As famous Youtuber, Thomas Sanders, would say: “Story time!”
For a while, I was suspiciously optimistic about just how well I was taking this whole COVID-19 thing. That is, until last night. I came across an article – no different than any of the articles I’d been reading for weeks beforehand – and for some reason, it hit me differently this time.
I suddenly felt so overwhelmed! I legit thought I was about to lose my marbles.
Since it was already getting late, I decided to go upstairs, do my skincare routine, and then head to bed. Amazingly, as I worked my way through each product and enacted my typical nighttime routine, I found that I was actually starting to feel a bit better. By the time I’d applied my face serum, I’d calmed down entirely.
Was it out of the ordinary that doing something as simple as my skincare routine could boost my mood in such a big way? After looking into it, it turns out that I’m not alone in this! With much of the world undergoing social distancing and self-isolation, it seems like a LOT of people are turning to their skincare regimens to improve their overall mental health.
Why is this? Let’s take a look…
The Skincare Market is on the Rise
So far this year, sales for skincare products have been beating out the makeup market. The fact that makeup sales aren’t booming right now isn’t that big of a shocker. After all, with so many people staying at home, a lot of us have put our personal makeup routines on the back burner.
But it is interesting to see how well the skincare market is thriving, despite being in the middle of a pandemic!
To put this into perspective: the NPD Group released statistics recently that showed how by the final week of February, skincare products had seen an increase in dollar and in-store sales by 13%! Makeup and other beauty products, on the other hand, only grew by 4%.
It didn’t lose its momentum in March, either! Amazon alone saw an additional 8% sales increase in their skincare inventory last month, whereas color cosmetics actually dropped by 1%.
The facts are in: the importance of skincare is especially popular right now! But what’s the reasoning behind this? Why, with everything currently going on in the world, are so many of us seeking solace in this practice?
Here are a few of our hypotheses…
1. Our Skincare Routine Gives Us Control
The world is chaotic and upside down right now – and that’s putting it lightly. The media is struggling to find a balance between giving us the facts, and feeding into our fears. Many are going into ‘fight-or-flight’ mode. While some are refusing to take this crisis seriously, others are just as guilty of taking it a bit too far.
Sometimes, it can feel as though there’s very little that’s still in our control. Our skincare routine, however, allows us to regain that sense of power back.
While it may sound a little silly, it makes total sense! For just a few minutes (or hours, depending on how thorough you get – hey, we don’t judge) every day, you can focus solely on YOU.
It’s a routine you can always rely on, no matter how hectic things around you may get. While you can’t control everything, you can always control this. By extension, working through your skincare routine can help ground you and bring back perspective. It can help remind you that there are in fact many aspects of your life that you still do have full control over.
That despite the bumps in the road, there are still things that can bring you peace.
2. It Provides a Sense of Normalcy
To build off this: another important reason why your skincare routine is so critical right now is that it’s a sliver of your normal life that you can always hold onto. While it can be said for certain that some day, life will go back to normal, we still don’t really know when that’ll be yet.
Personally speaking, I can sometimes be a Monica Geller. I like being in-the-know. I’m a creature of habit. Because of this, I don’t like when things are disorderly or uncertain.
When I do my skincare routine, it brings me back to a more familiar place. It’s something I’ve been doing long before this pandemic, and it reminds me that it’ll be something I’ll do long after it’s over, too. This sense of normalcy not only will help ground you in the moment – it’ll keep your sights set on a brighter, more positive future to come.
3. Routine Eases Anxiety
This is a proven, behavioral fact in both human beings and animals alike. Regular life is already stressful enough as it is. But these days, the consequences of COVID-19 have made us that much more anxious, fearful, and even depressed.
But having a faithful routine in place gives us a healthy way to cope! This, in large part, is due to what we’ve looked at above.
On top of this, being cooped up at home can lead to boredom. You might sometimes feel a bit stagnant. Your skincare routine gives your brain a chance to be productive. Most importantly, it guarantees at least ONE time during your day where you get to focus on something that brings you happiness.
4. Your Skincare Routine Teaches You How to Do Things Right
The longer you do something, the better you become at it. Like with makeup, there’s a certain level of trial-and-error that comes with perfecting the right skincare routine for you.
(And even then, there’s always room for it to transform and grow!)
Chances are, you’ll need to try out different types of products to figure out which ones react best to your skin type. For instance, the right cleanser for dry skin may not be the ideal fit for combination skin. Similarly, someone with oily skin may require different moisturizer than a person with a normal skin type.
As time passes, you’ll learn what your skin responds to favorably, and which products you should avoid. Before you know it, when it comes to your skincare routine, you’ll be an absolute expert!
That Being Said…
Just because you’ll know your own skin inside and out, doesn’t mean you can say the same about anyone else. But there IS a way you can become an actual expert, and make a career out of helping others with their own skincare routines!
You can become a certified Skincare Consultant!
The single best way to achieve this is by receiving professional training from an accredited beauty school. Since social distancing and self-isolation is in effect, in-person classes aren’t a safe option.
But online beauty school will allow you to get this expertly-taught education AND a professionally-recognized certification… all from the comfort of your own home!
Chances are you’re already at home anyways; looking for something creative and productive to do to pass the time. Now’s the perfect opportunity to maximize that spare time by focusing on your career goals!
By devoting just 1-2 hours of your week to an online Skincare course, you can graduate and be a certified expert in as little as 3-6 months!
Just make sure to do thorough research when looking into online beauty school. Your course should be thorough. They should teach you not just about the foundation of skincare, but how to build on those skills at a more advanced level.
QC Makeup Academy and their professional instructors, for example, will educate you on the following information:
- Skincare basics
- Skin types and anatomy
- Different skincare products and tools
- Understanding skincare labels
- The difference between morning and nighttime routines
- Skin conditions and how to work with them
- Aging skin and the best practices for it
- Natural skincare basics, organic products, and DIY recipes
- And so much more!
A good online beauty school will also ensure to arm students with a certain level of business training. This way, if you have dreams of starting up your own business, you know how to do this properly.
For instance, QC Makeup Academy teaches client relations, consultations, and problem-solving as part of their Skincare Course!
Just remember:
Things may be difficult right now, but the sun is ALWAYS there behind the clouds! We’ll all make it through this together, and come out stronger on the other side.
In the meantime, find what makes you happy. If it helps you get through this a little bit easier, then it’s a blessing, whatever it may be.
If that just so happens to be your skincare routine? Awesome!
You do YOU. We’re here for you!
