Instead of speeding through your skincare routine, slowing down and enjoying every step of it can help you manage stress and anxiety better.
Instead of speeding through your skincare routine, slowing down and enjoying every step of it can help you manage stress and anxiety better.
According to a paper published in psychological science journal Frontiers in Psychology, the simple act of counting your breaths to consciously lengthen them can improve your memory and attention span.
And you don’t have to sit still for an hour – just four days of brief mindfulness training can make an impact, says another study, published in Consciousness and Cognition, a natural-science journal.
Aside from breathing exercises, you can practise mindfulness in everything you do – even in your skincare routine. Take time to be aware of the scents of the products you use and really feel their textures.
It helps if you use items with luxurious textures and soothing scents – like those from the improved Shiseido Future Solution LX line. This anti-ageing skincare range is created to engage your senses. The products are ideally warmed up between your palms before you massage them into your skin, and none are either so lightweight that they disappear once applied, or so rich that they feel greasy. The floral scent, from cherry blossoms, plum blossoms and Japanese roses, is subtle, soothing and unique.
And the packaging – with its contours and satisfying weight – makes the items feel like smooth pebbles or massage stones in your hands.
1. The Extra Rich Cleansing Foam E ($85) creates such a dense lather, it almost feels like you’re rubbing a silky pillow against your face.
2. Spread the silky Intensive Firming Contour Serum ($370) over both palms, cup them over your nose, and inhale the scent deeply before massaging the serum over your face and neck.
3. Total Protective Cream E ($350) is a light daytime moisturiser that plumps up skin to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, and boosts resistance against UV rays, pollutants and free radicals. It’s suitable for dry-combination skin, but if you find the texture too rich, try the Total Protective Emulsion E ($350), a lighter version for oily skin.
4. The night cream, Total Regenerating Cream E ($390) is said to help repair cellular damage and promote the production of healthy new cells to boost firmness and radiance, and make skin more resilient to environmental aggressors that age it prematurely.
5. Concentrated Balancing Softener E ($150) has a serum-like texture. Put some onto a folded cotton pad and spread it out evenly on the pad before applying it to your face. It hydrates and evens out skin tone, and also helps remove dead skin cells.
6. Eye & Lip Contour Regenerating Cream E ($192) is a dense cream for the contours around your eyes and mouth to reduce the look of fine lines and dull skin.
