i was sleuthing through hashtags the other day and stumbled upon #selfcaresunday. this was just days after my life coach asked me what a week would look like where i only made decisions that showed love and acceptance for myself. if that’s not a sign from the universe, i’m honestly not sure what what is.

i’ve always had a tortured relationship with sundays. growing up in a deeply religious family, we spent three hours at church each sunday, and then were severely restricted with dos and dont’s for the remaining precious time. when i got into the working world, this became an even crueler reality as my 9-5 {and beyond, #pr} crept into my weekday evenings, and so i honestly only had one day a week for personal time. i got/get the sunday night blues to a nearly catatonic degree, which is what landed me on the very couch where my life coach asked me such a pointed and disruptive question.

i honestly don’t know what that week would look like; in an alternate reality, it would probably be a week with the fisherman in the maldives. but, i live in the real world {woof} and that means little changes leading to living a more balanced life.

those little changes start with #selfcaresunday here at the fisherman’s wife. each week, i want to talk about how i practice self care, and hopefully inspire you to do the same. february is going to focus on facial skin care. i live in the high desert–humidity 0%. when i moved here from the west coast, it was a rude awakening in what dry skin really looks like.

i’ve always had dry skin. as a teen, i went on accutane a few times, and i’m convinced my skin was/will never be the same. it cleared up marvelously and honestly my complexion now is gorgeous peaches and cream {not so #humblebrag}, but it’s taken some time, effort and dolla billz to get it there.

today, we talk the first step of skin care: cleansers!

i’ve been through a lot of face washes in my time. as a teen, i tried things like neutrogena clean and clear; only to find my face burning, my skin peeling and myself melting down. it was at the clinique counter for the first time, that the nice gal told me how sensitive my skin was, and that i needed a very mild cleanser. even though i had acne, my skin was so dry, using oil-free cleansers with active ingredients like retinol, would for sure irritate my skin.

since then, i’ve used a variety of beauty counter favorites, including bobbi brown’s lavender lathering tube soap and balm rinse, both of which i liked. i eventually stopped using those, mostly because they are so expensive. and you know, #studentloans.

currently, i use a combination of mac cleanse off oil, cetaphil daily cleanser, and cetaphil wipes. i read once that most celebrities have items of clothing from both target and nordstrom, so i applied this logic to my skincare routine. i use the cleanse off oil most days, but when i’m needing a deep clean, i go for the cleanser.

my skin is so dry, i only wash it once a day. there are alot of articles out there with hard and fast rules for how often you wash your face, so research carefully. whenever making a decision like that, i read all the facts {from reputable news outlets} and then listen to my body. most days, my face can only take one cleanse, or it starts to feel tight and my skin gets flaky. there are definitely exceptions, like if you workout; you don’t want sweat sitting on your face. you’ll definitely get a breakout!

i also try and go makeup-free 1-2 days a week. these are usually weekend days, but a few times a month i practice ‘no makeup fridays’ at work. i have no idea if this helps, and i have literally no scientific evidence of the benefits, but i think i’m giving my skin a break from the ingredients in my makeup.

skin care can be really expensive, but you should invest in it. don’t go to wal-mart and buy the cheapest, generic thing out there. heaven only knows what’s in it, and the havoc it could wreak on the delicate ph of your skin. your face is the first thing people see when they look at you, and taking care of your face means you take care of yourself. on this #selfcaresunday, take some time to think about your cleanser, if its working, and if you could do better.

what cleansers are you using? tell me in the comments!

xoxo,

cait