A Gift of Self Love That Started with a Shmear
The other day while scrolling through Facebook or Instagram or…well, the platform doesn’t matter; I was offered an ad for a facial serum or moisturizer…I can’t remember the exact product or brand…and those don’t matter either.
If I remember correctly (no promises), the ad had an off-camera someone asking questions to Julianne Moore, (yes, THE Julianne Moore; I hope it’s okay to use her name without permission…) who was on-screen testing the product.
What first struck me was the way Julianne was applying the moisturizer. I had never seen anyone do it this way before. I thought, “How gentle!” And in that instant, I felt the familiar shift that happens inside me when I realize that something new just makes perfect sense. Why didn’t I know this before?
“Yes!” I thought. “This is exactly the way every woman should apply her moisturizer!”
What provoked such a response, you wonder? Well, rather than shmear the stuff onto her face and drive it around (like I do), Julianne gently spread the product into her hands, then pressed her hands against her cheeks; then pressed her fingers onto her nose, cupped her hand around her chin, and laid palm against her forehead.
I was so intrigued. And, she actually held each position for like 3-5 seconds before moving on to the next.
Now some might think that she the reason she applies it this way is so that she doesn’t stretch her skin, possibly causing thinning or wrinkling or pulling the collagen out (the woman IS 62, after all; okay, that just freaks me out). Or maybe it’s to make sure the product doesn’t absorb into the palms before it makes it to her face.
And maybe any or all of these are true.
To me, it looked like loving touch.
So, that night I applied my own moisturizer that way.
I put some product on my fingers and I spread it across my hands.
I placed my palms on the sides of my face. I left my hands there for a breath or two. And I pressed.
I cupped my chin.
I pressed gently on my forehead.
I did exactly what I saw Julianne do.
Yes, obviously it felt much gentler than the shmear-around I was used to. And yes, it seemed I was transferring more product onto my face than into my hands.
Doing it the way Julianne did it did indeed feel so special.
What I wasn't prepared for was the love and care I felt from myself with just those simple gestures. By just doing my regular skincare routine.
And, I looked into my own eyes.
Remember how it felt to have Mom or Dad, your grandparent, spouse or friend place their hands on the sides of your face, look you in the eye, and tell you something special? Remember how loved you felt? Or holding your child’s face between your hands? How much love you felt for them?
Well, that’s exactly how this felt. But this time, I received this gift of love from myself.
And it was amazing.
