In today’s fast-paced world, the term “self-care” has become synonymous with indulgence in beauty products and spa days. While these activities can be a part of self-care, the modern understanding of the concept often falls short of its true depth and potential impact on our well-being.

I’ve never been a girly girl or a Prissy Missy. I spent my younger years outdoors jumping fences and climbing trees. My mom tried her darnedest to keep me in pastels, whites and frilly socks, but it didn’t work. I wanted to run, play and get dirty just like the boys.

Growing up in a Black household as a girl, I was told to always look presentable and put together to avoid negative assumptions. “To be successful or liked in life, you have to look pretty” that’s what it felt like I was being told. But that never bothered me. I never cared about wearing a full face of make up or spending so much time in the mirror lathering my skin with layers of product to impress others. There were more important things I wanted to do with my time. Growing up in the 80’s there was glam make up and natural makeup, like today, but it wasn’t labeled as self care, it was just a way to enhance your already beautiful features. Now, however, a quick scroll through TikTok, Facebook and Youtube you’ll see tutorials on sculpting, concealing, and brightening your facial features and skin using beauty products as a self-care routine and it has me asking a ton of questions. But what’s even more questionable is why self-care has been portrayed as a mystery potion in a beautiful bottle promising to turn back the hands of time and moisturize your skin to the gods! Is this really helping with holistic self-care?

Before we get deep, lets look at the definition of Self-Care:

There we have it, self-care is defined as both a product or a practice that soothes you and can also be an act of attendance to your physical or mental health! Straight-forward and to the point.

But, not quite…..

Self-care is not just skin-deep!! It’s a multifaceted practice that encompasses the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of our lives. It’s about nurturing ourselves on all levels to foster resilience, reduce stress, and enhance our capacity to enjoy life.

Here’s a side by side comparison of what self care is and isn’t. Which habits do you have?

A piece in Scientific American discusses how individual interventions for burnout, which often include product-heavy self-care routines, are insufficient. The article argues that these strategies don’t tackle systemic issues that often lead to burnout, such as workplace demands and lack of support¹.

Another study highlights that while self-care practices can temporarily relieve stress by releasing feel-good hormones, those effects subside after the activity ends. This suggests that product-heavy self-care might offer only a temporary reprieve from stress, rather than a long-term solution to burnout².

Moreover, research indicates that self-care has a positive moderating effect on job burnout, implying that while self-care can mitigate some effects of burnout, it may not be enough to prevent it if the self-care practices are not sustainable or are too focused on products³.

These findings suggest that while self-care is important, relying heavily on products for self-care might not be the most effective strategy for preventing burnout. Instead, a more holistic approach that includes systemic changes and sustainable self-care practices might be necessary.

My personal opinion, the beauty industry tagged products as “self-care” and pushed a narrative for the almighty dollar; not for the enhancement of our true mental, physical, emotional or spiritual wealth.

Physical self-care goes beyond cosmetics and skincare. It’s about listening to your body’s needs, whether that’s rest, exercise, nutrition, or medical care. It’s recognizing when to push yourself and when to take a step back. It’s about finding balance!

Listen to this Presentation (https://youtu.be/uqOfibeP5v8?feature=shared) about the Importance of Self Care, especially for caregivers (mental health professionals, parents, children taking care of their parents, college students, etc). We’re ALL caregivers in some way!

Shameless Plug: I wrote a guided journal specific to discovering your true self. In there is a very large section about self-care! If you’re interested it can be found on Amazon- https://shorturl.at/8HfRp

What self care practices do you enjoy? How do you like to find balance? Let me know below!

“Move Mountains For Yourself, The Way You Move Mountains For Others“!

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