You’re a new mum and we bet you don’t even have the time or energy to eat a proper meal, let alone worry about beauty regimens.
But in the long-run, your skin, hair and body will thank you if you avoid the following, really common beauty mistakes many new mothers make.
1. Not drinking enough water
With the million things you need to do just to get by your morning, it can be really easy to forget to drink enough water through the day. Don’t do this.
You need water to stay hydrated and produce enough breastmilk for your little one. Your skin and hair will benefit from drinking plenty of water too, even if you can only afford the time for basic hair/skin care.
Remember: if you are going to be sitting in one place for a long time nursing your little one, keep a bottle of water within easy reach of you. If you tend to forget to do this, ask your partner to do it for you.
2. Forgetting to wear sunscreen
The hot, tropical sun can cause immense damage to your skin. But as a busy mum, it’s all to easy to forget to protect your skin when you go out. The same way you protect your baby’s delicate skin from the elements, protect yours too.
Invest in a good sunscreen – at least SPF50+ – and use it on exposed areas of your skin before you head out. Don’t forget your hands and arms which tend to get burned if you are driving.
Tip: Keep sunscreen in your car and/or your handbag/ baby bag. Even better – pop in a wide-brimmed hat too!
Baby-wearing ballet is a great (and fun!) form of exercise!
3. Not exercising
No, we’re not suggesting you hit the gym with tiny bub in tow. But do try to work in some gentle exercise into your daily routine, even if it involves walking around the block wearing baby or pushing him in a stroller.
This will help you gently lose those extra baby kilos, boost your metabolism and also create a lovely bonding opportunity with your little one.
Remember: If you are taking baby in a stroller, remember not to cover the stroller with a blanket in order to protect him from the sun. By doing this, you’re actually putting your little one at risk. Read this article for more.
4. Forgetting to cleanse your face before going to bed
It just too easy to forget to do this simple beauty routine – you’re breastfeeding in bed and before you know it, you’re fast asleep… with traces of makeup, sweat and pollution still on your face.
Over time, neglecting to wash your face before sleeping could result in nasty acne breakouts and other skin conditions. To prevent this, practice a nightly face cleaning ritual, even if you only have the time to wipe off the traces of the day with some wipes.
Don’t forget to: slap on some moisturizer after cleansing. Your skin will thank you for this!
5. Ignoring your feet
Mums are on their feet for most of the day sometimes. Yet, we often tend to neglect caring for our feet, despite using them so frequently. Not caring for your feet could result in cracked heels, dryness, corns and other foot conditions. Not pretty!
Remember: Give your feet a quick yet thorough scrub when you are in the shower. Don’t forget to apply some moisturizer afterwards to keep your feet in tip-top condition.
Mums, we understand that your baby is your world and everything else is secondary. But do learn to care for yourself too – it’s all too easy to forget the ‘you’ and let mothering take over everything! Love yourselves a little, won’t you?
We hope you’ve found this article useful. Share your own ‘mum beauty’ tips with us in a comment below.