“I just don’t have time, its fine”
In the rush of motherhood, of juggling working from home and my body being in a constant cycle of pregnancy, postpartum, breastfeeding, and back again - I somehow lost my commitment to self-care. It’s subtle, happens over time - we practically celebrate it on social media, bonding over how dirty our hair is or how we keep forgetting to feed ourselves. Don’t get me wrong - I’m currently on Day 4 of dirty hair and I didn’t eat today until 2pm. It happens.
And it happens because we care so much about everyone around us - with newborns, we are engrossed and focused on keeping a tiny human alive. As they get older (and we add more small humans to the mix), things just get crazier. We’re constantly trying to do our best and be our best for everyone around us: coworkers, bosses, friends, spouses, children. We’re in a cycle of giving, giving, giving.
Each of our gives to the world, to the people around us, is a way of us showing how much we care about them, how much its all worth to us. Our children are worth it. Our friends, our spouse, they’re worth it. Our careers are worth it. Volunteering at church, it's worth it. But after awhile, every time we pass on ourselves, we’re subconsciously telling ourselves, “You’re not worth it.”
When you go to bed without washing your face and caring for you skin. “You’re not worth it” When you don’t take a single moment for yourself - quiet time, devotion, reading - in the entire day. “You’re not worth it”
When you don’t make time to care for your body - skip a meal, give up on working out. “You’re not worth it”
The list goes on of all the times we don't take care of ourselves. Isolated, occasional instances - sure. It happens, and it’s a part of some crazy seasons of life. But when those seasons stretch into years and those years start blurring into one another, it takes a toll on our self-worth. When we make it habit to not value ourselves, our self-esteem tanks.
I read through various studies about how a lack of self-care is connected to depression. It’s no wonder more and more women are sinking into depression and anxiety as they juggle the world, all while putting their own care last.
This year, I committed to telling myself that I am worth it, and to living it with tangible actions. In an attempt to hold myself accountable, and with a hope to invite you along for this self-care journey, I’m documenting and sharing the little things I try! Maybe one will resonate with you!
This month, one of the little (but big) ways I’ve committed to self-care and telling myself you are worth it was to implement a skincare routine!

So I looked for a product line that fit my needs (chemical free, versatile, affordable, realistic). When I say realistic, I mean I wanted to pick a routine that I could honestly accomplish every single day. When I googled some other skin care routines and saw 8 steps I knew that would set me up for failure. I’m all about telling myself I’m worth it, but baby steps, ya know?
I ended up falling in love with the products Valentia offers! Here’s what my skin care routine looks like now!
My Self-Care Skin Routine
First, I'll be honest about what I was doing before: I would be exhausted by the end of the day, and just use Clinique eye makeup remover to get my mascara off, and then I'd take a Cetaphil Make-up Removing wipe to scrub my face down. I knew it was time to change because my skin was breaking out and agitated like it had never been before! Plus, I never felt like I actually was able to get all my makeup off. Turns out, make-up remover wipes of any kind are actually really bad for your skin - you can read more here if you're interested. But basically, they strip your skin, don't actually cleanse the makeup off, and leave your skin very irritated and still dirty.
So here's how I switched it up with just a few simple, natural products!

Cleansing Oil: This is honestly the product that I 100% doubted and was completely amazed by! The Cleansing Oil claims to be able to remove all make with just 3-4 small squirts an no water initially. You just gentle rub the cleansing oil all over your face, and then wipe off with a gentle washcloth and warm water. AND IT ACTUALLY WORKS. What it replaced: No more Clinique Take the Day Away, and no more of those make up removing wipes. I’m honestly blown away by how well and how quickly this product works! AND it’ll save me money! If you're worried about oils not being good for your skin, here's a great article about how that common myth isn't actually true!

Rose Water: Once my face is cleansed, I spray my face twice with Rose Water! Rose Water is meant to refresh, cleanse, and balance the pH in your skin. I saw a noticeable difference in my breakouts after dumping my old face wipes and using this instead! I didn’t realize how unbalanced my skin had become! Rose Water can also set your makeup! I’ve loved using this in the mornings to wake myself up with and rejuvenate my skin - its hands down my new favorite beauty product! (Spoiler alert, you can get free Rose Water from me! Just keep reading!) Even my baby girl loves getting a little spritz of Rose Water in the morning! You can learn more about Rose Water here!
Rosehip Oil: Rosehip oil is amazing to help support smooth, dewy looking skin, as well healing scars! After spraying myself with Rose Water, I take just a small squirt of Rosehip Oil and rub it onto my face and neck, and then take my new Jade Roller and massage my face! This oil helps supports areas of your skin that have scars and fine lines. Rosehip oil is rich in essential fatty acids and antioxidants, which are integral for tissue and cell regeneration in the skin. It's no wonder that the oil has long been used as a folk remedy for wound healing, as well as the reduction of scars and fine lines. You can read more about Rosehip Oil here!

Jojoba: This oil I use “as needed”. Jojoba Oil is great for supporting dryness, so I use it mainly on a patch of psoriasis I have and to moisturize my hands! When the weather got really cold, it was great to massage into my dry face! You can read more about jojoba oil here!
Prickly Pear Oil: I’d never heard about Prickly Pear Oil, but once I read the description I knew it was a must have for me! I have genetically puffy eyes, and add the exhaustion of motherhood and career demands (and aging!) to that and I’ll basically buy any product that claims to brighten my eyes! I take a drop of this and massage it around my eyes, using the smaller side of the Jade Roller to help encourage excess fluid to drain out. I also massage this oil in “aging” spots, like around my mouth and on my neck. Prickly Pear oil has tons of vitamin E to help support skin’s vitality over time. Prickly pear oil is rich in amino acids, which stimulate collagen production to help refine, brighten, and tone skin. To learn more about it, check out this article!
Jade Facial Roller: I used a jade facial roller throughout my skin care regime, and I use it without any product in the morning for my puffy eyes and to help “wake up” my skin! Its so refreshing and invigorating in the morning! Jade rollers are meant to help decrease puffiness and under-eye circles, and even minimize the look of fine lines. The gentle massaging motion is supposed to increase circulation and “stimulate the lymphatic system and lymphatic drainage throughout the face,”

This is what MY skincare routine has looked like this past month - the support team at Valentia was so sweet and patient helping me figure out what products would work best for my skin type and my stage of life, and they would be more than happy to help YOU find the best care routine for your skin and lifestyle. I personally wanted something attainable that I could realistically do every single night, because I honestly never enjoyed caring for my skin - but now I look forward to my nighttime routine!
YOU ARE WORTH being cared for you. You are worth taking care of. You are worth slowing down for. Whether its a skin care routine or a new hobby or something, I hope you find something that gives you the ability to give yourself love and care. I know this sounds cheesy, but I started thinking affirmations as I use the jade roller to massage into my skin. I channeled my inner Marie Kondo and thanked my skin. Instead of focusing on the puffiness or the forming wrinkles, I thanked my eyes for the hours they’ve stayed awake, caring for babies. I thanked my skin for the laughter and growth and sadness it has carried for me. I tell myself that I’m beautiful enough, just as I am. It's cheesy and simple but I go to bed feeling better than I used to when I just rushed through scrubbing my face with a makeup remover wipe.
Self-care is an act, big or small, that doesn't require anything of you, but instead refuels you. It's an actionable item to remind yourself that you are worth it.
A Giveaway + A Promo Code for YOU!
Since February is a month of LOVE, I want to share some self-care love with you all by offering TEN WINNERS a six month supply of Rose Water! All you have to do is head on over to my Instagram post and follow the rules there! (Hint, if you subscribe to my blog you get 10 extra entries!)
I’ve also partnered with Valentia and asked for a discount code to share with you all! For the entire month of February, you can use the code CAROLINA20 for 20% off your order!! I can’t wait to see what you implement into your skincare routine - be sure to share in your stories and tag me so I can see what you ordered!! I love being on this self-care journey together!
WOOOOOOOWWWW, I really needed to hear this. Self-care is so important in the world of busyness. I totally am that kind of person who puts myself at the bottom of my to-do list, so it was really refreshing to hear you talk about carving out that time for yourself. Thank you!
Keep up the great words !