Celebrating 10 Years with 10 Suggestions for Self-Care

Birthdays at my age are times when I definitely reflect more on age and aging. I personally endeavor to try to stay as healthy as I can holistically for as long as I can, and that for me includes caring for my skin, among other self- care rituals.

As Retrouvé also celebrates a birthday, our 10th year!, I wanted to share ten things that I try to do for my overall wellbeing. These are just things that I incorporate into my life and are not intended as medical advice, but perhaps you may find some of them to be helpful or of interest too. 

I wish everyone many many happy birthdays to come!

1. Adequate Sleep

Getting enough sleep is important for skin health as well as overall health and wellbeing. I am more of a night owl by natural rhythm and often don’t seem to be able to sleep for very long at a time, so I make a concerted effort to get adequate hours of sleep by going to bed earlier than I would otherwise probably do. 

2. Nutrition

When I eat healthfully, I feel better physically and mentally, so I endeavor to eat a balanced diet, including adequate protein for my age and activity level. I also try to incorporate some fiber- rich foods every day, and I add chia and/ or flax seeds to soups or yogurt. I especially love eating avocados and attempt to find healthier substitutes to make when I am craving sweets, such as incorporating fruits, Greek yogurt with fruit and oatmeal, or eggs with natural fruit preserves. I also like to eat fresh fruit and vegetables whenever I can, including from among those we grow on our permaculture farm, and I limit processed foods and refined carbohydrates like white flour. 

I find that planning meals in advance and making sure that I have enough ready- made “healthful“ foods on hand for snacking or easy meal prep makes it easier for me to stick with a balanced program.

3. Sunscreen and Sun Protective Clothing

To protect my skin from sun damage, I always wear sunscreen during daylight hours. I prefer to use a physical block mineral sunscreen. I also wear additional sun protective items when out in the sun, such as a Solumbra wide-brimmed hat, large treated sunglasses to protect the eyes as well as the delicate skin in the eye area, sun- shielding gloves, and sun protection clothing such as Coolibar for sport and Claudent for going out; and lip protection.

4. Vitamins and Supplements

I check with my doctor in case there are recommended vitamins or supplements that I may be deficient in or should be taking based on my current bloodwork, and I follow the advice of my medical practitioner on these. 

5. Spending Time Outdoors

Spending time in nature or at least outdoors when possible has been proven to help elevate mood. I do a lot of things indoors for work especially, and so I make an effort to plan time to try to get out in nature for a walk or a hike when I can. I will sometimes try to take phone calls outdoors too when possible. 

I especially love to walk on the beach and in the mountains. I remain covered in any tick- prone area and always have socks and pants on when I hike in unpaved areas and, of course, I try to stay as sun protected as possible.

6. Hair Care

My hair is dry, so I try to give it a deep conditioning treatment when I can by leaving a rich moisturizing hair mask on for a few hours before rinsing to soften and smooth it, as it looks and styles better when it is adequately hydrated.

7. Exercise

I always feel so much better in every way after exercising, and I like to exercise or move when possible. I am busy with work and my kids but always try to fit some movement into my day - even if just taking the stairs instead of the elevator. I love being in New York, where I try to walk most places; but where I live in Los Angeles, that is not really possible, so I like to listen to music or recordings on the treadmill if I can’t get outdoors, and I also really enjoy doing Pilates. I know that strength training is especially important to do at my age; and, although it is not my favorite workout, I am trying to incorporate it more regularly. 

8. Quality Time

Finding things that I enjoy to do or am passionate about outside of work brings me comfort and joy. It can be a sport, a hobby, community service - whatever makes you feel more positive, engaged with and passionate about life. 

One of the things that I love to do is to spend time with my children and my family, as that brings me joy. Getting to work in Retrouvé with my daughter Hannah is wonderful, because we are always in touch. I also try to schedule family time when we can all do something together. It is harder to schedule though now that my children are adults with their own lives and careers but always well worth the effort to create lasting memories when we can. 

As part of my self-care, I also try to unwind after work with reading, watching something that I enjoy or taking a warm bath. At very least, I will carve out time for my skincare before bed. Thankfully, with our products being so streamlined and multipurpose, this routine does not take me that long to do, so at least I feel good knowing that I can accomplish that most nights before bed.

9. Moisture, Moisture, Moisture!

I always moisturize after bathing, handwashing or washing my face. I slather on our face and body oil to seal in the surface layer of moisture. I also use our Dermal Defense Hand Cream whenever my hands feel dry, and I massage our Baume Ultime Body Oil onto hands and cuticles before bed. 

10. Learning Something New

As we age, it is helpful to challenge the brain and the body by learning something new. I have always adored watching ballet dancers move and been so inspired by them, so my daughter Hannah and I recently began taking ballet classes together. It is amazingly challenging and requires so much focus for a beginner like me - even small movements that may look easy are intense and complex when executed properly, and I always finish feeling that I have had a wonderful workout for my mind and body.