From the moment we take our first few breaths, the world already has a list of standards and ideals waiting for us to adhere to. Body size, height, skin tone – there are endless rules on who is more deserving of love than the other. But if only we knew how much of an adverse effect this has on the way we move through the world as people who want to be seen, held, but most importantly: loved.
Imagine how differently we would feel about taking part in our daily routines – especially our self-care routines – if we were taught that self-care is for YOURSELF and nobody else! My favourite self-care habits and routines include binge-watching endless YouTube videos about astrology, burning incense, snuggling in bed with all the lights switched off except for my Himalayan salt lamp (which are really good for people like me who deal with seasonal affective disorder during winter), layering my face with copious amounts of moisturiser (I love moisturiser and would be nothing without it), and checking my face every other hour to relive the satisfaction of having hydrated skin cells.
When self-care first became a trendy buzzword that a lot of people didn’t entirely understand, there was so much focus on bath bombs and bubble baths. But for me, skincare is what really matters because it creates a sense of progress and a massive feeling of achievement when I gradually begin to notice the results I’ve wanted for ages. Growing up, I remember visiting the Clarins stand with my mum in Harrods and spending ages looking at the endless products lined up next to each other, plotting which ones I would sneak from her. But I never thought I would see the day Clarins became my go-to skincare brand as a 25-year-old. I always felt like Clarins was only for people of my mum’s age, so you can imagine how much I’m in my element right now – I love investing carefully in my skin because it’s what my skin deserves.
I spent a large amount of time using the wrong products that ended up damaging my skin. So allow me to be the beacon that will point you in the right direction with some of my favourite products, starting with the
My Clarins CLEAR-OUT Blackhead Expert Stick and Mask! It contains a stick specifically designed for your T-zone to instantly target blackheads and a total face purifying mask to purify and detoxify your skin whilst reducing imperfections and limiting the reappearance of blackheads, shine, and pores. Trust me, this will make a massive difference when your hormone pimples rear their ugly heads.
What I adore about this purifying and detoxifying mask is not just that it contains 5 purifying ingredients (4 plants extracts + 1 clay) and 1 detoxifying plant ingredient (Moringa extract), but that it truly is suitable for all skin types. I’m quite prone to contact dermatitis, but I love that this product has been formulated from a mix of fruit and plant extracts including Bamboo, Strawberry Tree Fruit, Meadowsweet, Tamarind Pulp acids, and Moringa to gently but effectively do the job. The star ingredient is the naturally absorbent Green Clay. Clay masks are like the Grim Reaper of face masks; it’s like the clay seeps deep into the underworld of your skin and extracts every single impurity. In the end, your skin is left clean, clear, and smooth with reduced blackheads and impurities. It’s what your skin deserves.
If you fly a lot like me, you’ll know that having to pick and choose between certain skin care products before heading into airport security feels like having to choose between your children. I like having a smooth nose because it gives my makeup satin-finish. I love the satisfaction that comes with touching your nose and detecting zero whiteheads. This is why I feel like now would be an amazing time to introduce you to the
My Clarins RE-MOVE Radiance Exfoliating Powder, a conveniently small bottle containing 4 purifying vegetal powders (Bamboo, Rice, Almond and Cranberry) and 1 detoxifying plant ingredient (Moringa) that can be added to any of your favourite cleansers to transform them into an exfoliator or, if used alone, the powder turns into a light foam upon contact with water.
The great thing about My Clarins is that their products are suitable for all skin types, especially this exfoliating powder which is formed of 95% natural origin ingredients. Because the formula is powder-based, it doesn’t have the dangerously abrasive effect of irregularly crushed pieces of rock and nut shells that tend to be found in a lot of high street exfoliators. At this point, Clarins has left us with no excuse when it comes to putting our skin through the danger of many skin care fads and trends that have left some of us bruised and scarred!
So if you’re reading this and you’re thinking of giving your skin a second chance, you may as well use this as an opportunity to remind yourself that in the end, it’s just skin. We all find ways to nit-pick at ourselves and talk down on who we are but why not challenge yourself this 2020 to choose yourself above it all? It’s what you deserve because there will never EVER be another you - and that’s iconic.
By Chidera Eggerue, Author of “How To Get Over A Boy”
@theslumflower
