Ugh. Does anyone else sometimes feel like your beauty arsenal is way too much of a time sucker? Sucker. That's how I feel right about now.
I was getting ready for work the other day and I counted 16 products that were required for my morning routine. And to be frank, I know for a fact my routine is far quicker than many of my gal pals. Sadly, i's easy to get to #16, ladies. Let me summarize this for you:
- Shampoo
- Conditioner
- Soap
- Leave-in conditioner
- Deodorant
- Eye cream
- Face cream
- Foot cream
- Hand cream
- Argan Oil
- Neosporin (I had a cut)
- Foundation
- Mascara
- Eye Shadow
- Toner
- Wrinkle serum
PHEW. That felt good. The first step to fixing a problem is admitting you have one, right?
I generally don't use powder, eye liner, or lipstick. Nor do I use hairspray or gels. But that certainly doesn't make me a tree loving hippie chick whose only beauty product is Mother Nature.
So my question is... what the heck am I trying to achieve? Ever lasting life? We all saw what that did to Benjamin Button. Eternal life is sad. But that said, the fact that we all have an IOU with Death is probably working on my psychology in ways that might begin to explain my obsession with lotions, potions, and creams.
The promise of delaying the inevitable is hard to resist.
The sad truth is, the thought of getting rid of some of these products has become scary to me. The promise in each bottle has a strong hold on my logic... what if "THIS" is the product that's actually working? What if "THIS" is the product that will keep me looking young and vibrant forever?
The funny thing is that I normally don't spend a lot of time looking at myself in the mirror, taking selfies, or generally, caring about the way I look. My time caring about the way I look is limited to the 20-30 minutes it takes me to slather every part of my body with a different cream each day. The very act of doing this makes me more self-conscious about my body in that moment than ANY OTHER PART OF MY DAY.
That right there is the biggest marketing lie that the entire beauty product industry is toting. "Use our products and you will feel more beautiful/youthful/confident/vibrant {fill in the blank}." Wrong. For most of us, the very act of using "beauty" products actually makes us think more about our looks and naturally, become more self-conscious and dependent on the products to "feel beautiful."
For now, I'm not sure the path I want to take to correct this self-induced dilemma in my life. I know there are bigger problems in the world to solve, and that the time I'm wasting on 5 different lotions, could be time better spent.
Fortunately, my amazing husband is a huge advocate for natural beauty and actually really hates when I wear make-up. I know not every woman has this luxury, and I feel blessed.
All I know for sure is that I want to cut back on the amount of products I'm using.
I probably won't get rid of the soap or the deodorant... you're welcome friends... but what can I get rid of? Which of the products will I remove from my beauty arsenal? I'm not yet sure. It truly is an arsenal... I've gone to war with myself and it has to end!
In the meantime, I'd love to hear from others to know if you've had a similar moment of reckoning with your powders, creams, and lotions?
For me, it's due time I spend more time each day focusing on my inner life and a little less time on my outer appearance.
That ten minute meditation I can never seem to squeeze in... the book I've been trying to finish... the beauty industry has one thing right. Life is short. Time is ticking. How do you want to spend your time? Trying to fight a losing battle against time, or embracing every second you have and spending each moment TRULY bettering yourself? A lot of pressure I know, but I've got lots of wasted time I need to make up for.
Now - just to be clear, I'm not going all natural. In fact, I'm writing this with an Origin's face mask on. Yeah, call me a hypocrite if you must. It's pretty and pink in color and it makes my face feel like a baby's behind.
CHANGE IS HARD. But I want to put my goal out there that I am aiming to reduce my products to just 10 over the next month. That's 6 products GONE-ZO. It's not earth shattering, but it's a start.
I encourage you to take an inventory of your products and cut out what you can too! Back to basics ladies.
Who's with me?! Now time to wash this freakish mask off my face.