We’re now four months deep into quarantine, and during our time at home, we’ve learned how to effectively WFH and become pro Zoom users, transform into masters in the kitchen (OK, maybe amateur masters for some of us, but we’re doing our best), and flex our DIY skills with everything from hand sanitizer to at-home facials (to name a couple).
The global crisis should not be taken lightly as we’re still living in a pandemic. It’s all so heartbreaking, and yes, the struggle is very real. However, we wanted to take a “silver linings” attitude today and share how our self-care practices have shifted during the stay-home orders.
In sum, we’ve learned to remember and appreciate what’s truly important in life—family, friends, a roof over our head, and our health and safety. During a recent Poosh team meeting, we all agreed we’ve scaled back our personal maintenance routines and adjusted to a more low-key mindset (which to be clear we’re not mad at, in fact, we’re all gracefully embracing the new mentality) when it comes to nonessential treatments and activities. Read on to learn how our self-care priorities have changed this year.
Kourtney Kardashian:
“I love my eyebrows undone, I don’t need to wash my hair every day like I was, I love a good sleek bun with my natural hair oils, and I realized I love a light makeup routine—I can share mine in a separate post (so stay tuned).
Things I missed: my massages (one of the best ways you can take care of your body), my facials (but I did learn gua sha and oil cleansing, and now they’re a part of my skincare routine), and getting my nails done. I don’t mind short, clean, natural-looking nails (think nude tones like pink or even sheer nude or light pinkish), but totally undone is not for me.”
Sarah Howard:
“I’ve learned I can live without a mani/pedi, brows, and makeup! At-home skincare tools and DIY lotions and potions have become important to me—and I will definitely be continuing my more robust skincare routine, complete with LED masking, gua-sha-ing, microcurrent, etc. The two things I missed during quarantine were hair color and Botox, which I just can’t seem to do myself. Oh, and a haircut (I did try this myself and failed miserably). I’ve also learned that upping my vitamin and supplements intake isn’t only important for my health, but it really reflects on my skin, too. I feel like my skin has never looked better because I made overall health a top priority, and that shows on my face (am I jinxing myself?!).”
Brittney Mead:
“Before quarantine, I would have regularly scheduled brow appointments and hair appointments. Post-quarantine, I’ve had to get over my fear of tweezing my own eyebrows, and surprisingly I haven’t done too bad of a job! Also, with not styling my hair as often, my hair is healthier, so the lack of frequency in my haircuts hasn’t been an issue at all. My hair is the longest it’s been in a while. Non-grooming related, quarantine has really forced me to maintain a strict work-from-home schedule. Setting these boundaries is just as important for mental self-care. I have been making sure to set time in the morning for myself before work because I’m definitely the type to literally wake up and start working right away. I’ve been trying really hard to make it a point to slow down more.”
Jonathan Homan:
“Since quarantine, my self-care routine has definitely changed based solely on what was available. Pre-quarantine, I visited my barber once a week for a beard touch-up, but now I have mastered the technique on my own and realize that with a little time and patience, I yield the same results!”
Samantha Hyatt:
“So many things have changed for me. Coloring my own roots for one, and I’ve got it down now so I doubt I’ll ever go back to a salon for root touch-ups. Also my nails—I’ve never missed anything as much as I miss a good mani-pedi, but it has made me realize that when I do start getting them again, I definitely don’t need to go as often as I used to. Right now, I’m just focusing on what I can do … lots of face masks, taking more time to massage in my skin products, ice rolling, and gua sha. Also, sometimes comfy clothes all day and dirty hair tossed back in a bun should be considered self-care at its finest.”
Robert Vasquez:
“Self-care for me has a big part to do with nurturing my relationships with family and friends, and living away from them (they’re in New York) has sometimes caused challenges with staying in touch or feeling connected because life or plans would often get in the way. I also was never really a fan of Facetime; however, this time has allowed me to take a step back and nurture those relationships, allowing me to Facetime with nieces, nephews, and loved ones more regularly. I plan on continuing this routine post-quarantine to assure I am making time for loved ones who do not live close by and continuing to nurture those relationships.
Another self-care shift for me has been discipline with my overall skin regimen. I’ve invested in a variety of products for my skin including masks, serums, and moisturizers over the years but never really stuck to the routine of using them religiously and as directed due to just being too lazy in the a.m. or night and simply washing my face. However, I’ve used this time to see which products really resonate with my skin and have gotten into a good groove and routine of taking care of my skin, which I plan on continuing to do even when life gets back to normal … no excuses.”
Michelle Scanga:
“Pre-quarantine I rarely cooked dinner for myself (I truly avoid looking at my Postmates statements, ekk), but I’ve made an effort to try and make meals at home at least three times a week. I invested in a Magic Bullet for my morning smoothies and a mini air fryer (who knew you could cook fresh fries in less than 15 mins). I don’t feel as guilty now since I’m not spending as much money on takeout and delivery fees. I do miss my laser hair removal treatments, but in light of staying positive, I just consider the extra time in the shower as relaxing ‘me’ time. I’m already pretty low maintenance when it comes to my skincare routine, but as Kourt, Sarah, and Sam mentioned, I too have perfected my gua sha skills. I’ve also noticed my lashes look thicker since I’m not wearing and removing mascara on the regular.
One last thing, since we haven’t been able to socialize (which is a major self-care activity for me), I’ve spent more time outside on my porch and have become friends with neighbors who previously I hadn’t really talked to. Which if you think about it is kind of crazy that it took a pandemic for our neighborhood to come together and get to know each other. Yes, we stay six feet apart and wear masks. I think that’s something to really be appreciative of while we’re all feeling lonely—it’s comforting to know friendly neighbors are right next door!”
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