PMS self-care and beauty routine tips
PMS is real and it sucks, so we just wanted to remind you to be kind and gentle to yourselves when the rollercoaster time of the month comes along! Here are some ways to take care of yourself during a PMS phase.
1. Painkillers, food, hydration, rest…(and maybe a pinot grigio?)
First things first, take care of the basics. Take painkillers for cramps and nausea (I have endometriosis, I know how horrible it can get!).
Stay hydrated with water and herbal tea (staying hydrated helps to combat bloating and headaches).
Keep yourself nourished with wholesome, filling foods which bridge the gap between comforting and nutritious. If you’re hankering for chocolate and chips? Go for it, but don’t go overboard or you might be looking at a headache and even worse cramps and bloating.
Oh, about that pinot gris…I won’t elaborate…but you can tell where I’m going with it!
2. Stretch
PMS can be painful, puffy and full of stress. One of my favorite ways to release some of this tension is to slowly, gently stretch. If you get pain in your lower back and hips during your time of the month, try this simple yoga/stretching video when you have a spare 20 minutes. There are countless videos and resources online to guide you through light stretches for whichever ache or site of tension you’re experiencing.
3. Drink honey, lemon ginger tea
This is a really specific one which I adhere to every month. Ginger really does help to ease my PMS-related sore tummy and reduces nausea. Lemon helps to flush the system and honey is…well, delicious. Plus, it forces you to sit down, relax and feel warm from the inside out.
4. Cry it out
Hey. PMS can be a truly horrible experience. It can make us feel irritated, confused, glum, weepy, introspective, regretful (for no reason!), and downright hopeless.
Sometimes the best way to deal with these feelings is to let yourself truly feel them, and cry if you feel like it! Watch your favorite, most tear-beckoning movie, re-watch your go-to TV binge show, read a book, or simply sit with your friend and let out your woes…rational or not (the other day I cried because it rained and my laundry was hanging on the line).
4. Have an “everything” shower
Okay, so, there are different kinds of showers, as you well know. There’s the “quick, body shower”, the “hair wash shower”, and the “everything shower”.
The everything shower is when you:
- Exfoliate your entire body
- Use an in-shower moisturizer
- Wash your hair
- Exfoliate your face
- Shave your legs (if that’s part of your routine!)
- Pumice your heels
While this may sound like a lot of work during a PMS bout, it’s actually super relaxing. The heat from the water can help to ease cramps and induce sleepiness. I find that when I feel clean, scrubbed and nourished-from-the-outside, I feel better on the inside.
The time alone is also really beneficial as it gives you space to think, unwind, feel and reflect.
5. Brows, lips, and nails
When I’m PMS’ing, or generally feeling tired, rundown and a bit emotional, I like to do little things to make myself feel more myself. I feel my best self when I’ve got tinted brows, soft, color-ready lips, and nails which aren’t completely ratty.
Set yourself up on the couch or on your bed, get a mirror, some tweezers, and your brow tinting kit. Slowly go through the process as you watch TV or FaceTime a friend.
Make a little lip scrub with sugar and coconut oil, rub it in slowly, rinse it off then apply a hydrating balm.
Sit with your nail kit and file, clip, polish and moisturize as you relax. I find the practical, easy process of a self manicure to be really calming.
6. Exfoliate, moisturize, spot-treat
Hormones do all kinds of nutty things to our skin, (check out this great diagram which lays it all out simply). Whether you’re in the dry, dull phase or the greasy break-out phase, nourish your skin accordingly.
For dry days: remove dead skin with a gentle cleanser and a face cloth, or a chemical exfoliator mask. Apply hyaluronic acid to the super dry patches. Add a layer of hydrating serum, then finish with your moisturizer. Use a hydrating spray throughout the day.
For oily, blemish-happy days: cleanse with a gentle cleanser (don’t strip the skin!), add hyaluronic acid or an oil-free serum to keep hydration balanced but oiliness under control. Apply your go-to moisturizer.
Use a spot treatment such as salicylic acid or drying solution to each individual blemish. Go easy on the heavy foundation and use a full-coverage concealer to spot-conceal where required…or just wear your breakouts bare and beautiful.
And finally…
Be kind to yourself because you’re a brave, beautiful and badass woman.
Gin Mabey