I Know You’re Tired, But Momma, Go Wash Your Face

It’s been an incredibly long day and there’s still so much to do. There’s dinner to prepare, kids to put to bed, maybe a pet or two that needs walking, and a spouse in need of attention too. Last week’s laundry has morphed into a pile of two, and you’re completely and utterly exhausted. I get it; I know you’re tired but momma, but go wash your face.

Washing your face 2x a day is about more than beauty. 

If you thought this post was going to be a scolding of your irregular skincare routine — which by the way, is quite common — you’re wrong. Having knowledge of and a passion for skin health means I could spout off facts about skin types, product ingredients, and so on, but that’s for a later time (yep, that was a shameless plug). This introductory blog to the beautiful friendship you and I are creating is about our level of importance in our chaotic and sacrificial lives as mothers. I find myself struggling to fulfill the requirements of parenting as a partnerless provider to a household of three (when you include the dog) as a divorced mother of a young child. As I’m writing this blog, there just so happens to be a pile of winter coats nesting on my floor after the coat rack collapsed under the garment weight last week. I haven’t felt like picking up and sorting through the coats yet. What I have done without fail every day and night of this week however, is wash my face and that’s no accident. 

When you do better, you feel better.

Remembering to wash your face and making it a part of a nightly routine WILL make you feel better over time, this I promise you. The first night of committing to washing your face and brushing your teeth (every night) at bedtime will feel great because you’ll feel motivated to take action and do what you vowed to do. The second and third night will feel just as great because the wave of pride from the first night will still be alive and well. By the time the fourth night rolls around, chances are a lot of things will have happened throughout the day that have wiped you out and though you’ll stick to your cleansing routine, it’ll feel like yet another chore you have to complete. Heading into night five, I want you to understand that the inconvenience and lack of motivation to spend the extra time taking care of yourself is one hundred percent normal and we all experience this no matter how positive or even well-rested you may be. Getting into new routines and swapping bad habits for good ones is a process that you’ll have to do over and over again but it’s beyond worth it. 

Confidence in general and the confidence felt when accomplishing goals requires repetition of the act that brought about the change. In essence, the more you achieve smaller goals such as washing your face, brushing your teeth, and stretching before crawling into bed, the more likely you’ll be to wake up feeling more in charge and in control of your life despite external factors that we can’t always control.  

When you feel better, you look better.

Having a consistent skincare routine will improve your appearance without question. I can say this unequivocally despite not knowing which products you use because ridding your skin of the dirt and oil that it naturally produces will help unclog your pores and lessen your chance of acne and severe breakouts. In the second and third week of your cleansing routine, you’ll begin to notice minor improvements that made your skin look dull and tired before. By the end of the fourth week, you’ll have created a new, healthy, habit that has given you internal and external benefits that will motivate you to start another positive habit and this will continue to give you the momentum you need to continue taking better care of yourself. Sure, some will read this and think this all seems a bit shallow, but is it really all that shallow to want to show up in the world looking and feeling like the best version of yourself? Would you call your daughter out for dressing up like the pretty little princess she is or your son the handsome prince he is? No, you wouldn’t, so why say it to yourself?  

When you’re better, everyone’s better.

I’m a true believer that ultimately everyone is responsible for their own happiness, but the saying, “If momma isn’t happy, nobody’s happy,” rings true when we as mothers don’t take time for ourselves. We have to get into the mindset that taking 15-20 minutes a night to “pamper” ourselves is neither selfish nor a chore, but rather a non-negotiable necessity that will benefit us in so many ways.

Here are a few ways to make this small window of self-care that much more enjoyable:

1. Take your phone into the bathroom with you, but instead of scrolling online, set a timer for 20 minutes and turn on a relaxing instrumental soundtrack or streaming station to set a calming mood.
2. After setting the timer and atmosphere, turn your phone face down and out of reach. If you have a younger child or toddler, it’s okay to take your baby monitor in the bathroom with you, but face it away from you (with the volume on a lower setting), so you can mentally unplug from mommy mode while taking this time for yourself. 
3. Brush and floss your teeth, then proceed to wash your face. Wet your face with warm water to open your pores, apply cleanser, rinse, and pat dry to avoid scratching your skin. Apply a gentle toning solution to a cotton swab and wipe it on your face to remove any remaining makeup/dirt. Apply a serum and nighttime moisturizer, preferably one that treats and prevents wrinkles. 
4. While completing these steps try to remain present at the moment, not running down your to-do list for tomorrow, beating yourself up over what you didn’t get done that day, and so on. 
5. Recite these five Nightly Self-love Affirmations For Moms:

“I did a great job today.”

“I am more than enough.”

“I am beautiful just as I am right now.”

“I am strong and getting stronger every day.”

“I will take this time for myself again tomorrow because I deserve it.”

Great job momma, you just washed your face and you’ll do it again tomorrow and the day after that as well. Good for you!

For more self-care ideas and explanations of its importance for mothers, check out these related Chattanooga Moms posts.