Emo Beauty: Mood-Boosting Beauty & Meditative Rituals  

Nobody saw the pandemic coming. It has created an everlasting impact on our way of life; it pushed the agenda for mental awareness like no other and will last for generations to come. As a result, we are officially stressed. 

Inflation, money issues and the war in Ukraine have pushed stress to alarming levels.   

More and more seek self-care as a way to stay sane and survive. Coping strategies include bit-sized escape beauty snacking or carving luxurious at-home spas. To this day, we continuously seek calm in the chaos.  

In fact, the #mindfulbeauty (also known as emotional beauty or emo beauty) hashtag has been used over 65,000 times on Instagram, as of writing, with people sharing their mindful rituals: from mood-boosting skincare routines to meditative rituals along with using essential oil-infused serums, CBD bath salts, energy-boosting body oils and treatment fragrances.  

Beauty Daily does a deep dive into the Emotional Beauty trend and sits down with leading experts on ways to do it well. Plus, we showcase must-have products you can start incorporating into your emo-beauty rituals.  

  

What is emotional beauty or emo-beauty?   

“Emotional beauty is about the mind and body connection, routines and rituals, the ability to achieve harmony between your mind, body and soul,” explains Hayley Dawes, Founder of Dreem Distillery Ltd, a CBD brand designed to aid sleep. Adding, “The pandemic made us all realise that we need to take a step back and allowed us to think more about looking after our being, which is reflected in the success of the wellness industry, which not only survived but has boomed during these times.”    

According to Euromonitor International, rising anxiety levels turned more consumers towards goods that can help with mental wellbeing. As a result, this fuelled the wellness industry into overdrive, and it’s becoming a stronger and fitter industry. In addition, Forbes reports a growing demand for wellness products and services that people can use from home, and many companies are coming to the forefront to meet this demand. As they do, we gain insights into what the future of health and wellness may look like. 

In essence, ’emotional beauty‘ incorporates spirit and skin-enhancing beauty products and mindful rituals that bring emphasis and emotional support to your overall wellbeing.  

Wellness experts share how to do emotional beauty in a holistic way

Starting an emotional beauty-focused routine doesn’t end with beauty products; it requires a holistic approach from skincare, rituals, and diet. You get the whole range of positive benefits and make this skincare trend more of a permanent lifestyle change. 

Search for the right spirit and skin-enhancing products

This process will be subjective. First, pick skincare & beauty products suitable for your skin type or ingredients you are allergic to or might have reactions to. Next, identify which mood you’d want to evoke. In the morning, would you like something invigorating or grounding? Or midday pick me up? Night to wind down and relax? There are a plethora of skincare products you can add that won’t cost your time.  

1. Add a few drops of essential oil-infused face oils

An instant pick-me-up in your make-up routine is adding a few drops of face treatment oil to your daily foundation. We swear by the Blue Orchid Treatment Oil. It adds hydration and nourishment to the skin while making you feel relaxed and helping ease stress or anxiety, thanks to Patchouli Essential Oils. Another tip is to add a few drops into your moisturiser before bedtime for a goodnight’s sleep. 84% of surveyed women who used the product say the aromatherapy fragrance lifts their mood.   

“The action of touching and stroking our skin releases oxytocin, dopamine and serotonin, all feel-good hormones which boost our mood. Likewise, smelling favourite aromas can trigger positive emotions. Combining both stimuli in aromatherapy skincare can bring powerful benefits to skin and mood,” explains Anne Murray, Registered Aromatherapist and Holistic Therapist.  

2. Pre-slumber bath soak, sprinkle some CBD-enhanced bath salts

If you find yourself restless and sleepless, a bath soak with CBD-infused bath salt might be a perfect pre-slumber routine idea you never knew you needed. Try CBD Anchoring Bath Soak “The Z’s” from Dreem Distillery, a CBD brand gaining serious momentum in the wellbeing space.    

“‘The Z’s’ bath salts are the ultimate therapeutic anchoring bath soak. Packed with anti-inflammatory broad-spectrum CBD, Himalayan and Epsom salts, lavender, calming juniper berry, detoxifying lemongrass and calming blue spirulina taking you to a pre-slumber world like no other. By blending essential aromatherapy oils, the power of the scent has a holistic effect on one’s wellbeing, preparing the mind, body, and soul for deep slumber,” Dawes explains.   

CBD Anchoring Bath Soak “The Z’s” £80 Available at Dreemdistillery.co.uk 

3. Wellness boost any time of the day

To set the mood pre-yoga or pre-meditation, we’d recommend spraying Eau Extraordinaire and massaging onto the skin to set the mind and induce you into a meditative state. It has grounding essential oils, like Cedarwood, which help connect to the healing energy of nature and the earth. This is also a good fragrance for feeling disconnected and lonely and inspiring a sense of belongingness.  

Read next: The Best Relaxing Essential Oil Blends For De-Stressing Your Day 

Add mindfulness rituals into your everyday

The American Psychological Association says mindfulness reduces rumination and stress, among other health benefits, such as preventing acne and other skin inflammations.  

So, adding mindfulness instead of picking on oneself and inspecting every imperfection you see in the mirror puts less wrinkles on your face. Stress causes wrinkles. Find out how here.  

4. Blur the negative, focus on the positive

Kate Usher, Self-Esteem Coach and Change Strategist says to take control by focusing on what is within our power to change.   

“Giving ourselves this time to refocus and rebalance is an essential benefit; it is also one we can all access starting today. Take this time to focus on your inner strength and incredible beauty. Instead of focusing on the negative, take this moment to focus on the brilliance of who you are today. Look into your own eyes and see the woman you are; appreciate her and all she has achieved. Feel her power and determination. Acceptance and gratitude for us are both healing and restorative. If you find those negative thoughts creeping in, put them to one side, they are not needed; this moment is all about you,” she says.  

Read next: Mastering Mindfulness: Morning Habits For Re-Setting Your Mind 

5. Leading a busy life? Try habit stacking

“Many of my clients are extremely busy, successful professionals. So when I mention to them a new transformative habit to adopt, the reply I often get is, how will I fit that into my already full day? This is where I introduce ‘Habit Stacking’ – when you combine two complementary habits to get double the benefit in half the time,” says Charlène Gisèle Bourliout, London-based Certified Health and Business coach and Professional Biohacker.  

Skincare time is perfect for habit stacking. Use this time to check in with your senses (what you see, feel, smell, hear, taste). Five senses check-in strengthens mind-body connection and develops awareness of the moment, which is true presence.  

“Taking small but consistent habit stacks like pairing deep rounds of belly breath while brushing your hair or gently massaging your cheekbones and forehead while applying serum can activate our parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest) and release positive ‘feel good’ emotions,” Bourliout says.  

Consume mood-boosting food

6. Add mood-boosting food into your holistic emotional beauty approach 

Studies have shown that diet and nutrition play a significant role in the prevention of depression and nutritionists like Marilia Chamon highly recommend consuming a diet rich in plants and healthy fats that can positively impact our mood. 

Chamon, the Founder of Gutfulness Nutrition and Registered Nutritionist explains: “Whole foods offer a wide range of vitamins and minerals essential to support mood and brain function.  

“Foods high in tryptophan, B vitamins and magnesium, for example, are converted into the feel-good hormone serotonin. Serotonin works by transmitting signals between nerve cells and altering brain functions that affect mood state and sleep, acting as a natural mood lifter and calming agent.  

Eggs, banana, avocado, wild-caught oily fish, whole grain oats, brown rice, quinoa, millet, beans and pulses, sesame seeds, cashew nuts, walnuts and green vegetables are all great sources to include in your daily diet,” she recommends.   

Need some self-care ideas? Learn a tip or two from these 10 Powerful Women as they share how they are practising self-care right now.