DIY Self-Care

Jhanvi Patel

February 28, 2020

When your brain is bursting with to-do lists and your heart is heavy without the time and resources to do all the things you love… In the hustle from 8 AM to 10 PM, when you are completely exhausted and ready to collapse on your couch… Self-care! Self-care is a critical item to add to your checklist and make a priority. It’s the one thing — amid all the mayhem that is Berkeley academic and extracurricular life — that allows you to take a deep breath and find your calm center. The pressure and stress contagions at Cal need not (and should not) characterize your every waking moment. Here are some top tips for self-care you can do yourself!

Bubbles Galore:

There is no problem that cannot be solved by a long bubble bath. Sitting in the soapy, warm water allows you to relax your tense muscles and quiet your racing thoughts. The soothing feeling of being clean and the wrinkled to your heart’s content is basically guaranteed to make you happy and content. Well, what if I told you can make bath salts from the ingredients in your house?! All you’ll need is sea salt, food coloring, and essential oils in the proportion of your choice mixed with soap. Homemade bath salt is the perfect way to pamper yourself! The best part of it is the one-step colorful soap nirvana you’ve created with just a couple of minutes of preparation!

Tone It Up:

I frequently have to sacrifice my clear skin due to sensitivity. I struggled for years with hormonal acne and blackheads. My skin just could not tolerate commercial face products! The “soothing” and “calming” ingredients in lots of pretty-colored, sweet-smelling masks were a recipe for breakouts for me. After a few appointments with Dr. Google Search and consultations with dermatologists, we determined that powerful natural alternatives were a better concoction for nourishing and protecting my skin. If you also have sensitive skin like me, you need to know this: a DIY non-toxic and all-natural toner. To make the toner combine five spoonfuls of rose water, eight drops of lavender essential oil (promotes healing and keeps you calm), four drops of tea-tree essential oil (works wonders on blemish-prone skin), half an ounce of witch hazel (to reduce inflammation), and distilled water to fill the bottle. Mix and shake before use, following up with moisturizer.

Everyone can use a little pampering sometimes!

Love,

Jhanvi