(TLDR: whats your daily routine like? Trying to learn basic care)
So i’ve been struggling with depression for all of my teenage years until now (F/20) and i never really learned how to take good care of myself.
My routine until now is just the most basic:
– shower every day & then deodorant
– wash hair 1-2x a week w/shampoo & conditioner, then let air dry (its usually kinda frizzy, i have very long hair, but idk anything about haircuts so its just plain long hair, oily roots, dry ends)
– makeup: concealer on my eyebags, eyeshadow on upper lashline
– due to financial reasons i wear kinda ill fitting clothes from the thrift
I am looking to improve:
– skin: i have BAD keratosis pilaris on the back of arms and legs, scrubs/peelings dont change anything, i have tried salicic acid masks but nothing helped so far. Keratosis pilaris girls, help!!!
– facial skin: mixed skin, its peeling from dryness but at the same time i have blackheads and pimples . I try to moisturize but it usually makes the pimples worse. Affordable creams/any tips for that?
– hair: its just plain, brown and long (the typical horsegirl hair) on the thicker side, dry and frizzy, i apply oil to the ends sometimes but then its just- oily? I have tried a bob but it looks weird with my face. Never dyed it, never heat styled or blowdried. Easy to style haircuts? (i am very open to anything, i go to art school and i see the weirdest things every day)
– smell: affordable parfum tips? (~20€) i like the fresh kind of smell, not a big fan of sweet fragrances
I heard you by glossier should be good
– eyebags: i have huge eyebags that dont go away (natural), not just dark circles but thick 3d eyebags and lines. Any ideas?
– makeup: i would LOVE to be able to do eyeliner, but i have extremely hooded eyes, 2 eyefolds that end very low, i tried many times but it seems impossible
– back acne, what to do with that?
– skin (body): really dry and flaky but if i moisturize, it just gets drier/ my skin gets ‘addicted’ to moisturizer and i need to reapply more often
– eyebrows: what do people do to them? I never did anything to mine except mabe fill in uneven parts. Whats does doing your eyebrows mean?
– clothes: short legs, long torso. I wear black pants and black boots to lenghten the legs, and just anything on top. I like grunge/vintage styles.
Throw anything at me, you dont have to answer everything. If you know good products available at dm (germany) that whould be great. Generally i have a very low budget.
Any advice appreciated!!!
Hi there! Everyone’s different but I love the whole clean, fresh, put together Scandinavian aesthetic and do my best to practice it myself. See if you like my advice <3
Skincare
I really don’t think you need a 10 step routine if your skin is normal. Cleanse, moisturize and apply sunscreen! Every once in a while I do a face mask but this is kind of just to feel good, because self care feels good! As for your back, I think a change of diet or treatment would primarily do it for you. Start drinking a lot more water than you do today, that does wonders to some people.
Makeup
If you don’t wear much make-up, I would really recommend a tinted BB or CC cream! Basically tinted moisturizers. It gives you a nice even tone and softens your dark circles. Put your concealer over it and it won’t be as much contrast as applying it directly on the skin. Keep filling or simply just brush your eyebrows so that they look neat. Lately I’ve also grown very fond of brown mascara instead of black. Looks very natural while still making your eyes pop!
Hair
If you have straight hair I totally recommend getting layers! Makes it look so much more alive and adds volume. If it’s frizzy, do a hair mask once in a while, it provides your hair with moisture.
Clothes
I loooove thrifting. Next time at the thrift, try looking for timeless pieces, like a pair of Levi’s 501. They look great on literally everyone (even if you’re not used to wearing that type of jeans). That and just a plain t shirt or sweater will look so cute and it will last you forever as it’s something that never goes out of style.
I did my best, I hope something was valuable ^^
For your KP try Amlactin! I just started using it and did some research on it and it is supposed to be great for KP 🙂
Fragrance: Zara has some amazing affordable fragrances, especially in their Limited Country Edition and the Jo Malone collections. If you have a store near you I would go and test a few. They also come out with new ones all the time.
Cut your hair to a flattering length
Awww, OP! I’m sorry you’re having a rough go at things right now! I know it’s super hard sometimes so don’t feel like you have to do *everything* just do what you can!
My simple, feel good, get ready for anything morning routine is:
1. Floss, brush teeth, mouthwash.
2. Wash face, apply one special cream (this is optional) and then sunscreen.
3. Take a shower
4. Under eye concealer, mascara and *maybe* some eye shadow if I feel like it but I don’t usually
For my face once a month I will:
1. Get a dermaplaning treatment
2. Get my eyebrows tinted. This means they’re just filled in with hemp dye to make them look fuller. I also get them shaped during this appointment which means the person doing by brows gets rid of the small growths and makes them nicely arched. This is optional but I feel like it helps my face because I wear such little makeup
As far as clothes:
1. I own maybe four pairs of pants – a good pair of blue jeans and three pairs of colored skinny jeans. I only own clothes that I **love** and that make me feel good when I’m wearing them. Don’t buy things just for the sake of owning things. Only buy clothes that you absolutely adore.
2. For shirts I have a variety of cozy sweaters, some flannel button ups and some nice t-shirts. I feel like I am too old to wear graphic t-shirts but that’s my opinion as a 34yo woman and you should figure out what *you* like and wear that.
3. For shoes I have some Adidas Superstars that I ADORE and wear pretty much everywhere because I feel like they can be dressy enough for my jeans + loose top uniform. I also have some booties and a few pairs of sandals for different weather.
My nighttime routine:
1. Remove makeup
2. Wash face + moisturize
3. Brush teeth
4. Cozy PJ’s!
Don’t use your phone in bed. Read instead!
Drink water!
Eat good food! Try to cook at home if you can. There are SOOOO many easy recipes out there if you don’t know how to cook.
Get some exercise! Even just a ten minute walk will do good for you. Yoga is also a great way to strengthen your body and clear your mind. Barring all that, try meditation. It helps me to just sit for ten minutes a day with deep breaths and a clear head.
Hey bestie for your skin care routine you can try using panoxyl, I hear it’s very good. jabón de vivora de cascabel, esponjabon the two soaps are Mexican soaps. You can get them on Amazon. Or a gentle cleanser. For makeup I reccomend a bb cream, color correct your dark circles a yellow or peach corrector will work, get a lip balm with some color in it, for eyeliner there are tutorials on how to do a hooded eye i wear brown liner to tight line and white in my waterline. For your eye bags try an eye cream or try a coffee ground dark circle mask, wear sunscreen get one for sensitive skin, I use eucerin body lotion on face and sunscreen on top. Try Vaseline for dark circles after your coffee mask. For haircare I use a sulfate free shampoo/conditioner, hair oil. You can try getting a haircut in a v or u shape you’ll keep the length but it won’t be as heavy like keeping it straight across, look up hairstyles for long hair or getting some headbands. For styling get yourself some earrings. I wear skirts,dresses, and jeans. White shoes go with everything. ❤️
Sorry you’ve been going through some stuff ❤️ Honestly, learning to take good care of yourself has so many benefits.
I can’t speak to everything you asked, but…
**Keratosis Pilaris**
I use a Riffi Mitt to exfoliate (to stop ingrowns because I wax everywhere) and one of the side effects of it was it totally got rid of my KP in about a month. Also it’s great for smooth skin although it hurts like a mf in the beginning, so just go gently.
**Hair**
Go to a salon with good reviews, tell them your budget and ask for an easy to maintain style that will suit you. Be upfront about what you are not ok with, within reason. I have never had a better hairstyle than when I leave it to the professional…and it’s also how I found my long term hairdresser. They will want you to look amazing and love what they can do. Asking on Reddit hair subs is an ok plan B if you aren’t comfortable with that.
**Clothing**
Kind of unrealistic for many but does your budget allow for tailoring or do you know how to sew? I love thrift stores and am an interestingly proportioned curvy girl, so I refit most of the clothes for my body shape when I get home.
Wear nice looking underwear that fits your body…it doesn’t have to be expensive.
**Skin (body)**
If you think your skin gets addicted to moisturizer and needs more: give it more. Soft skin is happier.
**Fragrance**
Lush has body sprays around that price point which last forever on clothes. Be careful, some are caramel popcorn or Turkish delight sweet, but there’s a few nice fresh scents. Big is a citrusy sea salt goodie from memory.
**Stuff you didn’t ask about**
Be grateful for yourself. Gratitude sounds so cliche, but saying thanks to your body for seeing you through, and thanks to your arms and legs or feet or teeth or breasts or whatever (even if you’re just thanking them for being there) really does help you to love yourself.
When you see your body as something that is on your side it can improve your quality of life.
My morning routine is for maintenance and appearance and how I want to look when I leave the house…my night routine is for just being kind to my body that is doing such a good job for me (and taking all the shit I’ve thrown at it so far ❤️). Maybe that kind of routine would work for you?
Edit:
**Skin (face)**
Salicylic acid for the pimples and blackheads (Stridex is so cheap if you can get it) at night. Wait 30+ minutes then apply a good fragrance free moisturizer before sleep, and repeat 2-3 times a week.
**Hair**
I don’t know what horsegirl hair is but if you mean it looks like a giant triangle when you get a bob, you likely need a straightener to curve it under and sleek it out. Paul Mitchell The Conditioner is a leave in, so it’ll keep things sleek and also help long term. Again, a salon professional can give you better advice.
Good luck!!
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YouTube is the best for this sort of instruction. There’s tons of videos of every aesthetic! People really break it down in an easy to understand way.
I only have tips for a few, but here they are!
– For dry body skin, have you tried oils? I like to apply oils right out of the shower, or apply lotion (which has water in it) and then oils on top to trap water in the skin. There are lots of oils, some of which are very light and non-greasy, and others which are very heavy and moisturizing. I like using a light oil like jojoba on my face, and a heavier oil like olive or coconut on my body.
– For hair – is your hair possibly wavy, even slightly? A lot of wavy hair *looks* straight if the wave is knocked out of it while it’s drying (by blowdrying or even combing), but it tends to be frizzier than straight hair. I’d suggest checking out r/Wavyhair. If your hair does have the potential to be wavy, I’d suggest tons of moisture, experimenting with products that’ll help hold a wave, and a layered cut. I’ve also found that a little pomade can help with hairline frizz.
– Eyebrows – I never really knew how to shape my eyebrows until I got them professionally waxed once, years ago. They shaped them up for me, and since I really liked that shape, I’ve kept something similar ever since. So maybe get yours professionally shaped once, and then maintain at home? My normal routine is to pluck stray hairs every few days, and then I’ll brush them into shape, hold with a brow wax/gel, and fill in sparse spots with a pencil. I do like a very low-maintenance brow so I keep them close to my natural shape – just cleaned up a bit.