Life is BUSY, but that doesn’t mean we can’t make time to incorporate rituals and habits into our lives that preserve and boost the health of our body, skin, and mind. I find that being mindful and making sure I fit these practices into my daily/weekly schedule really helps support my mental and physical health and boosts my morale overall. Doing things for yourself to keep yourself healthy and feeling good in your skin and body is truly a key to a well-functioning life. Without these specific rituals and practices, I don’t think I would feel as willing, able, and ready to show up to the world and give it my best every day. ✨

scrub me secret: I have adopted these rituals over time and incorporated them into my life one by one over the years. Whenever I read about a wellness ritual that sparks my interest or have a conversation with someone who gives me a marvelous idea about a new habit to implement I’ll first ask myself if it feels feasible to try to incorporate it into my life, if I decide that the answer is yes then I’ll try it out for a couple of weeks. The rituals that stick with me are the ones that I find very valuable. The other ones end up falling by the wayside.

My list of rituals begins with the most important first! Having these wellness habits in my life contributes to helping me feel energetic and positive, as well as helping my skin glow and look youthful.

scrub me secret: Don’t feel overwhelmed by feeling like you have to try to fit every single one of these practices into your life all at once. Just like building a skincare routine, it’s best to start off simple and with the most important things. Then, build on your routine once you feel ready for more. If nothing else I think focusing on intentional sleep and exercise/movement is most beneficial. Once you’ve got those habits implemented then you can move on to other rituals that speak to you.

🔸 Intentional sleep

Getting a proper 7-9 hours of sleep on a nightly basis can do so much more for you than you would think! When our bodies are able to rest and recover for this amount of time on a consistent schedule we not only have more energy but are also less prone to getting sick, are able to maintain a healthy weight more easily, have more mind clarity, and have less inflammation (say goodbye to puffy face and under eyes). That’s why I take my sleep really seriously. I make sure I get a solid 7+ hours most days of the month. I’ll detail my sleep routine below so you too, can get really intentional about your sleep.

I got a great sleep tip when reading the book “Tools of Titans” by Tim Ferriss. In this book, there is a specific interview with Arnold Schwarzenegger that really changed the way I looked at sleep. Schwarzenegger, knowing how the benefits of proper sleep could help him boost his fitness performance stated that the way he looks at sleep is like it’s a job. There’s no messing around, getting distracted, or slacking off; just a legitimate commitment to resting and sleeping. From then on I did the same.

When it’s time for me to get my 7-8 hours of sleep, rest is the main objective; not being on my phone, staying up to watch one more TV show, reading 2 more chapters, or getting in 30 more minutes of work. It’s time to rest and that’s that. Even if I can’t quiet my mind or fall asleep right away I close my eyes, rest my body as if I’m asleep, and meditate to quiet my mind. This usually results in falling asleep soon after.

scrub me secret: Sleep is something that I didn’t value very much up until a few years ago. Because there are only 24 hours in a day and work takes up many of those hours, I was trying to fit so much in at the sacrifice of my sleep. I could work, create for my business, socialize, spend time with family, and get my household tasks done…with only about 4-6 hours of time set aside for sleep. This lack of rest was starting to impact my mood, my strength and endurance, my mind clarity, and the way my skin looked. Making better sleep a habit of mine has ensured that I feel well-rested and healthier overall.

🔸 Gua sha face massage

Gua sha facial massage is my go-to beauty and wellness ritual for keeping my face and neck looking smooth, lifted, clear, and radiant. Gua sha face massage is where you use a curved, flat stone(s) and facial oil to give your face and neck a methodical massage that helps boost your skin’s health and gives you visible lifting and contour results. This anti-aging wellness practice really makes sense to me and fits well with my overall goals. I want to age gracefully but always look as lifted and smooth as possible without the use of injectables and I want to always keep my skin in it’s optimal state of health. Gua sha checks off all these boxes for me!

1-2 times a week, usually in the morning, I give myself a 20+ minute gua sha facial massage after cleansing my face. My focus when performing my facial massage is to bring oxygen flow to my face for the anti-aging benefits, promote healthier collagen and elastin, release muscle tension to help my face look more lifted, and reduce/keep away fine lines. I’ll link 2 really helpful gua sha blogs here for you.

My current gua sha massage routine

Gua sha for beginners - all you need to know

🔸 Exercise - Movement

Daily exercise or movement is a non-negotiable for me. Cardio-based activities help strengthen our hearts, keep our circulatory system moving, and reduce toxins in our systems. Strength training and/or weight lifting helps build muscle mass that helps protect our joints and bones as well as keep our tissues firm and lifted. Slow and steady walking or biking helps reduce stress levels, reduces the risk of illnesses, and also promotes oxygen and circulation. When movement or exercise is consistently incorporated into your life you’ll reap the benefits. greatly.

Find out what type of exercise or movement speaks to you the most and then commit to carving out 20-70 min of time a few days a week for those activities. For me, I enjoy a mix of cardio, weight training, and fun activities like biking, frisbee golf, and indoor climbing. There are days that my body needs rest and recovery, on those days I’ll make sure to take an extra long walk or do some yoga. I make time to exercise in the morning 5 days a week. Walking and yoga are saved for the 2 other days.

scrub me secret: If I wasn’t an esthetician I would have a profession in the fitness industry in some form or another. Being active is one of my most treasured hobbies. I’ve completed 3 triathlons, a half marathon, countess outdoor cycling events, and a 29k - 1 day hike. I’m always setting out to try and accomplish more.

🔸 Cold rinses - Cold plunges

I wrote my first blog post about hot/cold showers in 2019. At the time I wrote the blog post I was already obsessed with this ritual! I found that incorporating cold rinsing into the middle and end of my showers was super energizing, serotonin-boosting, and made my skin and hair feel great. The more I learned about cold plunges, cold rinses, and the power of cold therapies I knew that this was a wellness ritual that needed to be in my life. Frequent exposure to cold has been associated with various health advantages. For instance, researchers have discovered that being exposed to cold can enhance metabolism and reduce the body’s negative response to stress. Another positive aspect of subjecting your body to cold temperatures is that it diminishes muscle soreness and inflammation.

My favorite way to give my body the benefits of cold therapies is doing cold rinses for 40+ seconds at the end of each of my showers. I also like to do a full cold plunge whenever I indulge and visit a fancy bathhouse or spa that has one. If I had a yard or private outdoor space I would probably look into getting in some type of at-home cold plunge. Another way to get the health benefits of cold water is to do the hot/cold shower routine I detail in the blog post in this link.

🔸 Body exfoliation

I’m a gal with a business named “scrub me” so I’m sure it isn’t a surprise to anyone that body exfoliation is one of my favorite skincare practices. Exfoliating your body with a physical exfoliation method like a salt scrub, loofah, dry brush, scrub gloves, etc. buffs away dead skin cells, gets lymph moving, floods the body with blood flow, and stimulates skin cells. All these things result in firm skin, a healthy overall glow, less puffiness, less cellulite, and softer skin.

I have 2 favorite ways of exfoliating my body. One is using loofah gloves as a dry brushing method. This means I buff my skin while it’s dry and the gloves are dry using both circular and up & down motions. I find this way gets a deeper more effective exfoliation vs. using these types of gloves in the shower. My other favorite way of exfoliating is using a soap bar that contains ground coffee or some sort of small seed that can scrub me while I cleanse. This is a great option for when I’m tight on time but still want to firm and smooth my skin.

scrub me secret: my skin is super dry and can get dull and itchy really easily. I have a tendency to get marks and stretch marks more easily as well. Having this type of skin is what sparked my interest in making scrubs, exfoliating soaps, and other body skincare in my late teens and early 20s. scrub me skin care was born because of this ☺️

🔸 Scalp massage

This is the newest wellness ritual that I have adapted. As I enter my mid-thirties I’ve noticed a change in my hair texture and fullness. I wanted to find the best way to address this issue as well as prevent future hair thinning. Scalp massage is proven to boost circulation and blood flow to your scalp which then promotes better hair growth. Scalp massage also hits upon a lot of pressure points that reduce stress and tension. I find this ritual to be relaxing, comforting, and helpful for my hair health.

For my scalp massage, I use Bian stone specially made for scalp massage. I pick up this stone and massage my scalp when my hair is dry whenever it fits best into my day. Usually, it’s when I’m making coffee and feeding my dog in the morning. Sometimes I will sit and watch TV while I perform this massage for myself. I’ve also had a hair stylist use a scalp massage tool for me when she was washing my hair and it felt divine. I think either the scalp massager when you shampoo at home or using the scalp massage stone are great options.

My top 3 dietary wellness habits

These are simple things I keep in mind when nourishing my body.

1. Eat the rainbow

   Eating the rainbow means seeking out fruits, berries, veggies, and herbs that are colorful and incorporating them into your daily diet. This is something I keep in mind when meal prepping or choosing my meals. These foods contain different vitamins, nutrients, and antioxidants that keep our skin and bodies healthy. I also feel like when we are intentional about trying to fit in different colored fruits, veggies, berries, and herbs it kind of inadvertently reduces the amount of processed sugars, flours, and foods that we eat.

   scrub me secret: cooking at home is also something I really value. I think it contributes to my overall gut health, body health, and energy levels. Cooking at home means I know all the ingredients that go into my meals are fresh, lower in sodium, and chosen by me.

2. Limit caffeine intake

   I absolutely love coffee and tea but I also know that too much caffeine can lead to anxiety, tension headaches, dehydration, and shaky hands (which I cannot have as an esthetician). I like to have 1-2 caffeinated beverages per day that together equal less than 300mg of caffeine. Having less than 300mg of caffeine per day allows me to enjoy my coffee and tea but doesn’t dehydrate my body or cause muscle tension. Other than tea and coffee I mainly only drink water, so the less coffee I drink the more water I drink. Staying hydrated!

3. AM greens + water

   My morning routine is to wake up, brush mt teeth, let the dog out, and then head to the kitchen to drink a glass of water followed by 8-12oz of water with Athletic Greens powder in it. This morning ritual of water helps protect my kidneys, colon, and bladder from infection and kidney stones. The blend of superfoods, vitamins, enzymes, prebiotics, and probiotics in Athletic Greens helps my gut function optimally, helps me feel more energized all day, and makes my skin really youthful and luminous looking. Athletic Greens might not be for everyone but if you’ve been thinking about adding a daily greens powder to your diet I highly suggest this one.

   I think one of the scrub me secrets I listed above is the most important out of all of them, so I’m going to reiterate the info again here! Don’t feel overwhelmed by feeling like you have to try to fit every single one of these practices into your life all at once. Just like building a skincare routine, it’s best to start off simple and with the most important things. Then, build on your routine once you feel ready for more. If nothing else I think focusing on intentional sleep and exercise/movement is most beneficial. Once you’ve got those habits implemented then you can move on to other rituals that speak to you.

   Which of these rituals speaks the most to you?