Camas, WA
Self-care.
The act (and art) of taking care of one’s self.
It seems pretty straight-forward, right?
Well, not necessarily.
In order to take care of yourself, you have to know yourself. And knowing yourself requires work, patience and vulnerability. This is probably why most of us aren’t *that* great at it. We’re all incredibly busy, and slowing down to check in with ourselves can seem downright impossible sometimes.
At Skin by Lovely, we hope to change this. We are all about promoting self-confidence and self-love— owning who you are and who you want to be. That is why we are such huge advocates of self-care. Self-care enables us to feel rested and secure in ourselves, which fuels us to be brave and take risks.
Because we’re all so unique and nuanced, practicing self-care can look vastly different from person to person. For some, self-care means turning down plans while for others it can mean hosting a get-together. Not only that, self-care can be different for the same person on different days, months, or even hours of the day.
Self-care is mostly about listening. Listening to what you need at the moment and responding.
By doing this, you cultivate an appreciation and respect for who you are and enable growth in the process. This growth cultivates confidence and love like no other.
When discussing self-care, it would be a shame not to mention our namesake herself, Lovely Laban. Lovely is one of the most insightful and balanced people you will ever meet, so we were curious— what is her daily self-care routine? How does she find time for herself while running a multi-state business and raising two kids? And not just how does she find the time, but what does self-care look like for her?
Keep scrolling to find out what a day in the life of self-care looks like for Skin by Lovely Co-Owner and Clinical Director, Lovely Laban MSN GNP-C.
When I need a little alone time and my schedule looks daunting I set an intention the night before to wake up between 5:30-6 am. Usually, no one is awake and I will have a quiet 20 minutes to drink my coffee, do a little exercise or just be.
By 6:30 my kids are usually awake and I’ll feed them breakfast and make sure they fulfill the many morning tasks that take place before school. We have an amazing nanny who comes at 7 am so by 7:15-7:30 I can give my kisses and hugs and head upstairs to get ready for the day.
I take time to rub my serums and potions in an upward motion on my face. Paying extra attention to my eyes. It’s fall now so I usually change up my routine a bit and add some active products like retinol and always SPF!
2. Is there anything you do throughout the day to practice self-care?I really try to have a day a week where I can NOT have plans… which works out about 30% of the time.
When I am in the office, I always have a piece of dark chocolate after lunch. Indulging in chocolate is great self-care!
I also try to walk at lunch by doing a .8 mile loop around our office that takes me into the neighborhood. Walking to and from the office from home is also a great way for me to get some quiet time each day.
My friends and I have an understanding that we can cancel plans without guilt or excuses, so if I am stressed I will cancel any social plans I have.
It’s not often that I get to a “stressed” place so if I’m heading that way it’s kind of an emergency. I will cancel whatever is on my schedule (except seeing patients), take an Epsom Salt bath and watch a movie or read a book.
If I have a decent amount of time then I will walk in the forest solo or with one of my very dear nurse practitioner friends who happens to specialize in mental health. Boy, do I feel lucky to have her as a friend!
I always read before bed. I love fashion, so it’s either a fashion magazine or a historical fiction book.
I love reading but I have to watch what I’m reading before bed. The other night I was sobbing from a very sad book and then dreamt about it all night… not very good self-care.
You have to watch what you put in your brain, especially before bed. I try to fill mine with light and rainbows before I rest!
I feel that restorative care is a large part of self-care and that’s how I categorize injectables. I really like the way I look and would like to maintain it. I don’t mind getting older and seeing my expression lines deepen a little (emphasis on a little).
The technology we have in aesthetic medicine is incredible. We can relax muscles that depress and fill in areas where our collagen and elastin have broken down. We take supplements and put SPF on to maintain our skin and body’s health, and injectables are just restoring what our tissue is losing or relaxing stress-induced overactive muscles.
As with diet and exercise, people can overdo things but injectables done the right way just keeps things heading in the right direction (which is north not south).
6. Why do you personally find it important to practice self-care?I grew up with a single mom who never prioritized herself and still doesn’t. She is a wonderful person and a great mom but her body is broken and she has trained herself to manifest stress around her.
I have children and I want them to realize that in order to really care for others you have to take really good care of yourself.
You don’t have to be a martyr to be a good person. I am able to accomplish so much because I prioritize myself and practice self-care.
I take care to work out so my body will be strong enough to lift up my kids, do cartwheels and run after them. I take time using good skincare so my skin stays healthy and to prevent skin cancers. I want to be around a long time and self-care is my ticket to a centennial birthday.
I come from a family of overly critical women both self-inflicted and outward. It has taken years of therapy to help me not be devastated by others comments. I’m still a work in progress. I know how I work and if I am not comfortable with myself, the way I feel or the way I look then it’s time for some serious self-care
I think motherhood guilt plays in those times I haven’t been prioritizing it. Thank goodness for my husband who sets me straight sometimes saying “is that the way you really feel or is this just motherhood guilt?”
I really need to incorporate the practice of saying “no” more often.
I am usually over-planned and it feels so good to have a day free of plans! I would love to have more of that!
Skin by Lovely is committed to one simple singular mission, “Be Lovely.”
To “Be Lovely” is to feel beautiful in your own skin by accentuating your natural beauty through natural-looking, non-surgical, medical facial aesthetics.
To give your skin what it deserves and let your confidence shine through.
“Be Lovely” also embodies the trust we aim to earn through the confidence you gain from the services we provide. In 2016, an incredible woman came in to see Lovely for exactly this. She was recovering from a 25-year drug habit and did not want to be reminded of her past every time she looked in the mirror and hoped Lovely may be able to help. Watch as Lovely takes it one step further.
At Skin by Lovely, we genuinely enjoy taking care of our skin and love the confidence boost our treatments provide. This is why we’re all so passionate about what we do!
If you would like to incorporate any of our services into your self-care routine, contact our team today! We have convenient locations in Lake Oswego and Portland Oregon as well as Santa Monica, California. Get the treatment you deserve at Skin by Lovely.
Want a closer look into the life of Lovely Laban? You can take a weekend Lovely Tour of NW Portland at Artslandia.
About Skin by Lovely™
Skin by Lovely, the number one Botox® clinic in Oregon, specializes in FDA-approved, natural-looking, non-surgical, medical facial aesthetics and rejuvenation treatments. With practices in Santa Monica, CA, Portland, OR, and Lake Oswego, OR, Skin by Lovely is certified by Allergan, the makers of Botox® and Juvederm®, as a Top 10 facial aesthetic practice in the United States and the Top 25 account for Galderma, the makers of Dysport® and Restylane®.
Convenient online scheduling is available for all three Skin by Lovely locations.
