such as Eskinol Pimple Relief Serum, which has cica from Korea, and . It also contains 0% alcohol, making it more gentle on inflamed skin.
Find joy in the process.
People get different things from their skincare routines. To some, it’s , restful and quiet. To others, somehow wearing a sheet mask induces creative thoughts. Once you discover what your beauty routine means to you outside of skin care, you’ll enjoy it even more and devote your full attention to the process.
Introducing mindfulness to any routine can be intimidating at first, but that’s exactly how you know you need it. When you can give in to it, mindfulness will start to come more naturally.