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Why you need to try mindful beauty

Why you need to try mindful beauty
Jo Hoare
Writer and expert2 years ago
View Jo Hoare's profile

You’ve probably heard of mindfulness, and you’ve definitely heard of beauty (we guess that’s why you’re on our site, after all), but what happens when the two combine?

Get ready to find out about the latest self-care trend that will add even more pleasure to your daily pampering regime.

What is mindful beauty?

The beauty (if you’ll excuse the pun) of mindful beauty is that it can mean different things to different people and can either be incorporated easily into your existing habits or can totally revolutionise how you go about your daily routines. It’s absolutely up to you.

Mindful beauty is about taking time to enjoy the sensation and application of your beauty and grooming products and to notice and appreciate the effect they have, not only on your skin, hair or body, but also your brain.

How can I practice mindful beauty?

Depending on the time you can spend and the result you want, there are plenty of opportunities in every type of routine to build in some mindful beauty, here are our faves…

1. Sound it out

You know how relaxed you feel when you walk into a spa or lay down on a massage table? A big part of that is due to the soothing, calming music they play in the background. The good news is unlike a professional masseuse or a full suite of thalassotherapy pools, this part is easy to recreate at home.

Create your own playlist or use a ready curated relaxing music option on Spotify or YouTube. Whether you use it for the five minutes you spend on skincare before bed or for a half an hour soak in the bath, we promise it will elevate your ablutions.

2. Breathe it in

Maximise whatever time you have to do your skincare by adding some simple breathing exercises as you apply. Try the following simple exercise while you relax with a sheet mask on for five minutes - it’s an instant stress buster that’ll calm you at any time of the day.

  • Lay on the floor or a yoga mat (or if it’s been a really long day, a bed) with your arms slightly away from your sides and palms up.
  • Take a deep breath that you feel fill your stomach.
  • Start breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth.
  • Keep doing this gently and regularly counting from 1-5 with each inhale and exhale.
  • Repeat for 3-5 minutes.

3. Add some massage

Chances are, you’re applying moisturiser every day (and if you’re not, then take this as your sign to start) so it’s easy to add a touch of relaxing massage to your face or body cream application.

For your face, start with your forehead, which is often where we carry a lot of tension. Using your facial oil or cream, take two fingers and using medium pressure stroke down the middle of your forehead to the tip of your nose. This super soothing touch can also work well to calm children and babies to sleep.

Lots of us also carry a lot of stress in our jaws, especially if you’re someone who grinds or clenches at night, so it can feel super relaxing to take the knuckles of your first two fingers and gently rotate your jaw muscle.

4. Think about scents

Adding products with calming and relaxing scents is one of the easiest and most effective ways to practice mindful beauty.

Lavender is the most popular scent to aid relaxation; when added to evening routines it can be beneficial for a good night’s sleep. A lavender body cream or lotion is the perfect mindful beauty product. Combine all of the above techniques; the spa playlist, the mindful breathing and the massage as you apply, rubbing it into your body with long firm strokes, noticing areas of tension and feeling how your body responds to the pressure and enjoying the fragrance.

If you master this, what can feel like a fairly perfunctory everyday beauty task soon feels more like a spa-inspired treat.

Jo Hoare
Writer and expert
View Jo Hoare's profile
Jo Hoare is an editor and author with over 17 years experience. She spent a decade at heat magazine at the height of its popularity where her favourite memories are One Direction popping in the office with cakes and flying to a private tropical island with a hair brand. Post-heat she went on to freelance across titles like Grazia, Glamour and Stylist before heading up Superdrug’s content team. She is now a freelance editor and author with eight published books.
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