I'll be the first to admit that I wasn't exactly feeling stoked about my appearance right after having a baby. I know it sounds superficial, but for me — and plenty of other mothers — the relationship I had with my new body was beyond complex. That's why a little confidence boost can do wonders for you — I know it certainly did for me. Yet, whether you had a C-section or a vaginal birth, any kind of motion can be painful. So postpartum beauty hacks you can use without having to move sound like a winning combination to me.
Even if you're not a big fan of makeup, practicing self-care is a phenomenal way to be in charge of your postpartum narrative. For many, myself included, it can feel like a roller coaster of a emotions. You're constantly adjusting to your own skin as the life growing inside you changes your lines and curves. And then there's this whole reintroduction period with your body once you've given birth. That's why getting my hair done or picking out a new nail polish helped me feel like I could truly own my beauty at any stage. So if you want to try out some postpartum beauty hacks but don't want to move too much, then check out these tips.
1
Use Skin Care Combos
It may seem impossible to work in the time and energy for anything resembling a skin care routine, but it's both necessary and not too difficult. Dr. Jessica Krant, a dermatologist, explained to Parents that postpartum skin can be drier than usual due to lack of sleep and other new parent challenges. So what's the easy beauty hack? Krant recommended you use a moisturizer with built-in sunscreen. In fact, any skin care product that can do more than one thing is a great idea.
2
Brighten Eyes
If a new parent tells you they're well-rested, they're either lying or hiding some kind of magic-wielding sorcerer. To be quite honest, I had the raccoon eyes look down for the first few months postpartum and simply didn't know any remedies. But the experts at Birchbox, a monthly subscription beauty service, recommended you use cream or white eyeliner on your lower lids to give the appearance of a bright-eyed and bushy-tailed beauty.
3
Let Sleep Work For You
By now you've probably guessed that I'm a big fan of multi-tasking, especially when it comes to beauty-related topics. Pravana-certified stylist, Tiffany Sposato, tells Romper that, after a shower, you can braid damp hair with the aid of light styling cream so that you'll have effortless waves in the morning.
4
Maximize Manicures
Even when I didn't have a new baby I rarely had the time to get or maintain a fresh set of polished nails. Thankfully, the beauty experts at Allure found that a good manicure doesn't need to require much movement. For instance, simply apply glitter polish to areas with chips to give your week-old look new life.
5
Create A Caddy
On those days when you can only summon enough energy to reach your nightstand, keep it stocked with all the essentials. According to Parents, keeping a caddy of beauty supplies within arm's length guarantees you won't ever find yourself stranded without necessities like lip balm or dry shampoo. Plus, since it's portable, you can take it with you wherever you go.
6
Multitask With Business Cards
If you're like me, even a solid few months after giving birth, my ability to focus still wasn't that great. So if you're seeing double from lack of sleep, you can use business cards in your beauty routine to quickly and easily create flawless looks, like the one makeup artist Michelle Phan demonstrated. Seriously, all you have to do is summon the strength to hold a business card in place and you're good to go.
7
Instantly Refresh Your Face
Rather than spending the time and energy on trying to do a full face of makeup to look and feel rejuvenated, try a face gloss or highlighting cream to look refreshed, like Marie Claire recommended. Adding a bit of dewy sheen to your complexion will give the illusion that you had a full-night's sleep and woke up flawless.
8
Get Rid Of Chapped Lips
From dead skin cells building up on your face to lips that look drier than the desert, sometimes a good exfoliating session is in order. Don't want to move and do the full shower routine? No problem. According to The Gloss, you can exfoliate dry skin and lips with your toothbrush and your choice of an oil and scrub combination (like olive oil and sugar). If you can brush your teeth, then you can exfoliate, too, with that genius beauty hack.
9
Do Laundry And Hair
I know, washing clothes isn't exactly the highlight of anyone's day. Nonetheless, it's a chore that must be done if you don't want to teach your little one the "bathing suit as underwear" trick at an early age. As celebrity stylist Sunnie Brook Jones told Health you can fight frizz and fly-aways with wrinkle release spray. Simply spritz a bit on your strands after you've tossed a load into the dryer and your locks will be sleek and stylish.
