Roj Torabi - skinfluencer, lawyer, podcaster - is always glowing. She beams. We've been searching for the ultimate lockdown skincare regime and, now that the end is in sight, we're ready to prep our skin to perfection more than ever. Roj has so many insightful tidbits to share - use them and reap the benefits.
Many of us are losing sleep, battling stress and wearing masks constantly. How can we look after our skin best in these circumstances?
OK- great question. Currently, life is a heavvvvvy news moment, it’s stress-filled and the toxic vibes are left right and centre. The last thing anyone needs is a burdening skin routine. So, before I even give you 2 things to try work in, I will just say 2 really important things-
1- remember that skincare is meant to be fun. Let’s remove this whole idea of a dreaded routine and treat it like 5 minutes of ‘you’ time in the day. It doesn’t need to be complicated; it doesn’t need to be a 10-step routine that you can’t be stuffed with. It just needs to make you feel better.
2- You don’t need to be a millionaire to have good skin. Sure, there are a million brands out there with price tags that may seem unachievable and can make you feel bad about your budget. But don’t disregard all the incredible brands that may also meet your budget and will do exactly what you want them to do!
Now that we’ve got that out the way, try to spend a few days perfecting your routine and build a habit of staying on top of it. But that I mean, if you notice the 10pm wine makes you dread the thought of even a moisturiser, why not apply it after your evening walk? Or if you’re not walking, why not apply it right after you have your dinner?
Then try do things like
- Nail your cleansing technique – does two times a day work for you? Does one time a day work for you? You won’t know unless you try.
- Still use your SPF daily. Sure, a full “going to work” make-up face is a thing of the past, but your SPF isn’t. it’s your buddy in isolation, so treat it with love.
- Get your actives in. Serum, actives, retinol, the whole lot. They are our skincare Zac Efron's. They are the hotshots that will help you maintain that glowy/tight/newborn skin look. Don’t neglect them in iso.
- I don’t want to tell you to avoid stress because it’s basically impossible, but even if it be for even 10 minutes of a day, try to find something that makes your mind happy/calm. Stress causes inflammation, so a dose of fun/calm thoughts is something your skin will love.
What is your current lockdown beauty routine? How does this differ from your day-to-day on the outside?
Being a full-time lawyer, and doing this whole content thing on the side means my day-to-day life is hectic, so certain things can slip through the cracks just based on how my week is progressing.
So, I’ve tried to be more consistent with-
- Moisturising my hands more often and having a moisturiser on my working from home desk. All the extra sanitising absolutely ruined my hands over the last year, so I’m really conscious of making this consistent.
- Being less loose with hair care. So, things like doing hair masks more often etc.
- Keeping my lip care everywhere around the house and at my desk so it reminds me to put it on allllll the time. It's dry lip season and mine get painfully dry, so this is something I’ve tried to do this year to help.
- Doing my nails gives me peace. So, I’m really on top of this and change them quite frequently (haha)
Etc!
What are your thoughts on the skincare regime as a form of self-care and soothing?
Love it. I live by the words of an Iranian poet, Rumi, who said, “Yesterday I was clever so I wanted to change the world, today I am wise, so I am changing myself.”
So why this I mean, I like to make changes in my self-care routine that I know will only lead to positives in my daily attitude, behaviour, stress, self-perception, etc. These might be things like- skincare, eating well, reading, anything that I know plays a role in my sense of self.
Care to share your #1 beauty or skincare tip or lesson?
Masking! Fit it in anywhere.
Know the masks that work for you and build a habit of using them consistently and have fun with it. E.g. low on time? Why not do a mask while you make dinner. Tired at night? Why not do one in the morning while you smash your coffee. Do what works for you!
What other outlets and sources of inspiration are you using to get through lockdown?
I love YouTube, I love reading, I love browsing online shops, I love socials, I love cooking, I love eating, I love chatting with my friends and family, I love my work.
I can’t say I’ve got the hacks to finding inspiration, but I do like to explore ideas in my mind through things I love, and then execute them. e.g. I might call a friend to see how she is, then bring up an idea and bam all these options come into play and, I’ve suddenly gained so much inspiration from a 2-minute call. Or even, I might order dinner from a restaurant, and next time, I’ll be like ‘hey that was so good, I’m going to try to make it'.
I don’t try to not make an inspiration too far-fetched, that way, it helps me find it in the smaller things daily.
