Self-Care Is Not Selfish

The most important aspect of self-care is that it should be guilt-free. We often don’t make time for self-care because of the many other priorities that are weighing on us, or perhaps we have other people or tasks to take care of first. But, if the demands on your time and your life aren’t letting you put forward your best self, it’s time to work self-care into your list of priorities. And there’s no better time to start like the start of the year. After all, your entire lifestyle is tied to your health. Many of us don’t understand the true importance of self-care, and the impact it can have on our hormones. Our hormone levels are constantly changing, and as we age they start to take on bigger changes which can alter our moods and our bodies. With hormones, stress can be particularly triggering, and between stress and busy routines, it can be hard to find time to take care of yourself. It takes time to figure out self-care, but it's important to understand that it should be part of a routine for living a balanced lifestyle - especially when navigating through hormonal changes.

Meditation

Stressful situations can be major in triggering stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. And while these stress hormones can help if you’re truly in the face of danger, sometimes they suppress some of your other bodily functions, like immunity, digestion or even your kidneys flushing out toxins. Meditation is one of the key self-care methods to dealing with stress. Using simple meditation techniques like deep breathing in a quiet place for 5-20 minutes, can help rewire your responsive stress system and get your hormones back in balance. Deep breathing isn’t the only form of meditation. But, a short regular ritual focusing on relaxation is calming medicine for your hormonal system, and can work to yield less stress during an already stressful time of hormonal changes.

Aromatherapy

Many women have great success with using essential oils for hormone balance and to alleviate cramping, PMS and other symptoms. In many cases, using essential oils safely can help alleviate the struggles of PMS and even helping hormones balance over time. In researching essential oils for women’s hormone issues, there were several essential oils that were often recommended, especially sage, lavender, geranium, fennel, chamomile, grapefruit, rose, ylang ylang, cypress, and rosemary. We recommend using our Vitality Nourishing Facial Oil, a couture blend of many of these essential oils, which not only offers aromatherapy benefits, but also deeply hydrates the skin and protects against free radicals.

Diet

We all can recognize that maintaining a healthy diet is essential in leading a healthy lifestyle, but we don’t always consider it self-care. For your body to function at its best, it needs the proper nutrients to trigger your hormones to keep you feeling energetic, at ease, and all things in between. You can improve your metabolism by eating the right vegetables like broccoli, as well as incorporating essential fats into your diet that your body doesn’t produce on its own. Essential fats (omega-3’s) improves your circulation and will lead to an overall improved mood. Self-care in your diet may mean making sure to get enough iron and zinc, as well as fruits and veggies to keep your blood sugar stable and maintain fiber levels. The key is to find recipes that you can prepare for yourself that will still be supportive of your body’s needs, while being equally satisfying.

Exercise    

The best way to practice self-care during exercise is be conscious and listen to your body. Combining fitness with mindfulness by including a dynamic warm-up before any workout and a good stretch after. Also have your water bottle handy at all times to stay hydrated. Be mindful of your workout gear, when you feel good in your clothing you will workout harder. From light exercises like walking or yoga, to pilates or strength training - a slow burn will still get your blood pumping and help to balance your hormones.

Skincare    

An imbalance has an almost immediate effect on the skin, it’s one of the first signs we get telling us that something is off. These imbalances can affect the skin in various ways but primarily by causing inflammation and lowered immunity, which makes it hard to fight off environmental triggers. We’ve created the Sonage Fertility Facial to help women understand their cycles and find harmony within their hormones. If going in for a facial won’t fit into your agenda, you can work an at-home facial into your self-care routine, specifically tailored to encourage your skin’s natural ability to heal and detoxify. This at-home routine uses an anti-inflammatory approach for women going through any hormonal shifts. Starting with Soothing Cleansing Creme to cleanse the skin and help control breakouts, the skin will be gently healed with the cleanser’s antibacterial properties. After cleansing, follow with an alcohol free toner to aid the absorption ability of the skin. We recommend Facial Rinse, it uses over 15 botanicals to soothe breakouts and remove excess oil. No facial is complete without a mask - and to help the skin work its best during times of hormonal imbalance, we recommend Pom Crush Detox Enzyme Mask, using six fruit enzymes to exfoliate, reduce inflammation and boost immunity. Finishing off with a serum and a moisturizer to truly treat the skin, our High Impact Vitamin C Serum will boost cell turnover and brighten skin that may have become dull. Wrap it all up with Botanica Souffle Creme, a moisturizer that uses a wealth of botanicals to balance the skin.

Please consult with your healthcare practitioner if you have specific or acute health concerns.

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