You’ve heard the phrase “love your skin” or even “love the skin you’re in” numerous times.
But what does it mean?
With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, this is a good time to share what we here at CV Skinlabs think it means.
What Does It Mean to Love Your Skin?
At its foundation, loving your skin is about embracing a holistic approach to skincare. “Holistic” means taking everything into account, including physical, mental, and emotional factors, and sometimes social factors. We believe that it’s all interconnected. How you feel emotionally can show up on your skin, and vice versa— how your skin looks can affect you emotionally.
That’s why we talk about not just what you can do to physically take care of your skin (which includes skincare, diet, exercise, and stress-relief), but what you can do to mentally and emotionally take care of it too.
Loving your skin means more than just using the best products, though we think that’s highly important. Beyond that, it’s about how you treat your skin and, ultimately, yourself.
Here are some of the ways we think of loving your skin:
Being gentle
This is one of the main things we tout when talking about skincare. We know that more people today than ever before are suffering with sensitive skin. We have just been too harsh in the past. It’s time to be gentler with our skin and ourselves, treating both with care at all times.
Focusing on health, not perfection
Beauty can often feel intimidating and overwhelming as we set up impossible standards for ourselves and how we want to appear. We believe loving your skin is about prioritizing its health and well-being over perfection.
Listening to its needs
Just as we must listen to our bodies and respond when they’re crying out for help, we must do the same for our skin if we love it. That means changing our skincare routines when needed or providing extra hydration during the winter months.
Practicing consistency
Beyond all the skincare and beauty trends, the latest ingredients, and the most expensive formulas, what really matters in creating your best skin is consistency—regular, quality care you perform morning and night, no matter what. That’s what leads to long-term benefits.
Cultivating self-love
Beauty, ultimately, comes from the inside out. The more you care for yourself and see yourself in a positive light, the better your skin will look.
We aim to advocate for all these steps when encouraging you to love your skin. But let’s take it a step further and discuss the practical ways you can show your skin some love today.
7 Ways to Love Your Skin
1. Rethink How You Talk About Your Skin
Think about the words you use when talking to yourself about your skin. Do you criticize every blemish, dry patch, or wrinkle? Do you put yourself down because, in your eyes, your skin isn’t perfect?
It can help to shift your mindset to one of gratitude. Your skin works hard to protect you every day. Try celebrating its resilience. Instead of saying, “Ugh, my skin looks terrible,” try saying, “My skin is having a tough time today. What can I do to help?”
Love Your Skin #2. Pamper It With Care
Too often, we expect our skin to perform brilliantly without much assistance. Unfortunately, that’s not how it works. Without your care, your skin will suffer.
One of the simplest ways to show your skin some love is through a thoughtful skincare routine. Using products with clean, nourishing ingredients can make all the difference.
We recommend:
- Rescue + Relief Spray: This spray is perfect for calming irritated or inflamed skin, especially if it’s dry, stressed, or red.
- Calming Moisture: Hydrate and soothe with this deeply nourishing cream that helps tame inflammation and make sensitive skin more comfortable. It will help restore skin’s natural radiance and glow.
- Body Repair Lotion: The skin on your body is just as important as the skin on your face and requires just as much TLC. Use our Body Repair Lotion to support healing and all-over care.
Pampering your skin also means giving it a break now and then. Go makeup-free on the weekends to let it breathe, or treat yourself to a nice hydrating mask.
3. Be Kind When It Messes Up
Breakouts, redness, or sensitivity can feel frustrating. You may get angry with your skin or put yourself down. Try instead thinking of these symptoms as messages from your skin. Is it reacting to stress? Does it not agree with a new product you tried? Is it struggling with hormonal changes? Slow down and ask it—once you have the answer, choose gentle solutions to help it heal.
Love Your Skin #4. Protect It
Loving your skin means shielding it from harm. Wear protective clothing when you go outside for a long time, and always wear sunscreen, even on cloudy days, to prevent UV damage. If your skin is particularly sensitive or struggling at the moment, try our Restorative Skin Balm. It acts as a barrier for areas prone to irritation.
5. Practice Self-Care Beyond Skincare
How you treat your body and mind overall affects how your skin looks and feels, so it’s important to take that holistic approach to self-care.
- Stay hydrated: Drinking enough water every day keeps your skin plump and glowing. It also helps support healthy kidneys, boosts energy, and keeps you focused and alert.
- Eat nutrient-rich foods: Make healthy choices most of the time when it comes to what you eat. Choose fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains that will support your overall health and your skin health.
- Get enough sleep: Sleep deprivation shows up quickly on your skin in the form of wrinkles, sagging, and dullness. Aim for 7-9 hours of quality rest per night.
- Exercise regularly: Movement increases blood flow to the skin, flushes out toxins, and helps give you that natural, healthy glow. It also keeps your body in better shape overall, which benefits the skin.
Self-care doesn’t stop at using the right skincare products—it’s about loving your whole self.
Love Your Skin #6. Focus on Body Positivity
You can’t love your skin if you hate your body. This can be particularly challenging if you struggle with body image, but small steps can help. When you look in the mirror, practice pointing out something you love. Maybe your eyes look bright today, your neck has a graceful curve, or your cheeks are smooth and soft. Embrace what makes you unique and resist the pressure to try to live up to some unattainable standard.
7. Prioritize Emotional and Mental Health
Science has shown us that emotional health is directly tied to skin health. Stress and anxiety wreak havoc on the skin, leading to breakouts, redness, dryness, and dullness. Loving your skin means doing something every day to manage your stress levels, protecting it from the inside out.
Try mindfulness practices like yoga, meditation, journaling, deep breathing, or simply taking time to do something you enjoy. If you’re feeling down about your appearance, remind yourself that we all have our ups and downs when it comes to our skin. Besides, your worth is so much more than skin deep!
This Valentine’s Day, Start Loving Your Skin!
Valentine’s Day is a good reminder to give love not just to others, but to yourself. At CV Skinlabs, we want to help you do that. But beyond products, we hope you’ll embrace what it means to love your skin—supporting its needs, being grateful for what it does, and celebrating its unique beauty.
Give it a try. You may be surprised at how your skin responds. It does listen to you!
How do you love your skin?
Featured image by wayhomestudio on Freepik.