Think about your daily skin care routine. You (hopefully) start with a gentle cleanser to remove impurities from your skin, followed by a heaping dose of a soothing and nourishing moisturizer. There are probably a few more steps trickled in, including applications of serum, essence, and SPF. Aside from the positive effects your targeted skin care routine can have on the appearance of your body’s largest organ, there’s a very important self-care aspect to this daily ritual. To learn more about the correlation between skin care and self-care, we reached out to board-certified plastic surgeon, SkinCeuticals ambassador, and Skincare.com consultant, Dr. John Burroughs. HOW SKIN CARE CAN BE CONSIDERED SELF-CARE We all lead busy lives. Between caring for family members, fulfilling the requirements of your 9-to-5, keeping up with your social life, and/or school responsibilities, it can be hard to commit to “me” time where you’re unwinding without the distractions of your hectic schedule. But the truth is, if you’re taking time out of your day—morning and night—to care for your skin, you’re also engaging in soothing and comforting acts that can also be considered self-care, whether that is gently massaging cream around your eyes or putting your head back and kicking up your feet while a sheet mask engulfs your facial contours. The goal may be to improve the way your skin looks, but there’s no denying that the process of caring for your skin can be relaxing and meditative if you allow it to be. “When we feel better about our skin, we feel better about ourselves,” Dr. Burroughs says. “When we meet and talk to others, the first feature they notice is our facial skin and eyes. If there are areas of puffiness, discoloration, bagginess, wrinkles, or poor radiance it can impact how we feel about ourselves.”According to Burroughs, engaging in a daily skin care routine can make you feel good about yourself (and your skin), and that may lead to happiness in other areas of your life. “It has been shown smiling can help you feel better, so I think anything that helps us smile more is not only good for our mental well-being, but helps us be more attractive and welcoming to others,” Dr. Burroughs adds. “Any of us can at times suffer from an acne outbreak or be tired and have excessive bags under the eyes, but being able to address these concerns with ongoing skin care maintenance can help us look our best all the time or as much as possible.”HOW TO EMBRACE SKIN CARE AS SELF-CARESelf-care can mean different things to each individual, but the overarching goal is to feel good, happy, and calm. For many, engaging in a skin care routine—regardless of whether it involves 10 steps or 3 steps—can help reduce daily stress, as it’s a chance to take a break. You don’t even have to be a skin care buff to embrace self-care through your daily routine, so long as you are taking time for yourself to disconnect from stressors and focus on yourself. Keep in mind that embracing self-care doesn’t have to mean splurging on expensive skin care products or devices. More so than the product(s) you use, the real benefit you can experience is from taking that “me” time. Still, there are certain skin care products that can help you achieve a truly relaxing, spa-worthy experience from head-to-toe. Here, we share some of our favorite products—from the L’Oréal portfolio of brands— that can help you look and feel good.CLARISONIC SMART PROFILE UPLIFTGone are the days where cleansing is just a quick rinse with bar soap. Today, you can up your cleansing game—and remove dirt and impurities from your skin’s surface up to six times better than hands alone—with a Clarisonic. One of our favorite devices in the portfolio is the Smart Profile Uplift. In addition to providing a comfortable and revitalizing cleanse, the Firming Massage Head can act on key signs of aging—think: fine lines and wrinkles—and help reduce stress! Think of it as a next-level face massage. But the benefits don’t end there. In addition to a facial massage, you can bring that spa-like experience to your body skin as well with the device’s Turbo Massage Body Brush Head. Just spend 30 seconds massaging each area of skin—face, neck, décolleté—and we promise it’ll have you looking forward to your skin care routine each and every day.Clarisonic Smart Profile Uplift, $349 MSRPKIEHL’S INSTANT RENEWAL CONCENTRATE MASKThis two-piece hydrogel mask is formulated with a blend of three plant-derived, cold-pressed Amazonian oils and fits snugly onto the skin to introduce nourishing moisture. It’s the perfect opportunity to sit back and relax for 10 minutes while the formula helps renew your skin’s state of hydration. It doesn’t hurt that you’re left ith skin that feels soft and looks brighter as a result. Kiehl’s Instant Renewal Concentrate Mask, $32 MSRPCAROL’S DAUGHTER ALMOND COOKIE BUTTER BODY LOTIONWhat better way to wind down than covering your body in a rich body lotion that’s not only thick and indulgent but smells heavenly too? With Carol’s Daughter Almond Cookie Butter Body Lotion, you’re able to experience just that. Expect its formula to leave your skin feeling soft and smooth with a delicious scent of almond cookie butter that’ll satisfy your sweet tooth. Carol’s Daughter Almond Cookie Butter Body Lotion, $18 MSRP
