When in the company of the outdoors, one doesn’t expect to be pampered and tended to. If we’re being honest, we enjoy the outdoors and everything that comes with it. Days spent hiking, camping, and cooking by a campfire. We’re sweaty, dirty, tired, and uncomfortable. There’s grease in our tangled hair, oil on our faces, and dirt between our nails. Why does that bring us so much joy?

For us, self-care is about the well-being of our mental, emotional, and physical being. While the outdoors satisfies 2 out of the 3 (well maybe 3 out of 3, because of physical exercise), we think it’s important to focus on ourselves when we’re back at home. No matter how mentally stimulating and fun the trip was, we’re always left exhausted. So we want to share a bit of how we incorporate self-care after a long trip outside.

MY SELF CARE ROUTINE
When I think of self-care I think of “me-time” and that involves a quiet & cozy place with just me and my thoughts –– or no thoughts. My mind often feels overloaded with information so I’ll gladly welcome anything that involves being a potato. I like to mentally unwind, light a few candles, say hello to my plants, then do absolutely nothing. 

BODY CARE
The first three things I want in my body after a long trip are a veggie burger, fries, and an ice cold soda (specifically a Coke or Lemon Up from In-N-Out).

Once home, I like to take a nice long, hot, and soapy shower. There’s something about the steam and hot water against my skin that calms and relaxes my senses. I just added Glossier’s Body Hero to my body care routine, and man, that is real pampering. The thing is expensive! Especially because I’m used to lathering up with $4 bar soap from Dr. Bronners.

SKINCARE
For me, it’s mostly about hydration. I’ll double cleanse with a bottle of argan oil and Caudalie Instant Foaming Cleanser, something I recently picked up at Sephora. My skin feels super soft and supple after. To remove a weekend’s worth of dirt and grime, I’ll exfoliate with Fresh Umbrian Clay Exfoliant. I’m not a fan of the exfoliant because it’s too harsh on my skin. Been trying to use up this bottle for years, but the thing lasts forever. This is sometimes followed up with RE:P Bio Fresh Mask if I’m in the mood to wait. I’ve been supportive of RE:P every since I found out they are 100% Cruelty-Free and use environmentally conscious packaging. I have dry skin, so I’ll follow up with Benton Aloe BHA Skin toner, then pat on a few drops of Missha Time Revolution to further balance and hydrate. My skin drinks them up! I’ve been told serums are super important because they combat skin’s most specific needs. I use Mizon Hyaluronic Acid 100 serum or Mizon Collagen 100 serum because you’re never too young to start taking care of your skin. If I’m feeling fancy, I’ll use both –– and I often feel fancy (lol). Then goes on Shiseido Benefiance Eye Cream and my favorite moisturizer right now, Caudalie Moisturizing Sorbet. I love how silky smooth it makes my skin feel. I have pre-teen acne scars and age spots so I’ll seal it all with a thin layer of Klairs Freshly Juiced Vitamin C serum to evenly tone my skin texture. Sometimes I’ll switch it up and use a sheet mask and an eye mask in place of my mud mask. It’s really all about my mood that day. I think that’s what makes skincare so fun and personal. 

Okay, that sounds like a lot. But it’s self-care – and it makes me happy!

MENTAL CARE
I don’t do anything after my skincare routine other than lay on my bed and…be a potato. Maybe washing has me tired or maybe I’m burnt out from the trip, but soon after getting into bed, I’ve already drifted off to sleep.

*We save empty containers to use when traveling, to store DIY skincare products, or recycle them at our local center. You can also send your empty containers to TerraCycle.

Goodnight,
Jennifer

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Read Vivian’s self-care routine.