If an eye roll is your immediate reaction to your daily “take a time out!” phone reminder, try lighting a candle. Yes, really, because the first step in creating a self-care moment is setting the mood. It’s all about creating space for yourself, so sit, breathe, and think—and that’s it.
Dr. Robinson was so into the soothing vibes of her Keys Soulcare Sage + Oat Milk Candle she now keeps it as a relaxing reminder in her office. “I think far too often we are rushing through many parts of our day, and there's something about taking the time to light a candle that forces you to slow down and relax,” she says. Our 2021 mantra: Slow. Down.
We’re Calling It:
2021 Is the Year of Experiential Skin Care
Whether it’s from staring at our own faces all day (thanks, Zoom) or collectively leaning harder into self care over the past year, skin care has taken a sharp turn away from robot-like, overly complicated routines and toward a sensory-based, ritualized experience.
And even derms have taken notice. “Focusing on the end result of your skin care is important, however it is not everything,” says Caroline Robinson, MD, board-certified dermatologist and founder of Tone Dermatology. “The experience is important as well.” (The MD has spoken.)
So how do you create your own slow and intentional skin-care moment? To show how it’s done, Dr. Robinson dove into Keys Soulcare, a ritualized self-care regimen created by Alicia Keys (available exclusively at Ulta Beauty) that moves the emphasis from quick fixes to self-soothing practices that make you feel at ease. How? With dermatologist-developed formulas rich in natural ingredients (hello avocado oil and manuka honey) that are meant to be savored, not just swiped. Prepare for moisturizing your face to never feel like a chore again.
Inhale, Exhale, + Set Intentions
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Well+Good editors
Once your mood and intentions are set, it’s time to dive in. After you give your complexion a good cleanse (tapping the Golden Cleanser), lather on the Skin Transformation Cream. “I am a huge fan of facial creams, especially in my night time routine, and this one was both lovely in ingredient profile and feel,” says Dr. Robinson. With bakuchiol (a non-irritating, plant-based retinol alt), ceramides, and hyaluronic acid, it’s extra hydrating, she says.
Instead of just rubbing in the cream with her hands, though, Dr. Robinson used the Obsidian Roller to gently massage the moisturizer into her skin, creating a mini spa break. “The roller glides nicely across the skin with use of the cream, and makes me feel more refreshed afterwards,” she says. Calm skin? Check. Calmer feelings? Double check.
Roll On and Feel Calm
Immerse Yourself In the Details
When your mind’s busy worrying about the end goal, you tend to rush through the smaller steps that can actually add up. Give everything—from your every-hour-on-the-hour lip balm refresh to your #SelfCareSunday face mask selfie—a little more attention.
Now, Dr. Robinson keeps her Comfort Balm nearby for impromptu hydration touch-ups (with avocado and camellia seed oil, it’s rich in fatty acids particularly nourishing for lips and cuticles). The Harmony Mask—made with manuka honey and turmeric, known for their hydrating and anti-inflammatory properties, says Dr. Robinson—is the ultimate everyday self-care move. And with a few new tools in your arsenal (and a shifted outlook, too), you’ve just taken skin care from chore to total moment.
Skin Transformation Cream
$30
Shop Now
Shop Now
Shop the Collection
Skin Transformation Cream
$30
Shop Now
Shop Now
Shop the Collection
If an eye roll is your immediate reaction to your daily “take a time out!” phone reminder, try lighting a candle. Yes, really, because the first step in creating a self-care moment is setting the mood. It’s all about creating space for yourself, so sit, breathe, and think—and that’s it.
Inhale, Exhale,
+ Set Intentions
Whether it’s from staring at our own faces all day (thanks, Zoom) or collectively leaning harder into self care over the past year, skin care has taken a sharp turn away from robot-like, overly complicated routines and toward a sensory-based, ritualized experience.
And even derms have taken notice. “Focusing on the end result of your skin care is important, however it is not everything,” says Caroline Robinson, MD, board-certified dermatologist and founder of
Tone Dermatology. “The experience is important as well.” (The MD has spoken.)
So how do you create your own slow and intentional skin-care moment? To show how it’s done, Dr. Robinson dove into
Keys Soulcare, a ritualized self-care regimen created by Alicia Keys (available exclusively at Ulta Beauty) that moves the emphasis from quick fixes to self-soothing practices that make you feel at ease. How? With dermatologist-developed formulas rich in natural ingredients (hello avocado oil and manuka honey) that are meant to be savored, not just swiped. Prepare for moisturizing your face to never feel like a chore again.
Well+Good editors
The Anatomy of a Supplement
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I think far too often we are rushing through many parts of our day, and there's something about taking the time to light a candle that forces you to slow down and relax.
The roller glides nicely across the skin with use of the cream, and makes me feel more refreshed afterwards.
Obsidian Face Roller
$25
Shop Now
Shop Now
Sage + Oat Scented Milk Candle
$38
Shop Now
Shop Now
Golden Cleanser
$20
Shop Now
Shop Now
Be Luminous Exfoliator
$22
Shop Now
Shop Now
Comforting Balm
$12
Shop Now
Shop Now
Reviving Aura Mist
$22
Shop Now
Shop Now
Harmony Mask
$28
Shop Now
Shop Now
Dr. Robinson was so into the soothing vibes of her Keys Soulcare Sage + Oat Milk Candle she now keeps it as a relaxing reminder in her office. “I think far too often we are rushing through many parts of our day, and there's something about taking the time to light a candle that forces you to slow down and relax,” she says. Our 2021 mantra: Slow. Down.
Once your mood and intentions are set, it’s time to dive in. After you give your complexion a good cleanse (tapping the Golden Cleanser), lather on the Skin Transformation Cream. “I am a huge fan of facial creams, especially in my night time routine, and this one was both lovely in ingredient profile and feel,” says Dr. Robinson. With bakuchiol (a non-irritating, plant-based retinol alt), ceramides, and hyaluronic acid, it’s extra hydrating, she says.
The roller glides nicely across the skin with use of the cream, and makes me feel more refreshed afterwards.
Instead of just rubbing in the cream with her hands, though, Dr. Robinson used the Obsidian Roller to gently massage the moisturizer into her skin, creating a mini spa break. “The roller glides nicely across the skin with use of the cream, and makes me feel more refreshed afterwards,” she says. Calm skin? Check. Calmer feelings?
Double check.
Roll On and
Feel Calm
When your mind’s busy worrying about the end goal, you tend to rush through the smaller steps that can actually add up. Give everything—from your every-hour-on-the-hour lip balm refresh to your #SelfCareSunday face mask selfie—a little more attention.
Now, Dr. Robinson keeps her Comfort Balm nearby for impromptu hydration touch-ups (with avocado and camellia seed oil, it’s rich in fatty acids particularly nourishing for lips and cuticles). The Harmony Mask—made with manuka honey and turmeric, known for their hydrating and anti-inflammatory properties, says Dr. Robinson—is the ultimate everyday self-care move. And with a few new tools in your arsenal (and a shifted outlook, too), you’ve just taken skin care from chore to total moment.
Immerse Yourself In the Details
Obsidian Face Roller
$25
Shop Now
Shop Now
Sage + Oat Scented Milk Candle
$38
Shop Now
Shop Now
Golden Cleanser
$20
Shop Now
Shop Now
Be Luminous Exfoliator
$22
Shop Now
Shop Now
Comforting Balm
$12
Shop Now
Shop Now
Reviving Aura Mist
$22
Shop Now
Shop Now
Harmony Mask
$28
Shop Now
Shop Now