How often?

Whether you’re a student, a young professional, a fulltime homemaker, or anything in between, most of us have dozens of things to think about on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. Suddenly, you can’t remember the last time you got a facial (guilty!), or had your nails done. While there’s nothing you really “have” to do beautywise, I would say that you “have” to make time for self-care. But how frequently do you have to do those things with precious little free time? How often should you…

* Exfoliate?

It’s pretty easy to stay guided with exfoliating. Just read the instructions on the product label. Depending on the scrub you picked up, this will be anywhere from three times a week to daily. Daily scrubs usually have smaller granules that melt more quickly while massaging them on the face, while scrubs designed to polish the skin more deeply are fine two or three times a week. Don’t use the latter too frequently or you may end up irritating your skin.

* Use a face mask?

It’s also easy to stay guided by checking the label. Different masks have different purposes; sheet masks, for example, are usually for nourishing the skin, while clay masks are meant to draw out and lift off pollutants or sebum. Some sheet masks are mild enough to be used daily, but if that seems a little excessive, once or twice a week is fine. Clay masks can be used just two or three times a month.

* Get a haircut?

This is very relative to how quickly hair grows and how healthy it is. If you are prone to split ends or have pixie-cut hair, you can get a trim every four to six weeks. If you have colored or treated hair, which is more prone to damage, get your ends cut regularly every two or three months.

* Get a facial?

This is also very relative to the type of skin issues you may be having. For problematic skin or if you’re trying to achieve a certain effect (by using, for example, radiofrequency), you may have to go every two weeks. I honestly can’t remember the last time I got a facial because I have what some would think of as a tedious (but to me, relaxing) nightly skin care routine, but people with healthy skin can benefit from gentle facials once every month or two. The occasional facial can’t fix poor skin care, but it will boost your routine. You simply can’t remove dead skin cells at home that a diamond peel can.