Self-Care: the Most Neglected Item on our Checklists

How does fashion, beauty, skincare, hair, and fitness routines help your mental health, confidence, and more?

Image by Kat Jayne from Pexels

A glance at a notebook, laptop, or smartphone often reveals the daily checklists that are formulated to organize our lives. Panic can strike at any moment causing one to erase or cross out items that are deemed “less important,” as one observes time accelerating by. In this process, self-care routines, including fashion, skincare, beauty, haircare, and fitness rituals, are usually the first things to go. According to the People magazine article, “2020 Made Americans Even More Excited to Practice Self-Care, According to a Survey,”self-care routines made up “only…65 minutes per week” of “the average person (‘s)” life, which amounts to less than one percent of a seven-day period. These activities can play valuable roles in our health, self-esteem, mindset, and productivity level. These benefits may explain why Amanda Pauley, noted in Professional Beauty magazine, during January 2021, that the term ‘“self-care routine”’ was a significantly researched item on Google, resulting in a “250%” uptick “since the first lockdown in March 2020.”

Self-care is one aspect of our lifestyles that is often taken for granted and ignored in favor of accomplishing more goals in a day. Yet, ironically, regimens that relate to self-care can help us build our confidence, relieve anxiety and depression, improve our mood and quality of life, including productivity. For example, fitness, one subcategory of self-care has been shown to improve mental health, according to The Lancet article, “Exercise Linked to Improved Mental Health, but More may not Always be Better.” The Lancet states that “A study” which consisted of “1.2 million” Americans revealed exercisers as “having 1.5 fewer days of poor mental health a month,” versus non-exercisers.

The mental health benefits of skincare, another self-care activity, were explored in the article “It’s Official. Science Says Having a 3-Step Skincare Routine Can Decrease Stress,” by Amy Lawrenson. According to Lawrenson, a study on patients who battle acne, conducted by Kathy Fields and Katie Rodan MD, and printed in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, found that there was a decrease in “cortisol levels,” which relates to stress, amongst the participants who took on “a three-step skincare regimen twice a day,” during a two-month period. With these findings in mind, maybe we need to stop cutting these regimens from our daily checklists and prioritize them, especially during the trying circumstances of the current pandemic.

Jewellee Williams, an esthetician, and owner of Crown Jewel Esthetics wearing her company’s logo t-shirt at the time addresses these common circumstances stating, “Everywhere else in the world values self-care,” and proceeds to note that in the United States full work schedules are placed as a higher priority instead. Jewellee goes on to share an unfortunate truth, which is that “people” in this country may be called “selfish” if they take time out for these rituals. Her astute observation could explain the small percentage of the time, less than one percent, as previously noted, that “…the average person…,” spent on such activities, detailed by People. On a positive note, however, People also mentions that there is now increased awareness of the importance of self-care, and its positive implications, since the pandemic.

“Everywhere else in the world values self-care.” - Jewellee Williams

Crowned Jewel Esthetics, owned by Jewellee Williams, offers a variety of services including corrective skincare, lash extensions, nails, waxing, fillers, and botox.

Images Courtesy of Jewellee Williams

Self-care-related activities are beneficial to one’s emotions and mental health. Ettore Mastroddi, a silver-grey-haired master stylist at the Rittenhouse Spa and Salon in Philadelphia, notes that the absence of such services, during the pandemic, impacts clients on an emotional level. As a result, his home salon is the means by which he was and still is, able to help lift their spirits and offer them these services, outside of his main workplace. Kree Willyumz, one of the owners of The Journi, personal styling, and concierge service, notes that he and his business partner and brother Keith Reed Jr., see the renewal of “hope” within their clients daily as they resume self-care-related activities.

Regarding specific scenarios in which self-care can have an emotional impact, Hope Dolchin Nagy, a certified professional in the field of personal training and owner of MotivateHopeStrength.com, relays her experience stating “On a personal level, fitness (one form of self-care) became so important to me on so many levels. I have used the gym as an escape when life has thrown some mad times at me. Too many...a bad marriage, bad divorce, a surprise heart defect, and open-heart surgery, and most recently breast cancer.” Nagy notes that these activities have assisted in her ability to bounce back from setbacks and mentally navigate through her breast cancer diagnosis.

“On a personal level, fitness (one form of self-care) became so important to me on so many levels. I have used the gym as an escape when life has thrown some mad times at me.” - Hope Dolchin Nagy

Spinning classes are one of MotivateHopeStrength.com's workout offerings. (Images Courtesy of Hope Dolchin Nagy)

Routines of this nature also can impact one’s confidence level. While self-care services have obvious aesthetic benefits, their impact goes beyond the surface. A client named Kate* explains, in regard to this topic, “If I like the way I look it helps the way I feel.” Another client named Patrice DeMoss notes that she feels “Confident, self-assured, (and) ready to start the day” after receiving self-care services. People notes that within a surveyed group, “64%” felt more confident after they began to participate in “…self-care…” regimens.

Patrice Williams, a makeup artist, licensed esthetician, and owner of MU8, was drawn into the beauty and skincare industries because of their ability to uplift others. Regarding the mental health, confidence level, and other lifestyle benefits of self-care, Patrice Williams remarks, “I think that at times, you have to, especially if you haven’t felt good in a while, sometimes you have to look good to feel good. All of those things, fashion, skincare, and fitness, are all very visual or aesthetic things to participate in, but they have such a huge return internally.” Overall, she expressed that when one feels that they look good, often this can enhance their confidence in other situations, such as a job interview, and help them to exude it to others around them.

“I think that at times, you have to, especially if you haven’t felt good in a while, sometimes you have to look good to feel good. All of those things, fashion, skincare, and fitness, are all very visual or aesthetic things to participate in, but they have such a huge return internally.” - Patrice Williams

MU8 by Patrice Williams offers services including makeup, lash lift and tint, brow tinting, lash extensions, facials, and waxing.

Images Courtesy of Patrice Williams

As one’s confidence level raises, during the regimens of self-care, this can have broader implications attached. Patrice Williams notes that activities such as fitness can demonstrate to you that you can overcome obstacles, first on a workout level, but then within other aspects of your life, as a result. Another client named Cynthia* states, “Practicing solid fitness and nutrition habits allow me to feel strong, healthy, and focused.” Cynthia notes that, overall, “Carving out time for self-care makes” her “feel productive.”

Kate’s personal trainer and “long-time friend” Nagy, encourages her to get “out of” her “comfort zone” and realize “the importance of hard work, basic nutrition, and strength.” Reed, who is wearing a powder blue suit that has three-quarter length sleeves, that are cuffed back to reveal a grid print, paired with a palm leaf-like printed blue and button-down, asymmetrical black glasses, and a brown silk pocket square, expressed a similar sentiment, although in this case about style. Reed states, “I love fashion because it makes me understand, elevate, and evolve into the person that I know that I am.”

“I love fashion because it makes me understand, elevate, and evolve into the person that I know that I am.” - Keith Reed Jr.

The Journi offers concierge, tailoring, personal styling services, and more. (Top Image: Keith Reed Jr. (left) and Kree Willyumz (right).

(Images Courtesy of Keith Reed Jr. and Kree Willyumz)

However, in order to experience these benefits, one needs to make these activities count. Mastroddi notes, “There is a rule if they come to my salon and I treat their hair, I say ‘Don’t disappoint me and go home.’” He notes that he encourages them to go somewhere and enjoy the benefits of this self-care, in this case, haircare, routine, and states that he tells them “‘Flaunt your look today because you look amazing. I don’t want to hear you went home and took care of the kids. Take 30 minutes for yourself.’” He then adds, “You need those little moments for yourself.” Jewellee Williams and Mastroddi try to encourage their clients to take the moment away from their normal stresses and enjoy the experience of the services.

“There is a rule if they come to my salon and I treat their hair, I say ‘Don’t disappoint me and go home.”- Ettoire Mastroddi

The hair looks above are examples of Mastroddi’s work.

Images Courtesy of Ettore Mastroddi

Image by Daria Shevtsova from Pexels

It’s a fact, there is no substitute for mental health services. Self-care activities, however, can benefit one’s life by enhancing one’s quality of life, confidence, mood, outlook, and propel one to conquer other tasks, as a result. These routines go beyond aesthetics and allow people to decrease their anxiety and feel capable of tackling tasks and challenges in a more confident position. While the self-care professionals all acknowledge that their services are brief, they all hope that their clients experience long-term positive effects, in conjunction with the short-term benefits.

The phrase above is one that Nagy tells and reminds her clients of,

according to her client and friend Kate.

Image by Madison Inouye from Pexels

Work Cited:

The Lancet Editors. “Exercise Linked to Improved Mental Health, but More may not Always be Better.” The Lancet, 8 Aug. 2018, ScienceDaily, ScienceDaily, https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/08/180808193656.htm, Accessed 4 May 2021.

Crown Jewel Esthetics Editors. “Our Mission: Self-Care with Results.” Crown Jewel Esthetics, Crown Jewel Esthetics, 2021, https://www.crownjewelesthetics.com, Accessed 9 May 2021.

Lawrenson, Amy. “It’s Official. Science Says Having a 3-Step Skincare Routine Can Decrease Stress.” Byrdie, Dotdash, 22 June 2020, https://www.byrdie.com/skincare-stress-5069384, Accessed 9 May 2021.

MU8 Editors. “MU8 by Patrice Williams.” MU8, Squarespace, n.d.,https://www.mu8bypatrice.com, 9 May 2021.

Pauley, Amanda. “Online Searches for ‘“self-care”’ soar 250% During Covid-19.” Professional Beauty, Professional Beauty Group, 11 Jan. 2021, https://professionalbeauty.co.uk/site/newsdetails/searches-for-self-care-soar-during-covid-19, Accessed 6 June 2021.

People Staff. “2020 Made Americans Even More Excited to Practice Self-Care, According to a Survey.” People, Meredith, https://people.com/style/2020-made-americans-even-more-excited-to-practice-self-care-according-to-a-survey/, Accessed 6 June 2021.