Sick Day Beauty Routine

You know those days when you feel so icky that you just can’t get out of bed?  You call out of work and spend the whole day laying around in misery, eating soup and praying for mercy. The last thing you want to do is stand in your bathroom and go through the motions of your usual beauty routine. You need to get in, get out, and get back to bed.

My sick day beauty routine is easy, quick, and effective. It doesn’t take long and will actually help you feel better.

1. Take a hot shower. The steam and warmth from the shower will help loosen any mucus stuck in your throat or nose. Just make sure you don’t take too long of a shower, as having the hot water on your skin for too long can dry out your skin. If you have a high fever or are sweating, feel free to stand under cool water for a few minutes, but you don’t want to get a chill.
2. Keep cleansing towelettes handy. When you don’t want to take the time to wash your face, these babies work just as well. You can even use them while your in bed. My personal preference is by Yes To Cucumbers facial wipes. They are soothing and are super gentle on your skin. If you have the energy, you can definitely scrub a little bit to get some exfoliation going on your face.
3. Use an extremely gentle moisturizer around your nose. Chances are that you’ve been blowing your nose like crazy if you have a killer cold, and heavy duty moisturizers are going to sting and irritate. Also, if you’re keep using tissues around your nose, you might break out in that area. The gentler and more hypoallergenic your moisturizer is, the better it will be on your skin. My personal favorite moisturizer on sick days is by L’Occitane. Their Shea Extra Gentle Moisturizer is great. I’m mildly allergic to Shea, but this has only 8% Shea in it which I don’t have a reaction to. Just be careful, because if you have a nut allergy, you most likely have an allergy to Shea. Anything over 15% Shea makes me break out viciously. Other gentle moisturizers include Aveeno and or Josie Maran Argan Oil.
4. Drink water! Vitamin C is so important, so if you can get your fluids in by drinking orange juice, that’s even better. I know people tell you this all the time when you feel sick, but it’s so important. Sometimes, the last thing you want to do when feeling icky is drink or eat, but it really is the key to getting better faster. Also, drinking tea or hot water with lemon is not only great for making you feel better, but is also great for your skin.
5. Replace your toothbrush when you’re feeling better! So many times I’ve forgotten to do this and I get sick all over again. Your toothbrush can hold on to germs you had when you were sick, so keep it away from family member’s or your room mate’s toothbrushes if you share a bathroom. This isn’t exactly a beauty tip, but a hygienic tip!
6. Try out a sheet mask. Most people haven’t tried or even heard of a sheet mask, but it’s my new favorite thing! Your skin is most likely going to dry out due to you blowing your nose. Colds seem to suck all of the moisture out of our skin. My favorite is by myfaceworks (yes, all one word). They have a great Aloe Vera sheet mask that is super soothing. This restores moisture and will help you relax. The best thing is that you don’t need to remove this mask with water and make a mess. Once you’re done just remove and throw away. This is another thing you can do while laying in bed. It’s easy and relaxing.

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I hope these tips help you out. I know it can be hard to take care of yourself when you’re feeling under the weather, but it’s important to keep up with a modified beauty routine so all your hard work from when you were feeling good doesn’t get thrown out the window. Follow these easy tips and your skin will be glowing throughout your sick days. Nobody will know you were ever feeling lousy!

Good luck and feel better!

~Sara