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Article: How rituals can enhance your personal care routine

How rituals can enhance your personal care routine
ayurveda

How rituals can enhance your personal care routine

 This word is on every lips in 2022: ritual.

Perhaps you are wondering what a ritual is when it comes to self-care? How does it differ from a routine, which consists of applying different products in a certain order on a regular basis?


We discovered this concept a few years ago in our quest to take care of ourselves differently.

Overwhelmed by beauty products, some of which we didn't even know what they were good for, we wanted to go back to basics, looking for healthy, high quality and effective products.


During our multiple tests, we realized that beyond the properties of the different products, it was mostly a state of mind and our "mental presence" during our morning or evening routine. That rather than covering ourselves with a multitude of "miraculous" products, taking the time, making conscious gestures during our care was very important.

incense burning



This is where the famous ritual comes in.


The word ritual has a sacred connotation and can imply a connection with something "magical" greater than oneself, which one practices with an intention.

Ritual requires being present when practicing it because of its intensity, unlike routine, which is usually performed automatically.

Routines can be performed mechanically, unconsciously, whereas rituals allow us to tap into our full awareness by placing intentions on our actions.

Intention and awareness are often absent from the routines we already practice on a daily basis (concerning well-being, beauty and many other spheres of our lives).


It is scientifically proven that the practice of rituals affects us from a neurological point of view: it modifies our thoughts, emotions and behavior, during its realization and even after.
Sometimes, just the belief that we are doing something special can allow our body to tap into its resources and respond accordingly. Integrating rituals into our daily lives, especially when it comes to self-care, develops neural circuits that improve our execution and attention, as well as improving the chances of getting the desired results.

Integrating self-care rituals into our daily lives allows us to have a more holistic, "slow" approach where natural beauty is highlighted, where we stop constantly trying to modify our appearance to meet beauty standards and where we learn to accept and love ourselves.


The practice of rituals allows us to anchor ourselves, to focus all our attention on one moment. It also allows us to relax and prepare our body to receive the treatment we are doing and to get all the benefits.


There are many ways to practice a beauty and well-being ritual (because the two are intimately linked). There is no ONE way to practice a ritual and that's the beauty of it!



The important thing is to remain conscious when applying the different products. You can simply observe the sensation of your actions, the relaxing effect of massaging the scalp when shampooing or applying oil, the softness of the hair on the lengths when applying a serum, etc.

It's up to you to add to your ritual according to your time and your desire. For example, you can light candles before you start, listen to relaxing music, take deep breaths, etc. Go with the flow!

The goal is not to spend an hour applying your products, a ritual can last 3 minutes and still be beneficial. Like many things in life, quality over quantity!



To summarize, a ritual is different from a routine because of the consciousness and intention that we put into it. Everyone can adopt them easily and rituals are not limited to beauty.


The benefits are multiple:

  • we can observe a modification of the nervous responses of the body and allow it to better receive the benefits of the ingredients of our product.
  • they allow us to take time for ourselves, sometimes a luxury in our hurried lives.


What do you think of the concept of routine vs. ritual?

Do you have a ritual of your own?



Tell us in the comments what beauty practice makes you feel good!

 

The Psychology of Rituals: An Integrative Review and Process-Based Framework, 

Nicholas M. Hobson, Juliana Schroeder, Jane L. Risen, Dimitris Xygalatas, and Michael Inzlicht

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