My Raw and Real Mommy Self Care Routine!
Welcome to today's blog post, friends! I hope you all had a wonderful Martin Luther King day yesterday! Today's post was inspired by my very own overgrown cuticles, and hairy legs. Yup, real life inspired this post because this mama is in DESPERATE need of some serious self care!
From all the filters and angles on social media, it can be easy for any of us to cover up the current realities of our hectic mommy lives. For some of us, it's not necessarily that we're trying to look “perfect.” Sometimes we’re just trying to look “HUMAN.” (Ya know, like we did wash our face, brush our teeth, and put some effort into our hair.)
The truth is, mom life is beautifully BUSY, and every choice we make for our kids takes away choices for ourselves. Most of our choices look like this: Choosing a not so healthy breakfast so we can give our kids the last banana. Choosing to skip shaving so we can hop out of the shower to nurse our crying babe. Choosing to tweeze our brows instead of thread so we can save money for our family! Sound familiar?
Life with kids is very beautiful and full, but we still have to make time for ourselves, and often on a budget! Sometimes I need to play “catch up,” and do all my self care in ONE night... kind of like tonight! If you want to follow along my raw and real self care routine, then keep reading!
Also, if you're a mama on top of her self care, or with some great advice, please help me out in the comments below! I'm listing affiliate links to any products I use and believe in, but I’ll be asking suggestions for some healthier options to products I’m not super happy with
Let’s get started:
First things first, I need to take a shower…but before that, hair mask and dry brushing time! This hair mask was highly recommended to me by an ULTA worker for locking in moisture, especially since my hair tends to be on the dryer side! It smells UH-mazing! I applied slightly more than a quarter, and started at the roots with most of the product focused on my ends.
Dry brushing is something that hurt my skin in the beginning. “How do people do this?!,” I often wondered. After three or four times, my body adapted to the harsh bristles where I could finally use it properly. Dry brushing helps with blood flow and circulation, stimulates drainage from the lymphatic system, and aids with diminishing dry patches and cellulite. You start at the base of of your feet and firmly brush your way UP TOWARDS your heart. Bottom of your fingers UP TOWARDS your hearts. Bottom of your belly UP TOWARDS your heart, and the top of your chest DOWN TOWARDS your heart.
I love, love, LOVE my Princess Jasmine wet brush! (It had to be Princess Jasmine because we are basically related…and it was a gift from my lovely cousin!) If you don't have one...you need one, and I say that with full confidence. First, it's bristles are firm and strong, but somehow don’t tug on your hair! It feels like a mini massage on your scalp in the shower, and allows you to keep your hair long and in tact! Mine is from Goody and it’s the best I’ve tried!
Then it was time to reunite my legs with their estranged friend, “the razor.” They don't visit together as much as they’d like to in the Winter...because life just gets too busy!! But I went to town with my BIC razors and ALAFFIA Lavender Body wash that smells amazing! The 10 razors you get are an affordable price, and they get the job done so it works for me!
I’m not crazy about my shampoo and conditioner. I've used this brand before, but deep down I'd really love to consider something less toxic! Please leave your suggestions in the comments below!!
Time to lotion up, and I'm currently using Burt’s Bees Baby Nourishing lotion on my face and body. (Thanks, kids!) I use this on my kids because it's the only thing that stopped my son's eczema!! However, there is no SPF, so anyone have any non toxic face and body lotion suggestions for me that WORK? SPF appreciated 😉
Okay, my ethnic dark-haired ladies, time for the dreaded lip waxing! I’ve been using the Sally Hansen wax kit since college because it's an easy way to wax and save money! This stuff is incredible, but it can get messy. Still, I purchase it again and again because it always gets the job done! I recommend microwaving the wax on a paper plate and not placing the cover back on until it's completely cooled. Remember to pull the strip in the opposite direction of the hair growth. I don't put anything on my upper lip after waxing in order to prevent breakouts! (I'm doing this all at 9:39pm btw, because this mamas gotta get in some “me time” one way or another!)
On to brows!! Nothing does my brows more beautifully than a good threading, but for this money saving mama, $35 a month puts me into an automatic guilt trip. I like my brows thick and long, so although they never quite look as good when I tweeze them, I'm able to make myself look somewhat human again!
Finally, I can enjoy my Pacifica sheet face mask and anti puff eye mask from ULTA! I only have links to Amazon, but I think these both may be cheaper at the ULTA store, so be sure to check them out there first! I’ve been so looking forward to using these for a long time! I was really impressed with how de-puffed and icy cool they both made my face and under eyes feel. I plan to leave them in the fridge prior to use next time for even more of a cooling sensation! Something about an eye mask and face mask just make you feel like you're at a luxury spa!! Even if there is an adorable crumb snatcher located just inches away from you, haha! Afterwards, I used my Pacifica Facial Roller to roll in the product, and help me drain and de-puff even more! I follow this up with my Vitamin C+E Serum from Sephora!
Now for the finishing touches…my nails and toes. Oh my poor, poor toes...Let’s just say if they were my children, I’d be arrested for neglect. They get my full attention in Spring and Summer, and then they slowly they become ignored during the colder months. I filed these bad boys, and painted them my go-to Ella + Mila, “Naughty Not Nice,” and topped them with a Hard as Nails clear from Sally Hansen! I feel so put together when my nails are done, but they can be so expensive at the salon that I maybe only go once every few months.
The end result:
As I look at myself in the mirror…I feel good! Legs smooth, nails and toes painted, face de-puffed, smooth, bright, and waxed, hair soft and hydrated!!! It may seem like an everyday affair to most, but for most mamas it’s a serious treat to feel so put together at once. Outer self care is important, but NEVER as important as inner self care which I believe deserves the most time invested in!
Thanks for checking out my raw and unfiltered mommy self care routine! I hope it inspires you Mamas to give yourselves some well-deserved TLC, even if it’s all hectic and at once in the comfort of your own home! Do you have a self care routine? What does it look like? Can you recommend some better, or affordable non toxic products where I was stumped? I look forward to reading your comments below!! Have a wonderful self-cared-for day, mamas!
Cool, Calm and Collectedly Yours,
