Summertime allows us all to spend a little more time on ourselves. We set fitness goals and actually reach them, excel at our internships and jobs, earn money, spend time surrounded by all those summer friends that we might not find at school. With these magical, sun-filled months, we spend a little less time worrying about office hours or the assignment that was due yesterday, and a little more time working on improving self-care routines we always said we would work on.
Transition into fall brings a leisurely yet abrupt realization that school is hard! We quickly stumble upon moments, days, and weeks that have us realizing we simply have negative time to fit everything into our schedule. And now, thanks to Daylight Savings, our days are literally darker; thus beginning to feel shorter. Now it may feel like we have even less time to accomplish everything in a day’s work.
During this time of year it is especially important to take care of ourselves.
Though the days may begin to feel shorter, there is a wonderful side to the coming darker months. These days provide an ideal time of year to give your skin-care routine a revamp before the Maine winter buries us in snow and other responsibilities.
As soon as the sun goes down at a ripe 4:00pm, I am ready to end the short day of academic productivity and begin a session of self-care productivity. With even less sunshine, our skin is able to recover from the rays that we faced all summer long. Give your skin time to strengthen and heal. I have listed a couple of helpful tips for the coming blankets of snow and lack of sun!
LAYERS
During the warm summer months, it can be difficult to layer on the skincare products because we begin to feel congested and hot in our own skin. Take the opportunity that the colder weather gives us to add an extra layer or two into your routine. Add a Vitamin C serum or another vitamin-rich moisturizer. Moisturizers or oils with retinol can be very helpful to diminish scarring or spots that become amplified in the sun. Give your skin that extra pump of care before you walk out the door in the morning or fall asleep at night.
MASKS
Face masks are the best part of any skin care routine. You can lather on a hydrating, resurfacing, or soothing facemask for ask long as you want while sitting down to write a paper, watching Netflix, making dinner, or catching up with your friends and family. It is the multi-tasking face care tool that is out there. They give your skin all that it needs, and takes nearly no effort at all. A highly recommended step in the daily routine with a range of benefits. If you’re looking for a new mask to try, my personal favorite face mask right now is the “Babyfacial” from the Drunk Elephant. Another one of my favorites is the purifying mask from The Body Shop.
BEAUTY SLEEP!
Good quality sleep each night is a pertinent part in keeping your skin happy and healthy. It allows your body to repair and restore your skin, as well as provide extreme benefits for overall mood, academic accomplishment as well as physical and mental health. A good night’s sleep should not be forgotten as a step in every skincare routine. Our general well-being is rooted in the science behind sleep. There is no better season to give your body the rest that it needs. You work hard, so give your body time to rest and recover. Get your beauty sleep!
VITAMIN D
Vitamin D is an essential part of helping our bodies function to the best of their ability. It helps our bodies absorb calcium from the foods that we eat and improves bone strength. It also boots the functioning of our immune systems. All of these benefits thus help our overall health and well-being. Keep in mind that I am no medical professional, but I would highly recommend taking a Vitamin D supplement if you don’t already! Even if we were constantly surrounded by sunshine in Lewiston, Maine, it would not be enough for our bodies to be satisfied.
