Feminine Self-Care

A VERY Detailed Guide to going from Beast to Beauty

Hello Lovely,

Before getting into this list of feminine must-dos and must-haves, know this is a no-judgment zone. Even the most organized, feminine woman has their seasons (some more frequent than others) when life gets busy, or they’re unmotivated. Our beauty and self-care routines are a low priority during these times. Let this be a motivator for you to get back on it! When you look good, you feel good! It’s not cliché. It’s the truth. Your body is your temple (1 Corinthians 6:19-20); treat it with care, and prune what God has blessed you with. Here we go! Self-Care Tips for women!

As a woman creating a maintenance routine is, the first must. This self-care guide will help you target areas that are out of control. We will be focusing on bringing out the natural radiance and beauty. Stay tuned to the blog for some internal tips (because you are what you eat) that will help you look your best. For right now, we will focus on the external.

The class is in session! Let us start with an outline:

Skin, Teeth, Fragrance, Hair, Nails, Feet, and Make-up.

Target #1 Skin (Self-Care Tips for Face, Body, and Feet)

Our skin is the largest organ of our body. If something takes up that much space, you will do well to treat and care for it. It is also one of the first things people will see when meeting you. Upon taking a course in evolutionary psychology, I learned that when men search for a mate, they subconsciously are drawn to glowing and healthy-looking skin, as it is a fertility indicator. I thought this to be quite fascinating to learn. Skin covers different areas of our body, having different densities and sensitivities. Therefore, your products and routines must be tailored accordingly. 

Let us separate skin into three subcategories Face, body, and feet.

a) Face (Cleanse, Exfoliate, Treat, Moisturize, Protect)

The first step in feminine self-care is assessing your skin and seeing which areas you want to improve. You can better treat if you assess. Remember your skin type (dry, oily, combination, combination dry, combination oily) and adjust products accordingly. Skin issues can vary; you may deal with hyperpigmentation, dullness, redness, acne, hormonal breakouts, etc. Let’s focus on the basics: Cleanse, exfoliate, treat, moisturize, and protect. In that order!

Because the skin is our largest organ, toxins can be easily absorbed into and through the bloodstream. For this reason, try brands that pride themselves in using natural or wholesome ingredients. This guide will provide examples of natural and effective, gentle, and non-natural products.

Another thing to remember is to ensure you are using something that is not breaking you out, which may defeat our skincare goals. Ensure you are not allergic to anything within a product to prevent breakouts. You will know this through prior knowledge of food allergies or by doing a patch test before trying anything new. Secondly, there is something in the dermatological world called comedogenicity. When an ingredient is comedogenic, the substance is more likely to cause clogging of the pores, leading to blemishes and blackheads.

Comedogenic Scale

Since learning about the comedogenicity scale years ago, I have avoided those types of breakouts caused by products not geared toward acne-prone skin. Check the ingredient label on the back of each product you use, and if most of the ingredients rate high on the scale, they are more likely to cause you to break out. Use the chart below before purchasing a new product and to check products in your current rotation.

CLEANSE

Here are some of the cleansers I have in my rotation:

Dermaharmony Salicylic Acid Soap (natural)

(This foamy bar cleanser has oats for soothing and salicylic acid for light exfoliation and pore cleaning)

Zatik Naturals Dragon’s Blood and Lavender Tonic Cleanser (natural)

(A light cleanser with minimal suds that’s gentle on the skin with the active ingredient dragon’s blood sap, proven effective against various skin issues, including pimples.)

La Roche Posay Deep Cleansing Foaming Facial Cleanser

(A French brand that will give you that super foamy deep cleanse you need whether you have oily skin, a long day out, or have been wearing make-up)

Panoxyl Acne Foaming Wash

(A powerful acne testing wash with 10% Benzoyl Peroxide that kills bacteria causing pimples on the spot)

Cerave SA Cleanser

(A gentle, mildly foaming cleanser with active ingredients such as salicylic acid, hyaluronic acid, and niacinamide. These ingredients treat breakouts, don’t dry you out, and help treat those blemishes.)

All these cleansers I lather into my gentle facial sponge to get a deep clean. My fingertips never seem like enough to get that pore cleansing. 

EXFOLIATE

Dead skin cells can build up on the surface, causing dullness and uneven texture. To create smooth skin, gentle and daily exfoliation is necessary. Exfoliation can be done chemically using (acids) or mechanically (scrubs). Unfortunately, both methods can be abused and misused. I, for example, used to overdo the mechanical exfoliation, disrupting my skin barrier and causing small cuts (fissures) and sensitivities. I am sure you have heard of apricot scrub; I cringe thinking about those days. Scrubs like these can be so rough on the skin!

Now I do light chemical exfoliation (don’t fear the word chemical), which includes natural acids like salicylic acid, lactic acid, and glycolic acids. These acids are naturally occurring in many botanicals used in skincare. Daily, gentle exfoliation can allow for a bright glow and fresh-looking skin. 

My exfoliation products for feminine self-care include cleansers, masks, and serums. Here are some feminine self-care staples:

Dermharmony Salicylic Acid Soap

Andalou Naturals Berry Fruit Enzyme Mask

Eminence Organics Mangosteen Resurfacing Cream

TREAT

We discussed assessing our skin needs, considering any improvements we would like to see, and following that with research and trial and error. Skin treatments catalyze improvements and come in many forms. Some come as a serum to be used after a moisturizer or a mask after cleansing.

Here are some of my favorites:

Eminence Organics Licorice Root Serum 

(A serum that treats pesky hyperpigmentation and blemishes)

Herbivore Botanicals Blue Tansy 

(An herbal mask for pore-clearing, blackheads, and refining, with an herbal scent)

Eminence Probiotic Mask 

(A mask with a cooling feeling and probiotics are proven to be effective for acne and hormonal breakouts)

Aztec Healing Clay

(This mask brings all that dirt, debris, and oil to the surface of the skin, detoxing while pore cleansing-to be used with apple cider vinegar)

Eminence Hungarian Herbal Mask

(A nutrient-rich all-natural herbal mask with a spicy feel to bring blood flow to the face for a rosy glow while blemish-fighting. Please don’t use it after mechanical exfoliation, or it will burn)

MOISTURIZE

Pay attention to your skin type in using a moisturizer. For example, dry skin may require an extra boost of natural oils by using a rich crème or adding a drop of hyaluronic acid to a light moisturizer. In contrast, oily skin may only need a light, easily absorbent moisturizer. Either way, moisture is essential in the overall health and maintenance of your skin, whether oily or dry.

Here is another list of some of my favorites:

Hyaluronic Acid

La Neige brand

Eminence moisturizers like blueberry soy

PROTECT

Every skin type and complexion requires sun protection to varying degrees. Without this, you risk premature aging as time goes on, freckling, or even cancer. Don’t forget that the treatments we are incorporating into our feminine self-care routines, including the acids, can cause photosensitivity making you sun sensitive. It can reverse what is being treated without proper protection, especially hyperpigmentation.

I haven’t experimented too much with sun protection because I got an excellent recommendation from my aesthetician years ago for a product that doesn’t burn my eyes upon application, doesn’t leave a white cast, and easily disperses. That product is:

Elta MD SPF

b) Body (Exfoliate, Moisturize, Protect)

For our body, skin exfoliation, moisturizing, and protection are feminine self-care must. As we have learned, exfoliation keeps skin smooth and radiant! Depending on the product, moisturizing can treat and nourish the skin, decrease itchiness, and provide a healthy glow. Sun protection reduces premature aging and health issues. 

I enjoy using body gloves instead of those messy scrubs to exfoliate. I find them to be more effective. However, don’t neglect those smaller parts of your body prone to hyperpigmentation, like the elbows, armpits, and inner thighs. I like to use a glycolic acid toner for those areas on a cotton pad.

For moisturizing, I am a fan of heavy and nourishing body butters for soaking wet after the shower. However, you can opt for an easily absorbed cream if you don’t want the greasy feel.

Once again, I only use one brand when I protect: Elta MD. Feel free to experiment and use what works best for your skin type, preference, and budget. 

Here’s a list of feminine self-care products that fit into one of the three categories:

Exfoliating Body Glove

• Yadain Cultural Solutions Body Butter
• Everyone Lotion
• Elta MD
• The Ordinary Glycolic Toner

c) Feet

Don’t forget about your feet even when it’s not summer! Exfoliate them to prevent callouses on the heels and your big toes, moisturize, and file/trim/buff nails when necessary. For my feet, since the skin is denser than my face, I mechanically exfoliate and chemically exfoliate by using an AHA (alpha hydroxy acid cream), which also moisturizes.

Check out this list:

• Foot Filer
• Pedicure Toolset
• AHA Cream

Target #2 (Self-Care Tips for Nails)

Groomed nails are a sure sign that someone takes care of themselves. This doesn’t mean you must be super fancy with embellishments or nail extensions. It just means keeping them clean, buffed, and trimmed. Do your self-care! I will share products that help to trim cuticles, file the nails, and polish.

I have recently discovered a non-toxic nail polish brand that is like gel in that it dries instantly with a slighter, longer curing process. It is easy to remove with minimal damage to the natural nail. In every area of our beauty routines, we need to make sure that what we use isn’t damaging the natural God-given traits we have. Enhancing the beauty, not damaging beauty, should be our priority. Acrylics, powders, and even gel can cause damage to the nail that takes a while to recover; keep this in mind.

• Manicurist Green Flash LED Nail Polish
• Cuticle remover 

• Cuticle pusher
• Cuticle Oil
• Clipper,
• Nail Filer
• Nail Drill/Buffer

Target #3 (Teeth)

Our teeth are one of the first few things seen upon interaction. So let’s keep those pearly whites, pearly white, and protected! Please consult your dentist before anything.

An ingredient that is in most whitening toothpaste and kits is hydrogen peroxide. When you look at a bottle of peroxide, you will notice that it says it’s an oral debriding agent and safe to use orally when appropriately diluted. I have religiously squeezed some drops onto my wet toothbrush, then squeezed some toothpaste on top following this brushing. Once a week, do a deep clean with baking soda. These two ingredients can be found in your kitchen. Try it out!

Target #4 (Fragrance)

There is nothing like a sweet-smelling woman! A feminine self-care must! Fragrance historically has been known to be used for wellness, attraction, and religious purposes.

Something I deem as a coming-of-maturity event is discovering one’s signature scent. Playing around with fragrance can be so fun. You can layer and choose fragrances for different hours of the day or special occasions. One method that helps me to identify which scents are keepers is to try samplers of different companies. This allows you to be economical about trying multiple fragrances at once. Here are some of my favorite fragrance companies:

Jo Malone

Lollia 

Nest

Target #5 (Make-up)

Make-up is an extra step in feminine self-care. It isn’t necessary but gives a polished and refined look. You don’t always need a completely beat face for your beauty to shine through. Remember that everyone has flaws, and they make us unique. If you are dealing with major skin issues, it may not be best for you to cake on make-up which can affect the look and progression of your skin.

Focus on breathable light to medium coverage and accentuate features that stand out (like the eyes, lips, and cheeks). A skin tint or bb cream may provide light to medium complexion coverage. Mascara may open and frame your eyes. Some lip liner and lip gloss will provide a feminine appeal, and a mineral blush will give you a healthy flushed look. You can also opt for a golden highlight for a sunkissed look.

While you’re at it, check out 100 Percent Pure. They are an all-natural skincare and make-up company. All of their make-up is fruit pigmented. Make-up, especially foundations and lip products, tend to have nasty chemicals in their formulas that enter the bloodstream. It’s nice to use sustainable products and keep our health in mind.

This was a VERY detailed routine, so if you are towards the end of this, you mean business, and you want to look, smell, and feel good!

Thanks for stopping by. I hope this helps!

God Bless!