Hi Mamas! If you're on your postpartum journey as I am (almost 6 months!) then it's likely your body and brain have experienced a storm of changes in these past few months. Some warm, loving and meaningful feelings bringing your new person into this world and learning all about them, and other physical and mental changes that leave you feeling out of place, isolated and honestly, not your best. One of the things I noticed about myself during this season of life is that I would try to make myself feel better by eating something indulgent and rewarding or slapping on some extra makeup to make myself look more awake or put together. None of these things are wrong but I realized they weren't serving me in the way I needed them to. I was seeking more meaning, more introspection and more physical and emotional healing during this time.
Since starting my natural skin care company for pregnant and postpartum mothers, GloMama.com, I've started to pay closer attention to the things I put on my skin and in my body. Would I feed that to my baby? Would I put that on my newborn's skin? I know, I know, you can worry yourself silly with every little thing but here's what I decided to do...Change just ONE thing for 30 Days. STOP wearing makeup and START caring for my skin with natural products. Here's what happened...
1. Insecurities melted (at least some of them!):
At first I kept thinking, "How am I going to go to the _______ without makeup?" Not the ambiguous places like the store or to run errands, but events like birthday parties, Thanksgiving or even work video calls. But after a week or two it just became my default. Even my husband said the other day, "It is going to seem shocking to see you WITH makeup now."
2. I started focusing on positive attributes instead of imperfections.
Just because I'm not wearing makeup doesn't mean I have to look unkept. I wore outfits that made me look more put together, jewelry and did my hair a bit more often than I normally would postpartum. When I looked in the mirror I tried not to focus so much on the imperfections but talk to myself kindly about things I do like about my skin, my face, or my hair. This was HARD! And, some days I did just look like I rolled out of bed and wrestled three kids in the car to get to school. So what?
3. I began questioning ingredients in other skin and hair care products.
I've never devoted the time to researching all of the terrible ingredients found in my shampoo and conditioner, body wash or lotions but the respite from makeup had me thinking I should take a closer look. After all, I put these things directly on my skin and scalp multiple times a week (if I'm lucky). Many of the ingredients found in my Costco shampoo and conditioner and Target body wash were completely foreign to me. So, I'm now on the hunt for the right natural products for my hair and body.
4. LESS laundry anyone?
It's amazing how many towels, wash cloths and reuseable makeup removing pads I used every single day. This really added up. Added bonus: I loved the feeling that my makeup wasn't going to rub off on clothes, sheets or the baby's blankets throughout the day.
5. I really liked the feeling and texture of my skin!
Honestly, I didn't expect this but I really felt a difference in my skin's texture. It felt more hydrated, plumper and generally just cleaner. If I wanted to skip washing my face at night after a long bedtime extravaganza with the kiddos then it was really no big deal. BUT, when I did take the 5 minutes to do my postpartum skin care routine in the morning and night I really felt the difference. My postpartum acne was under control, my fine lines and wrinkles were subdued and my dry postpartum skin felt plump and deeply hydrated.
Many people have asked me if I'm going to jump right back into the world of daily makeup and I have to admit there were things I missed about wearing makeup. I love the pops of color makeup gives your complexion. I missed color! Do I need it everyday though? No. I much prefer the no makeup default and adding it into your routine for something special like: Birthday Parties, Holidays and every once in a while for school drop-off. 😉