Depression and Asian Beauty aka Take A Step Back and Start Slow

I know I rant about my depression on this blog a lot - and I'm sure some of you are tired of hearing about it, but I feel like now is a good time to sit down and talk about how depression affects me, and the 10-step skincare routine many people think you need to have when jumping into Asian beauty. The truth is, you don't need to push yourself to use so many steps if you don't want to, or can't. But on the flip side, there may be an added benefit to taking your time with all those steps and really engulfing yourself into your routine.

I'll start with a little background about me...
I've suffered from depression since my teenage years, and was finally diagnosed with depression and severe anxiety (and fibromyalgia, but that's a story for another day...) at the age of 18, after I had left home. After years of medication and feeling like a failure, I met my husband. He helped me out of the dark place I had been sinking into all my life. I was able to stop taking my medication and start actually feeling better about myself. When I gave birth to our son, my anxiety basically stopped - like I no longer cared about what was happening around me, just that I needed to keep this new life safe and healthy. My anxiety and depression were seemingly under control for a few years with small "flares" now and then, but things happen in life that aren't always great, and the past year I started struggling again.
The worry of - everything really - just beat me down to the point where I struggled to eat, and felt like I couldn't make it through each day. But this time I knew I had a family who needed me to power through. It's taken a lot of support from friends online, and reminding myself that I have a young child, but I've made it this far!

So what does this have to do with Asian Beauty?
Well, I was introduced to AB about two years ago, when I was starting to play around with makeup more, and wanting to start taking care of my skin. My anxiety and depression were on their way back and I was looking for a distraction before they got me beat down to the point were I couldn't function. Everything about AB brightened my spirits; the packages in the mail, the new products to play around with, and the improvements I started seeing in my skin.

When I'm feeling like myself, and ready to face life, or even take things one day at a time... I'm able to follow a good routine.
Morning:

• Cosrx Low pH Gel Cleanser
• Cosrx Centella Alcohol Free Toner
• Cosrx Galactomyces 95 Whitening Power Essence
• Goodal Camellia Firming Water Oil
• Cosrx Advanced Snail 96 Snail Mucin Essence or Guerisson 9 Complex Essence
• Cosrx Oil Free Ultra Moisturizing Lotion or Advanced 92 Snail AIO Cream
• Innisfree Eco Safety No Sebum Sunblock

Night:

• Elizavecca Natural 90% Olive Cleansing Oil
• Tosowoong Enzyme Powder Wash or Papa Recipe Enzyme Powder Cleanser
• Cosrx AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner
• Cosrx BHA Blackhead Power Liquid or AHA 7 Whitehead Power Liquid
• Cosrx Galactomyces 95 Whitening Power Essence
• Cosrx Hyaluronic Acid Hydra Power Essence
• Tosowoong Propolis Sparkle Ampoule
• Curology
• *sheet mask*
• Cosrx Advanced 92 Snail AIO Cream or Hyaluronic Acid Intensive Cream
• Cosrx Ultimate Moisturizing Honey Overnight Mask or Banila Co Miss Flower & Mr Honey Cream

I sometimes get comments about these routines because some people wonder if they're all really necessary, and the answer is no. But the fact is, when I'm feeling up to the task of going through all these steps, it gives me time to unwind. It helps my mind relax, and it helps me release my anxiety and get a good nights' sleep, and handle the following day better. Of course I'm not always able to stick to this routine. Times like the past week, or a few months ago, I'm too depressed to do laundry, buy groceries, or even sometimes to even get up off the couch.

Sometimes I don't care for my skin at all, but when I get the ambition to stand by the sink for a few minutes, I follow this routine that I recently posted on Instagram:

These products have made up my main routine for the past week. Stress and illness have been too much so I've kept it simple. #Elizavecca Olive Cleansing Oil most nights to help deep clean my face. #Cosrx Low pH Gel Cleanser morning and night. #Acwell Licorice pH Balancing Cleansing Toner morning and night because it's hydrating, soothing, and smells great! #Cutology w/ .018% tret every evening to keep my face in line... #Cosrx Oil Free Ultra Moisturizing Lotion with Birch Sap morning and night... I think I like this stuff! It has a light texture and smells citrusy? It doesn't control oil but it does keep my skin hydrated and keeps oil production down a bit. I think I'll review it on my blog soon. And of course, the #sheetmasks 💕

A photo posted by Samantha (@samantha_blogs) on Mar 5, 2016 at 6:37am PST

Keeping my routine simple still makes me feel a bit better about myself, and gives me something to help distract myself from my depression and helps calm me down a bit - but a simple routine when my depression is bad is easy for me to tackle without making me want to give up.
I've been known to take a cleansing wipe and moisturizer in the morning, and just a cleanser and Curology in the evening too  - and it feels like a great accomplishment to be able to do something to my skin to feel like I'm human again...

Asian beauty has not only improved my complexion, but it's been a great outlet for me, and has given me a way to allow my depression and anxiety to melt away through self-care, facial massage, masking, and just taking my time caring for my skin.

What are some acts of self-care that make you feel better about yourself?

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