One thing that I do whenever I feel frumpy, overweight and have generally let myself go? I completely ditch any semblance of a skincare routine.
I’ve been able to get away with long stretches of complete and utter lack of skincare over the 35 years of my life because I have been blessed with exceptionally good skin. So that’s something. But with fine wrinkles starting to crop up and my skin losing elasticity due to age (it happens to the best of us!) I am having to face the facts: Face love is self love. I need to take better care of myself, at all times, not just when I am “feeling good”.
With my recent focus on weight loss and health, I have been pretty consistent with a MORNING skin care routine. But I find myself petering out by the end of the day and just completely checking out by the evening. Going to bed with makeup on and walking around with mascara raccoon eyes for half the morning is pretty common in my world. I’m sure I don’t have to convince anyone that that’s not exactly healthy for your skin.
So I’m creating a new nonnegotiable rule in my life, effective immediately: NEVER GO TO BED WITHOUT WASHING YOUR FACE!!!
And instead of viewing this as a “chore” or a “have to do” type of task, I am going to view it in the context of what it is: An act of self-love and a treat. A nightly ritual of pampering myself and gifting myself health and beauty and some time spent in self-love. A date with myself. Damn, this sounds lovely! I think I’ll set the mood with a self-love nightly grooming playlist. Not even joking, I’m off to Spotify to mix tape that shiz up right now!
And just to satisfy the intellectual, must-know-why-it’s-important side of myself, here is an excerpt from Sleep.org on why washing your face before bed is important:
It can be hard to muster up the energy to wash your face when you’re exhausted. But skipping that pre-bedtime step can damage your skin. Here are three reasons to wash your face before you go to sleep:
1. You’ll Reduce Breakouts.
You probably aren’t even aware that you touch your face all day long, making it one of the dirtiest parts of your body. And with all of that bacteria on your skin, you may be more susceptible to developing acne; washing away the grime before bed will remove troublesome bacteria and oil, making you less susceptible to clogged pores and breakouts.
2. Your Moisturizer Will Work Better.
While you sleep, your skin naturally repairs and restores itself, and cleaning it before you turn in maximizes this effect. During the day, your skin fights off all sorts of assaults, from UV rays to pollution; at night, there’s less damage control to do, so the beauty products that you apply may be more effective. Applying night creams to clean skin in the evening is the best time to soften your face—not to mention, it can feel soothing and relaxing as you prep for sleep.
3. You’ll Help Prevent Wrinkles.
We’re exposed to free radicals in the environment all day, and makeup tends to hold on to them. They can cause the breakdown of healthy collagen, which eventually leads to fine lines and wrinkles. If you don’t wash your face before bed, your skin will have to fend off those free radicals all night long.
CURRENT STATS
Start Weight (May 15, 2020): 201 pounds
Current Weight (June 4, 2020): 189.8
Total Pounds Lost (Since May 15, 2020): 11.2
Pounds Left to Lose to Reach Goal Weight of 130 pounds: 59.8
