While you may already practice self-care by doing yoga or eating healthy, you may not have considered how your makeup or skincare routine can keep you grounded and mentally fit.

For people who struggle with mental health disorders like depression or anxiety, appearance is usually the first to go when it hits hard. Many have found other creative ways to cope through their skincare and makeup routines.

Though clinical depression and anxiety are severe conditions requiring psychiatric treatment, you may still benefit from a focused, mindful self-care routine. Makeup shouldn't replace proper help from a qualified professional; however, taking some time to focus on something you enjoy can help pull you out of a hostile place.

How a Beauty Routine Improves Self Esteem

When you look good, you feel better. Allowing time and space for a beauty routine gives you a sense of identity and personality. As a form of self-expression, putting on makeup or engaging in a skincare routine allows you to freely express your creativity and, ultimately, boost self-esteem while encouraging a positive mindset.

For those with social anxiety, having a set makeup routine can be just the boost you need to interact with others confidently. Just like wearing colourful clothing can improve your mood, applying bold and vivid eyeshadows can have the same impact. The brain responds to individual colours differently-blue can produce a calming effect, while red can demonstrate confidence.

How Routines Improve Mental Wellbeing

Humans thrive off of routine and structure. Having a daily regimen is one thing that mental health professionals suggest when treating someone for anxiety and depression. When our brains can predict what comes next, we naturally have less worry, and we improve our ability to manage negative thoughts and emotions.

Habitual or repetitive behaviors help us to clear our minds. The brain views repetitious actions as a form of self-soothing, like breathing during meditation practice or a skincare routine with multiple steps. According to recent studies, the more steps in your daily regimen, the better! Our minds benefit from the repetition, leaving us calmer and focused.

Making your bed, putting on makeup, or committing to a skin routine in the morning can help create this very same productive daily routine. Someone with anxiety can benefit from the relief of the familiarity that comes with a routine-as a lack of certainty can worsen symptoms.

On the other hand, someone suffering from depression can also feel more motivated to get out of bed and immediately accomplish something . Not only does having a morning routine boost self-esteem, but it can play a crucial role in your recovery.

A New Way to Relax

A skincare regimen can be very calming, and the physical act of a facial massage can help lower your heart rate. Skin-to-skin contact throughout the process of applying a product promotes blood flow and the relaxation of facial muscles-where many of us often hold tension or stress. The brain responds to our actions, so in this case, using our fingers naturally releases oxytocin- or the bonding hormone.

A good routine can be very grounding. It's one less decision to make every day. In and of itself, it is a stress reliever. Although it may seem relatively small or ordinary, it can make a big difference in emotional wellbeing.

Control and Settle Unhelpful Thinking

Anyone with anxiety knows that it stems from a fear of the unknown, a lack of control, and negative thinking. The average person has about 60,000 thoughts per day, with 95% of them being repetitive. If most of these thoughts are negative, this can turn into a vicious cycle of anxiety.

When other things in life appear beyond our control, skincare can provide a haven where we control precisely what happens and how. Mental health professionals typically encourage those who feel down to do something productive or enjoyable to get themselves out of negative feedback loops. The brain tends to ruminate over negative emotions, and simple actions can help uproot them. Plus, you're engaging your sense of smell, touch, and sight, soothing your anxiety even further.

The Benefits of Getting Creative

The process of applying makeup provides similar benefits as art therapy, as they both utilize creativity as a form of self-care. Just like painting or drawing, makeup can be healing. A study on art therapy showed that 45 minutes of creative activity reduced stress by 75%, so if you're enduring a higher amount of stress or feel more anxious than usual, your beauty routine might be a place to find some comfort.

Other brain studies have shown that dopamine (the feel-good neurotransmitter) releases after completing a beauty routine. Whether it's skincare or makeup- this can help boost self-esteem, positive mood, and overall morale.

Sitting down and focusing on a look can give your mind something to pay attention to, rather than the thoughts that encourage anxiety and depression. The body and mind slow down by intentionally focusing on the motions- like washing, massaging, and applying.

Never underestimate the power of a beauty regimen. Whether it’s doing your makeup every morning or a nightly skincare routine, there’s no question that it can be a game-changer for your mental wellbeing.

References

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07421656.2016.1166832?journalCode=uart20&#.V2GKm-YrI6g

https://sites.psu.edu/siowfa15/2015/12/04/its-all-about-perspective-how-make-up-affects-thebrain/

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