I’m having a truly hard time choking down most of the content I’m seeing during this time – is it just me?
Look, I totally understand that anyone who is lucky enough to be able to quarantine at home has some excess free time on their hands and is looking for ways to fill it. I get that we’re all suddenly itching to be TikTok stars. It’s one thing to bring escapism into everyone’s daily lives (God knows we need it), but it’s another to completely ignore what’s happening in the world right now and continue like biz as usual, ya know? So I want to be sensitive to that.
If you aren’t being productive right now, it isn’t just you. As a usually early riser, it’s suddenly painful for me to get up before 8AM, I find myself dragging through the work day (no matter how much I’m getting done), and as of 5PM, I become totally useless. I don’t want to work out, and it’s a struggle to even keep up with my skincare routine.
But… this morning I woke up at 7AM, and I made the bed. And after I made the bed, I found myself clearing out the entryway of our house, and then vacuuming. Basically, one productive thing snowballed into the next, and suddenly, I found myself putting on a foot mask as I plugged through emails at 9AM.
This has been a really long-winded way of saying: This time has been crazy. If you are feeling productive, take advantage, but if you’re not, that’s okay too. If each day is different, then embrace that.
If you are feeling productive and are ready to have your COVID glow up, I hear you. What better time to do all of the beauty rituals (cough experiments) that you usually don’t have time for? Especially the gross ones – since you no longer have to face the public.
Here are some of my favs – because we could all use a little bit of a pick-me-up right about now, am I right?
The Most Insane Foot Peel
Have you ever heard of Baby Foot? If you haven’t, this is the perfect time to try it, especially with summer on the horizon (if we’re ever allowed out of our houses again). Basically, you pop the booties on for 15 minutes. Within a few days, your feet will start to shed (read: peel) all of their dead skin right off and your feet will look brand new. It’s sort of like putting a layer of Elmer’s glue on your hand and peeling it off – wild.
It takes about 5-7 days for them to totally peel off, so why not use your indoor time for this gross activity? You can speed up the process by using a pumice stone in the shower – but I’ve found that sometimes can be too harsh, depending on the area of your foot.
My biggest tip:
Wear socks while your feet peel so that you don’t end up with dead skin all over your house. And don’t apply while wearing a fresh pedicure (unless you want to ruin it). Trust me – I learned the hard way.
Let It Get Greasy
If you wash your hair everyday, you’re doing it all wrong. And don’t tell me that your hair gets ‘greasy’ if you don’t wash it every day. The reason it’s actually getting greasy is because you’re washing it too much. Similar to my theory on washing your face, when you wash your hair too much, it will overproduce oils to compensate for too much cleansing/stripping of its natural oils.
The answer to greasy hair is to ‘train’ it – by washing it less, it learns to produce less oil, meaning longer-lasting blowouts. Win win.
HOWEVER, there is a learning curve for your hair before you get to 2x a week washing schedule. Once you break the cycle of daily washing, your hair will get super greasy until it adjusts – which is why it’s the perfect time to quit washing so much. While doing this during regular life means loading your hair with dry shampoo, or having to lean into the ‘wet look,’ when you’re home, all bets are off. Start by pushing your hair washing from daily, to every other day, and then every two days.
While you’re getting greasy, slick your hair into a low pony (this prevents breakage), and pull it out of your face. The key is to not have any oily hair hanging on your face – any excess oil on your face can trigger breakouts. At night, pull your hair back with a silk scrunchie or a soft headband to keep it away from your face.
More Masking
I usually apply a hair mask when I’m going to the gym and then washing it out right after I get my sweat on. But with endless home time, why not mask while you do basically… everything? Throw in a hair mask while you clean the house for the 9 millionth time, while you’re laying on the couch binge watching Vanderpump Rules, or while you reorganize your socks by color instead of length. The longer you let a hair mask sink in, the better.
Let Your Nails Breathe
This has been one of my least favorite (vain) parts of quarantine – all I want is my nails to be done, and an at-home mani just doesn’t cut it since I’m cleaning like a maniac and inevitably chipping any polish I apply. So instead, I’m going polish-less and it’s forcing me to let my nails (both hands and feet) breathe for a bit.
Since I am cleaning waaaay more, I’m popping on a hand mask once a week (been loving these), and I make sure to moisturize every night to keep my cuticles in order for can get a powder dip manicure again.
Keep It Humid
You’re staying inside more – which can wreak havoc on your skin, even if you’re diligent about your skincare. Whether it’s stress, not getting enough sleep due to anxiety, or from fluctuations in temperature from your heat/AC, you may be seriously broken out like I am. I highly recommend getting a humidifier to keep the air in your home hydrated. Put it in the room you spend the most time in and let it run. A humidifier keeps the outermost layer of skin hydrated so that it doesn’t get too dry (and then overcompensate in oil production).
What beauty experiments are you doing at home? Tell me in the comments. xx
