Women will spend around 200-300k on beauty products in their lifetime. 200-300k. And that’s probably on the low end.
From our skin care routine, to our body care, to makeup and hair products, to monthly maintenance and workout classes, to facials, nails and health supplements/procedures…we are drowning out here in quick fixes.
And just like the famous saying: a bandaid may cover but it doesn’t heal.
So what if we actually focused on getting to the root? Instead of falling for the quick fixes the beauty and health industry are supplying us.
For the last two years I have been exploring all the ways I have succumb to endless amounts of quick fixes. Botox, fake nails, teeth whitening, supplements that promote “anti aging” and hair products that only hide damage. What do all of these products have in common? They never get to the root. I spent thousands and thousands a year trying to keep up on beauty fixes instead of actually getting down to the root of the true problem I was experiencing.
Disconnection.
When we are disconnected from our body we make decisions based off of fear that we need to change something as soon as possible. Instead of lovingly giving back to it with whatever it needs. In no way am I against cosmetic procedures and products, I think we should buy and use whatever makes us feel confident and comfortable. But I do think we should be challenging some quick fixes and in turn engaging with them from an empowered place.
After challenging these fixes myself, I started to really ask myself:
How can we buy health supplements without looking at the relationship we have with our bodies? Our relationship to food? Or how we are nourishing ourselves?
Why isn’t a nourishing diet or lymphatic massage recommended instead of Botox?
Why isn’t rosemary water recommended for hair growth and length?
Castor oil for nail beds to promote long healthy nails?
Healthy self talk and meditation for losing weight and connecting to movement?
Sleep and nervous system regulation for aging?
It is much easier for us to just buy the anti-aging supplement, get fake nails to make our nails appear stronger or extensions to grow our hair.
Because the truth is getting to the root requires time and patience. Something our society really doesn’t teach us to have.
And I really want to challenge this, because I am sick of seeing women (myself included) spend and spend on products and services that can maybe be cured or helped with just some deep connection and love.
So how can we actually tell if we are succumbing to quick fixes?
Here are some simple questions we can ask ourselves:
What is my true desire?
Getting clear on the root of the feeling you want to feel is really helpful in uncovering what you actually need. For example: if you want to look more glowing - instead of buying the new glow balm makeup or gloss, try to focus on hydration, positive self talk and maybe eating more greens. Instead of spending $100 on some product, you are slowing down and trying to get to the root. If this doesn’t work after awhile, then get the new glow balm! This isn’t about depriving yourself, it’s more about giving your body a chance to get to the root of things.
Am I overlooking something?
Every time I now look at something I want, I think about my behaviors and actions around that thing. If I want the latest new health supplement, I ask myself how am I treating my body the other 85% of the time. Can I stop drinking coffee on an empty stomach instead? Can I work on my gut health? Is there another behavior I am doing that is contributing to this. Looking at the body fully usually allows me to get to the root.
How is my mental health and daily life?
Take inventory on your lifestyle and who you surround yourself with. I had autoimmune issues and anxiety disorders - doctors prescribed me lots of medications for the symptoms…but never getting to the root. It took me THREE years to do different healing modalities, lifestyle changes, and removing toxic people/environments from my life. It indeed was a hard and long process, but I finally got to the root. And it never came back. I never took those medications, because I knew there was something deeper to uncover.
Would patience give me freedom in the long haul?
I stopped getting my nails done 2 years ago (because of budget reasons), but surprisingly after stripping the service away I realized why I actually got them done every month in the first place. I wanted strong, long, beautiful and smooth nails. And felt that getting them done was the only way how to achieve this.
After two years now, my nails are the healthiest and shiniest I have ever seen them. They are strong, and never break. My nail health is so serious to me that I oil them everyday as part of my routine, and learned about foods that keep your nails long and strong. I got to the root, and now I have the freedom to go get my nails done if I want to, it’s not a necessity to my self worth and beauty anymore.
I challenge you to ask yourself what parts of your beauty and health routines deserve some more ~getting to the root of~
Because sometimes patience and healing, is the most loving thing we can do for ourselves.
Nik x