Skincare Rituals we learn from our mothers

From Mum to a New Mum

From applying oils to barrier creams since birth, these trinkets of advice from our Mums, Grandmothers go a long way until one day, it’s us providing this inherited advice. 

As I was growing up, I remember my Mother and Aunties being so careful with their skin and putting in the same effort or more with my cousins and I. We would bathe with plant-based shower gel and have sweet almond oil floating in the bathtub so it would be nice and warm on the skin when applied after the bath. This was an everyday ritual along with face cream since we had our first bath.

Today we repeat the ritual to our babies, my cousins and I.

I’ve recently became a mother of a little girl, as per my own Mum, I’ve been applying consistently, after every bath, warm sweet almond oil to my baby girl and I also use this moment to bond.

The very essential products that I’ve carried in my heart since my own experience come handy in my recent motherhood experience. In fairness there was a lot of advice that I was given in later life such as “do not ever sleep with our makeup on” (which I follow all the time) but I will highlight the main ones:

Hydrate

Hydrate every day during and after bath, favouring plant-based products

Protect

Wearing SPF every day including winter times, UVA and UVBs are more aggressive than ever.

Provide barrier against external factors

Initially in life our own body fluids then when our mums applied nappy creams and when we were teething applying petroleum jelly to peri oral area to protect our skin. Provide barrier to lips and other susceptible areas.

Our skin is the largest organ in the body and has many pivotal functions. These little actions in our everyday lives influence us in the future, so its important to not only look after ourselves but also our loved ones.

Teresa Rocha – Aesthetic Nurse Practitioner