There is something divine about a nightly skincare routine. Not because it allows for a wrinkle-free future or prepares you for a fresh morning glow — but because for fifteen peaceful minutes, you are wholly present. It is you, your mirror, and your skincare routine against the world.
We live in a fast-paced culture that constantly reminds us to chase better results. We are sold products with a false promise of some dramatic transformation: you can be brighter, tighter, smoother, better. But what if we took a break from rating our routines by their outcomes? What if the quiet act of applying moisturizer became less about “fixing” and more about feeling?
This is a love note to the beauty of the ritual. To the cadenced blot of retinol on your cheeks. The cleanser that melts like butter on your skin. To the lilac-scented face mask that makes you feel like a princess with nothing better to do than sit still and shine.
When we romanticize the routine, not the result, skincare becomes more than prevention — it becomes mindfulness. It becomes a postcard to your present self, rather than a demand from your future self. It’s not about being flawless; it’s about the muted moments when you treat yourself like someone worth every drop of fancy soap.
Skincare is one of the few times in our day when we touch our own faces with care. We are taught that it is a crime to find beauty in our own bodies (thanks, One Direction). But it is not vain to enjoy caring for your body. It is not gluttonous to dilly dally in the mirror for a few extra moments. It’s self-care that grounds you. You are healing your inner 2000s kid in a way that no Activia commercial ever could.
So go ahead — light a candle, put on that playlist that gets you in your feels, and let your routine get a little melodramatic. Recite love poems to your serums. Gaze lovingly into the mirror like you’re the main character in your own rom-com. Make a memory out of it.
Sometimes the most glamorous thing we can do for ourselves isn’t chasing beauty — it is recognizing it.
Hey Kaleigh! 