Women with ADHD: Streamline Your Skincare!
How many of you hate putting time into washing your face, brushing your teeth, or primping your hair? I’m guessing many of you.
These are tasks that take away from our fun time. The rest of the world may not get it, but we do. Our ADHD brains despise tasks that block us from more fun things to do.
I have put a ton of research time into some of these things. It had to be done. Not only was a big wedding coming up, my aging skin needed more TLC that I wasn’t giving it.
I thought sharing my skincare routine might be helpful. As a move of solidarity, our little club of ADHD beauty brains can group together on this. Let’s go!
Table of Contents
- Honesty Time
- Skin Care
- ADHD-Friendly Makeup Routine
- Bath & Shower Time
- Simple Mouth/Dental Care
- Conclusion
Honesty Time
It’s just us girls here, right? I want to put some things in perspective – many of us don’t like to bother with personal hygiene. It’s just another side effect of distracted minds. As I said in the intro, if given the option of doing something more fun, we’re in on the fun.
Obviously, I can’t skip taking care of myself, but I’ve had to approach it differently. For example, I don’t like to stop at night and brush my teeth or take my makeup off. Raise your hand if you’ve gone to bed with your makeup on?
We can’t keep that up forever, poor routines will catch up with you when you’re older. I’ve shifted my evening hygiene before settling down to watch TV in the evening. I’ve had to – when I get tired, I’m done.
I don’t shower every day, just a few times a week. Did you know before the 1970s, people didn’t shower every day? Not sure where this daily bathing obsession came in, it’s a real waste of water. My mom said growing up, they might have bathed 1-2 times a week. She talked about using rat tail comb handles to scratch her head through her beehive hairdo.
Personal hygiene makes the list for making me feel desperate, like I need that time for other things. Maybe it’s just me, but a luxurious bubble bath is not tempting. I wanted to be transparent in how I felt about these things, so other people didn’t feel embarrassed or wrong.
OK! On to the routines!
Skin Care
I perked up when the Youtuber Minimal Mom mentioned about simplifying her skin care routine (sorry, can’t find the video back). She had mentioned that her skin care routine was getting too complicated with too many products.
Any skincare company out there is going to push a full line of products. Even going to the drugstore gets complicated. In the end, Dawn felt it didn’t matter what soap she used to wash her face, it was important she just washed it.
I love Dr. Anil Rajani on Youtube, he gives it to you straight. Even though his business caters to the rich and famous, he has loads of practical advice for the every day person. Again, I can’t pick out the exact video, but he mentions that just splashing your face with water is all you need in the morning.
Jennifer Aileen on Youtube recommends skincare routines you can actually stick to. Her tips include washing your face in the shower and keeping all of your makeup products together and in the order you use them in.
I love her ADHD-friendly tip to buy small bottles of products until you know you like them. She is absolutely right when she says that if you don’t like it, you stop using it (and this means you stop completely washing your face). I admit, that ADHD plague has brought me down!
This was a game changer for me. I feared having to do this whole routine in the morning, and now I just:
- Splash my face with cold water.
- Splash my face with warm water to close the pores.
- Apply a real sunscreen (I don’t like the makeup combo + sunscreen, but a sunsreen just for the face, it can be a generic brand) – let sit to absorb.
- Apply a face moisturizer.
Now that I am older, I have to worry about crepey skin. I seriously despise having to put brain effort into this. Many women endorse Gold Bond Neck and Chest Firming Cream. I have not found great results, but plaster it on my neck anyway.
If you’re younger and reading this, start applying sunscreen daily now! I’ve never been in the sun too much, but your age and habits will catch up with you. Drink you water daily and moisturize like it’s your full-time job!
Extra ADHD face-care hacks
For years, I’ve relied on generic vaseline to remove my eye makeup. I just rub it on my eyelashes to soften up my waterproof eye mascara, and eyeliner. I then remove it with a tissue paper.
I use makeup wipes when traveling, recently picking up a pack. That could be used in tandem with the vaseline, but I am having a problem with the wipes drying out because I don’t use them enough.
The vaseline lasts forever, but I would get a small container. There is a little bit of a concern that you can contaminate the vaseline by dipping into it everyday. I’ve done this for years with no problem.
I am a self-proclaimed tightwad, so if I can save money on my skincare routine, I’ll do it.
As far as washing the face goes, I go with Dawn’s advice and wash my face with whatever I have around. For your ADHD brain, you might like the idea of picking out a product that appeals to you.
For some reason, I always couldn’t wait to get through my generic bottles of face wash. I recently discovered that I could get great name-brand buys at T.J. Maxx for facial care. I find it fun, and a little luxurious, to try something new.
Hey, if it gets you to wash your face, then go for the splurge. That also goes for wash cloths or face scrubbers. Choosing these types of tools are a personal choice.
Just remember, the extra junk in your bathroom piles up. The less you have, the easier it is to keep your bathroom tidy.
Evening routine breakdown
This is my evening routine, just a heads up, my ADHD brain loves natural products. So don’t knock the Castor oil until you try it, it has many benefits. I use it for growing lashes and eyebrows, and eye health/under-eye circles.
- Wash face with facial soap of choice.
- Use a couple of drops of Castor oil and rub over eyebrows, eye socket (undereye, too), eye lashes.
- Use ROC Retinal Correxion Deep Wrinkle Filler on forehead, “11’s” (focus lines between eyes), laugh lines.
- Apply Gold Bond Age Renew Retinol Overnight.
I started using the ROC because of the incredible endorsement by customers. Retinal products are supposed to be used at night, because sun can make you more sensitive. Easy peasy, my brain has that locked and loaded.
ROC also says not to use another retinol product with it, but I do. Since ROC is in a small tube, I only apply it directly to my deeper wrinkle lines. I use the Gold Bond Retinol overnight as an all-over face and neck cream.
The L’Oreal! brand markets moisturizers by age. I just get the highest age, even if I’m not. I feel it’s gotta be targeting the old, wrinkly skin, (lol!) so the best ingredients, the better!
I will say, that I don’t like fragrant moisturizers, which L’Oreal is. I’m toughing it out to finish the container, and will consider something different in the future.
ADHD-Friendly Makeup Routine
Cheapskate that I am, I decided to level up my makeup routine to get ready for my daughter’s wedding. We could have paid a makeup artist, but at $90 per person I wasn’t about to do that (the hair was another cost).
So, my daughter, bridesmaids, and myself decided to do our own makeup. Ugh! I hated putting months of research, trial and error into figuring this out. Myself, just like all the other women from the ’80s have not put much effort into our makeup routine since high school.
There is no shortage of videos on Youtube that demo makeup for mature women. The first thing that has to go is that heavy eyeliner, gals!
True story, I was at a bridal shower for a friend recently. I was sitting at a side table with another woman my age. The mother of the groom (my neighbor and our age, too) strolled over to visit with us. I soon realized that each woman had racoon eyes going on – it was not their best look.
Glam Girl Gabi on Youtube creates videos for mature women’s makeup and skincare. She has a bright and relateable personality.
This is Glam Girl Gabi’s video I followed to apply the Nude Rose Gold eye shadow. It’s not until 14:44 time stamp that she demonstrates brushing on the eyeshadow as an alternative eye liner. Gabi has some extra moves she uses on the eyes. I’ll probably take these extra steps for special events, like my daughter’s wedding. But for everyday, I simplify my eye makeup.
I wanted to highlight just one video, but I watched so many of them. For the aging ADHD person, you might want to watch videos that target problem areas, such as “hooded” eyes, and thin lips.
This is what I settled on, and can now blast through it pretty quickly in the morning after washing my face:
- Apply a face primer. I’ve tried all the drugstore ones, and I really think it doesn’t matter. I do like the ELF vitamin C putty primer (psychologically, I think it’s good for my face). I’ve even layered on two different primers – I save that for special occasions.
- Apply under-eye dark circle concealer. I’ve tried different ones, and the Physician’s Formula Concealor Color Stick is still the best for dark circles.
- Concealer and foundation. I splurged and tried out Haus Labs by Lady Gaga. It’s supposed to be healthy for your skin, and I think that’s important as we age. I’m not a heavy makeup user, so I think it will last a long time. I especially like the concealer, so I might stay with it. I pat the concealer over the Physician’s formula dark circle concealer. I am perfectly happy with Almay My Best Light Foundation It can be the biggest time suck and expense to find the right shade for your skin. There is some type of skintone matching technology that takes more of the guesswork out of it.
- Eye shadow. Upon a recommendation, I chose the ELF Perfect 10 Eyeshadow in Nude Rose Gold. Because I have been practicing, I put it on every day. Basically, I use a matte nude over the entire eyelid, a shimmer color over the middle of the lid, the darkest color for a quick brush in the outer corners, and the second darkest color to use in place of the eyeliner.
- Mascara. I always use waterproof. For everyday, it’s Great Lash by Maybelline brownish black. For my daughter’s wedding, I tried out Maybelline Falsies Mascara and loved it (there is no way I’m messing around with real eyelash falsies!).
- Facial powder. I picked up the Haus Labs loose setting powder, but any nice loose powder will do. My daughter turned me on to the little makeup sponges. I really love them, especially the egg-shaped ones with a pointy corner to pat under the eye.
More details on the makeup
For all day events, like a wedding, I needed to research my makeup not melting off of my face! I haven’t been able to figure out the spreading of my undereye liner. I tried out the ELF Makeup Setting Spray, which is supposed to be a highly recommended budget setting spray. I think I will just rely on the loose face powder, and try to touch up my makeup through the day.
I did buy some expensive Haus Labs makeup brush. They had one brush that they claimed was like a “kitten’s paw on your face.” OK, not going to lie, but it was! I have to admit I am really turned off with the “mopping and slathering on” of liquid concealer makeup I’ve been seeing.
I’ve just been using my fingers for the most part, I could have skipped those very expensive brushes! Less tools = less bathroom clutter. I did pickup some precision ELF brand brushes, a multi-pack because I was overwhelmed.
FYI, I have poor eyesight, so I do put some bright duct tape on a few items to locate them when my eyeglasses are off.
I only use the ELF small angled brush to apply the eyeshadow as an eyeliner. I use the ELF concealer brush to apply the eyeshadow.
I don’t have anything special in place for lipstick or blush – I’m not so concerned with that.
Bath & Shower Time
As mentioned earlier, I am blind as a bat. Shaving my legs is difficult, so I prefer to sit in the bathtub while doing it.
I’ve purchased very nice women’s shaving cream in the past, but it is expensive. Since I am already in the bathtub, I add Suave body wash as a bubble maker. It really works! Just a squirt makes for a bubbly bath AND I grab the bubbles to wipe on my legs before shaving.
As far as shaving tools go, I’ve been very happy with the Venus Disposable Shaving Razor. I had cheaped out and bought the Equate brand from Walmart. I discovered that they are a more narrow width than the Venus, and I didn’t enjoy that experience.
I’m not going to get into shampoos and cream rinses. Talk about a rabbit hole! Each of us has unique hair qualities. I will say that I have been investing in better hair products (my hair is dry and coarse). I stopped buying the discounted ones in Walmart.
I was having fun trying unique products with argan oil or avocado oil in – it just made my hair oily. I’m very pleased with Carol’s Daughter Coco Creme Sulfate Free Shampoo and Conditioner Set with Silicone Free Hair Butter, for Very Dry Curly Hair, with Coconut Oil and Mango Butter.
I found the Carol’s Daughter Goddess Strength oil product too oily for me, everytime I used it. Because my hair is so coarse and dry, I need a little extra something, but haven’t found the perfect fit, yet.
Some people talk about putting coconut oil in your hair (if you like natural products) but that get’s too oily, too. I’ve used products like VO% in the past, and the shine product Luster’s Pink Hair Glosser (it has it’s own fan following, but use a TINY bit of it!).
Simple Mouth/Dental Care
Did you know that people with ADHD are more prone to get cavities? It’s true. No surprise, our poor executive function is one factor why it’s hard for us to maintain good dental routines. If that sounds like you, take a peek at what I’ve tried.
I’ve bought the electric toothbrushes, Waterpiks, and teeth whitening kits in the past. They’ve all been discarded. I think it’s just despising they hype, marketing, and clutter in my bathroom.
I’ve simplified my mouth care with a few things. One of them is oil pulling. Oil pulling is just swishing something like coconut oil or olive oil in your mouth as long as you can stand it (then spit out in a napkin or trash can).
Here are the benefits:
- Replaces flossing
- Whitens teeth
- Healthy mouth
There are other oils you can use, but I know that olive oil has antibiotic properties AND it whitens your teeth! Truthfully, it is hard to fit this in. I’ve been trying to remember to do it in the shower (you know, to multi-task), or while you are lifting weights or watching TV. I do like the results and will continue to do it.
I also found the product Vanman’s – Miracle Tooth Cleaning Powder Toothpaste This is a powder, so not everyone will like it. Do yourself a favor, and read the raving reviews – it’s not often you find Amazon reviews with a cult following.
I still use plain Colgate toothpaste. I buy the twin pack and it’s always on the bottom shelf at Walmart, because they are always trying to push the fancier, more expensive brands at eye level, so beware!
Conclusion
Of course, my routine won’t apply to everyone. I am fair-skinned, mature, and have coarse hair. You will have to seek out the products that work for you.
The point of the article was to simplify your routine, because may of us with ADHD brains dread it.
#inthistogether -Renee
