Simple Self-Care Tips That Actually Make a Difference

Prioritize Your Body

Get In Some Movement

Spending time at the gym can often take a backseat to last-minute requests from your bosses and late night catch-ups with friends, but working up a sweat is a major part of showing your body some love. While exercise has obvious physical health benefits, it also hugely impacts your mental health—in a good way. Exercise floods your body with endorphins, which trigger feelings of happiness. The result? A mellower, more relaxed you. Even a brief jog around your neighborhood, an impromptu dance party, or a hike with a friend can do wonders. 

Not sure what to bring to your workout sesh? We've compiled some of our workout beauty essentials you can pack in a gym bag and take on the go.

Drink Plenty of Water

Aiming for eight cups of water may seem like a tall task, but not so much when you consider all the ways H2O works wonders for your body. Your skin also needs that extra moisture, which is why we like to supplement our daily water intake with hydrating face masks. Whether you have dry skin, acne, or under-eye circles you’d like to nix, show your face a little self-love with some extra moisturizing action. No time for a face mask? Dab on MZ SKIN Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Serum during your morning routine and your face will feel extra refreshed. 

Take a Bath 

There’s no easy stress relief tip quite like a warm, luxurious bath. Add some bubbles and close your eyes, or use the time to give your body a little extra care using a scrub like the deeply exfoliating FRANK BODY Glycolic Body Scrub Mini. Just don’t forget to lotion up afterward to replenish your skin's moisture barrier. The NENA SKINCARE Glacial Body Lotion is lightweight yet effective to secure that skin barrier and hydrate to no end.  

Take an Everything Shower

When it comes to simple self care ideas, the TikTok-famous everything shower may seem like a no-brainer (after all, who doesn’t want to be clean, moisturized, and well-shaven?), but did you know this act actually cleanses more than just the body? It can feel mentally purifying and offer a clearing feeling from a rough day or negative energy. We will say, though, nothing kills the mood the shaving nicks. That’s why we always turn to our trusty REFRESHMENTS Dazzling Razor Starter Kit for a safe shave. 

Catch Those Zzzs

Research shows that we’re supposed to be getting a whopping seven to nine hours of sleep for our body to fully recover from the day. While that might be more than your current late-night social media scrolling allows, snoozing is important for your physical and mental well-being, allowing your body to rest and reset. We like coaxing ourselves away from TikTok and towards our bed by adding a beauty self-care treat, like a moisturizing beauty mask. Our fave? The GOLDFADEN MD Wake Up Call Overnight Facial Treatment. Dab this on before bed, and the infusion of retinol and CoQ10 (a potent antioxidant) will work their magic while you sleep.

Improve Your Relationship With Yourself

Get Organized

When looming deadlines, missed texts, and a flood of emails bring you down, a mini cleaning spree can be just the thing to give you a boost of energy and sense of control. Whether you’re running a load of laundry, writing up a to-do list, or decluttering your eyeshadow palettes, there’s always an easy way to add organization to your life. We’re not saying you need to go full Marie Kondo on your sprawling collection of lipsticks, even just organizing them by color or usage can be super soothing. For extra tips on wrangling your beauty products, check out our guide on how to organize makeup. Cleaning and decluttering isn’t just good for aesthetics—it’s also great for clearing out lingering energy and welcoming freshness into your life. 

Focus on “Me” Time

Sometimes taking care of yourself falls to the very bottom of your to-do list, especially when you’re busy checking in with loved ones and putting out fires at work. Take some cues from the airline industry: Put your air mask on first, and then help others. Whether that’s a quick workout or a few deep breaths between meetings, all you need is a few minutes to treat yourself. If you want to add a beauty element to your “me” time, try pampering your skin, doing your nails, and giving your hands extra care by applying the nourishing GROWN ALCHEMIST Soothing Hand Cream. You can also slip on a relaxing face mask like the DR.JART+ Dermask Porecting Solution Face Mask. These no-rinse, mattifying, bubbling charcoal face masks instantly reduce sebum, hydrate, and tighten visible pores. Your skin will feel fresh and smooth just after one use.

Switch up Your Routine

When your day-to-day life feels like the classic Dolly Parton flick 9 to 5, it can seem like there’s no escape from your work routine. Rather than quitting your job or telling off your boss, look for other areas in your life that might benefit from a few small changes. The best self-care tips are small, easily conquerable tasks that create a satisfying feeling of accomplishment. Take back your weeknights with weekend meal-prep sessions, or treat yourself to regular at-home spa days by creating a relaxing skincare routine. Even mixing up your mornings with a new makeup routine can be enough to get you pumped for the day.

DIY to De-Stress

A few too many scrolls through TikTok can lead to some major envy and regrettable late-night shopping sprees. To curb your wallet-emptying appetite and relieve some stress, skip the screentime and try a DIY manicure with nail art. It’s an easy way to get back in touch with your artsy side and practice self-care. And if your creations turn out more like a Nailed It! outtake, it might just inspire a few giggles. From DIY face masks to nail art and braiding your hair, there’s no wrong way to be creative.

Try Something New

When the days start to blend together, it’s hard to feel like you’ve had any major accomplishments. It sounds cheesy, but trying something new can be an easy way to challenge yourself. From conquering a new route for work to ordering a different flavor of coffee, a rare food you’ve seen on social media, or swiping on some red lipstick, adding an element of surprise to your day can help you feel inspired. We love the soft finish of the KEVYN AUCOIN Velvet Lip Paint in the shade Stunning. It’s a decadent red matte lipstick that will definitely make your day feel more interesting.

Meditate

The act of meditation is proven to provide a state of peace and calm to those who practice and implement it into their daily routines. It’s been linked to helping achieve better health, lowering blood pressure, and reducing anxiety. Add this to your list of self-care tricks for better sleep and reduced stress. If you’re scared to meditate in a group (or you don’t want to spend the cash), there are endless options for all beginner levels on YouTube.

Unplug

Put the phone down, store the laptop away, and just unplug. When we unplug for a few hours each day, it allows us to focus and do things with more intention. Take that time to do something that brings you joy. This could mean going on a solo walk or hike, cooking up a meal in the kitchen, or cleaning without distractions.

Journal

There’s power in putting your thoughts on paper. Journaling has become a core part of self-care for many because there’s so much one can gain from it. Aside from being a way for us to deepen our self-discovery, journaling also gives us a way to process emotions and improve our moods, which helps reduce stress and remind us of all we’re grateful for when things feel bleak. Journaling has become so popular that it’s no longer a one-size-fits-all situation. There are endless offerings that include prompts, manifestation guidance, and more. If you’ve considered journaling a snooze up to this point, that’s easy to change.  

Light a Candle

Light a candle, and grab a book, or listen to your favorite podcast. Candles are known to be soothing, and scents like lavender add an extra calming effect. Candles also set a beautiful mood for journaling, meditation, or other mental wellness practices. Many candles have multi-uses, so you can always look into one that matches your vibe or activity. 

Step Into Your Spiritual Side

At the risk of sounding a little woo-woo (well, depending on how you roll), we encourage taking in a moment of energy healing. This can be by way of reiki to open your chakras, sound healing to clear negative energy, or even a past-life reading. This side of personal work may not be your thing off the bat, but what’s the worst that can happen by stepping out of your comfort zone? We’re personally all for it!

Embrace the Power of a Beauty Routine

Care for Your Scalp

One area of your body that’s likely neglected and in some major need of TLC? Your scalp. Scalp health is important to help keep your hair follicles strong, sturdy, and free from debris that can build up and even impact hair growth. In fact, a healthy scalp not only helps with hair growth, but it can also help reduce your risk of dandruff, hair loss, and other common scalp conditions, like itchiness and oiliness. Before your next shower, brush your hair with a large paddle brush, and focus the bristle down to your scalp to help break up any product residue or build-up on the skin. Follow with a clarifying scalp treatment (we love the R+CO Super Garden CBD + CBG Soothing Scalp + Hair Treatment), then shampoo and condition like normal.

Give Your Hair the Salon Treatment

Ready to level up your hair mask game? Try leaving your mask in for a few hours or even overnight. Work a generous dollop of a hair mask, like this EVA NYC Therapy Session Hair Mask, from roots to tips of damp, towel-dried hair. If you need to keep the hair pulled back while you sleep, we always opt for the Straight Ahead Tangle Free Bands, which won’t tug and tear at the strands. If you’re not in the mood to mask but are looking for other ways to treat your hair, NATURE LAB TOKYO Perfect Repair Leave-In Conditioner & Detangler detangles, strengthens, and protects. Oh, and it smells amazing. 

Experiment With Makeup 

Taking care of yourself doesn’t always have to be practical. Playing with makeup can be a fun way to de-stress, test your creative limits, and try a bold new look. Even if you don’t leave the house in your gold eye makeup, or if all your grunge makeup looks are saved in a secret selfie folder, making time to treat yourself is an outstanding way to practice personal care. Take a peek at our favorite rose gold eye makeup looks, and use the PAT McGRATH LABS Mothership XI: Sunlit Seduction to achieve the one that speaks to you the most. Want to start small? Branch out from your typical cat eye to create a graphic liner look with an easy-to-use, hyper-pigmented colorful eyeliner like the MAKE UP FOR EVER Aqua Resist Color Ink 24HR Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner. 

Amplify Your Skincare Routine

Adding a regular skincare regimen into your daily routine is a great source of self-care. Not only does it provide you with a healthy dose of self-love, but it helps maintain your skin at its best. We love incorporating a product like the BEAUTYSTAT Universal C Skin Refiner, which is a 20 percent pure vitamin C serum that helps brighten, tighten, and firm skin. We also love a quick and easy mask, such as ORIGINS Clear Improvement Blackhead Clearing Mask-To-Scrub, which tackles blackheads and excess oil like a pro.

Treat Yourself to Spa Time

Schedule a solo spa day and opt in for a relaxing massage. A full body massage will help relieve stress and release tightness in the body from working long days. If you don’t want a body massage, facials are also amazing for self-care. Facials offer a ton of benefits: They’re known to both boost circulation and improve absorption of products like moisturizers and serums.

Give Yourself a Face Massage

No time or money for a full body massage? Give your face a massage instead and reap the incredible benefits. After a long day of smiling, frowning, and delivering some powerful RBF, your facial muscles are tuckered out. Grab a face roller, like COCUS POCUS Face & Body Ice Roller, or even some frozen facial globes (we love the JENNY PATINKIN Petite Cryo Sculpting Hearts Duo), and gently roll them across your face to soothe your muscles and stress levels, and reduce swelling or puffiness. We especially love using our facial massage tools with a face oil, like DEW OF THE GODS Pomeglaze Pomegranate + Retinol Facial Oil, for bright, glowy skin.

No time for a full-face rub-down? Turn your attention to your eye area, and take the extra 20 seconds to work in your eye cream with a massage tool. FENTY SKIN Flash Nap Instant Revival Priming Eye Gel-Cream + Eye Massage Tool has everything you need for brighter, glowier under eyes.

Quick Self-Care Ideas

Are you always on the go? Are you unmotivated to take on anything new at the moment? Self-care doesn’t have to be a hassle. Whether your time is limited (or your funds!), focusing on yourself can be implemented into your daily routine in the easiest ways. 

This can be something simple like unleashing your creativity. Take a photo of something that inspires you and post it on your Instagram Story for no reason other than you love the shot. Call or text an old friend or family member who you haven’t talked to in a while but you know would be delighted to hear from you. It sounds cliché, but laughter is truly the best medicine, so exchanging an old inside joke or memory with someone from the past could be all you need. And if you’ve ever wondered why you feel great after dinner, well, cooking is a therapeutic art. Get creative with your eggs or coffee. We love heading to Pinterest for inspiration at all levels.

Final Thoughts

Self-care doesn’t have to mean a full day at the spa or a perfectly curated morning routine (though, no judgment if that’s your vibe). It’s about the little things you can do to show up for yourself every day—whether that’s pausing to breathe, saying no to something that drains you, or taking five minutes to do absolutely nothing. The beauty of self-care is that it’s yours to define. So, start small, experiment with what feels good, and remember: Caring for yourself isn’t selfish; it’s how you stay grounded, happy, and ready to take on whatever comes your way. If you’re looking to up your self-care game with shower goodies, DIY facial tools, nail care and more, head over to our IPSY Shop, for an endless supply of treats.