2026: Not a better you. A more regulated you.

It's January 1st, and everyone's talking about goals, momentum, and becoming the "best version of yourself."

But what if the goal isn't to be better?

What if the goal is to be more regulated more grounded, more present, more able to come back to yourself when life gets overwhelming?

Most people think self-regulation is something you do in a crisis.

When you're lying awake at 3am with racing thoughts. When you're spiraling after bad news. When you're about to send a text you'll regret.

But here's the truth: trying to regulate your nervous system in a crisis is like trying to learn to swim while you're drowning.

If you've never practiced the tools when you're calm, your body won't remember them when you're overwhelmed.

Self-regulation isn't a panic button. It's a practice.

And the best place to practice? Your existing skincare routine.

Why self-regulation fails when you need it most

Your brain doesn't work in a crisis.

When you're in the middle of a panic attack, your prefrontal cortex - the part of your brain responsible for rational thought -goes offline. You can't think your way out of it. You can't remember the steps to the 4-7-8 Breath, even if you've read about it a hundred times.

Knowing about self-regulation won't help you. Practicing it will.

If you've never done the 4-7-8 Breath when you're calm, you won't be able to do it at 3am when your thoughts are racing.

If you've never practiced The Grounding Technique when you're grounded, you won't be able to use it during a panic attack.

Your body needs to know these tools so deeply that it can access them without your brain having to think.

And the only way to get there is through daily practice.

The power of pairing self-regulation with an existing ritual

The problem with "daily practice" is that most people don't have time for another thing on their to-do list.

You're already overwhelmed. You're already stretched thin. The last thing you need is one more habit to build from scratch.

That's why I don't ask you to create new time. I ask you to deepen the time you're already taking.

Your skincare routine is already a moment of presence. You're already warming oil between your palms, breathing in the scent of frankincense or vetiver, massaging it mindfully into your skin.

You're already regulating your nervous system. You just didn't know that's what it was.

When you warm the oil - that's a sensory anchor.

When you breathe in the scent -that's vagal toning.

When you massage it slowly into your skin—that's mindful presence.

You're already doing it.

Now imagine if you added one intentional self-regulation technique to that ritual.

How to integrate ROOTED into your skincare ritual

Here's how I do it:

Morning: I pull a ROOTED card. I read the technique. Then I practice it while I apply my Super Natural Oil.

The 4-7-8 Breath. The Grounding Technique. The Anchor.

Two minutes. That's it.

I'm not adding extra time to my routine. I'm deepening the time I'm already taking.

Night: Same thing. I pull a different card. I practice the technique while I apply my Magnificent Night Oil.

Body Scan. Hand on Heart. Progressive Relaxation.

Two minutes. Morning and night.

It's not extra time. It's the time I'm already taking to care for my skin.

And here's what happens when you do this every day:

Heres's what happens when you practice daily

 

Week 1: You're learning the techniques. You're reading the cards, following the instructions, getting familiar with how each one feels in your body.

Week 4: Your body starts to recognise the ritual. The scent of the oil becomes a signal. The warmth in your palms becomes an anchor. The techniques start to feel automatic.

Month 3: You don't need to think anymore. Your body just knows.

 

And when the hard moments come and they will - your body remembers without your brain having to think.

You're lying awake at 3am with racing thoughts? Your body knows the 4-7-8 Breath.

You're spiraling after bad news? Your body knows The Grounding Technique.

You're about to send an angry text? Your body knows The Pause.

You're heartbroken and alone? Your body knows Hand on Heart.

That's the power of daily practice.

 

The scenarios where this saves you

Self-regulation isn't about being calm all the time. It's about having tools you can reach for when you're not.

Here are the moments where practicing ROOTED during your skincare routine will save you:

→ Lying awake at 3am with racing thoughts – The 4-7-8 Breath

→ During a panic attack – The Grounding Technique

→ Before sending an angry text – The Pause

→ When you're heartbroken – Hand on Heart

→ When you're spiraling – The Reset

→ When anxiety makes you restless – Mindful Movement

→ When you feel numb – Body Scan

→ When your body is tense – Progressive Relaxation

→ When you're comparing yourself to others – The Anchor

→ When you're burnt out – Design Your Day

You won't need all of these every day. But when you need one, you'll be so grateful you practiced.

Your skincare routine is already a ritual. ROOTED makes it a practice.

I've been creating award-winning natural skincare for nearly ten years. My products have earned over 450 five-star reviews, won multiple awards and been recognised by the Society of Dermatologists at Nottingham University.

The skincare works. My formulas deliver visible results.

But I realised something.

The daily ritual of applying skincarevthe warmth, the scent, the mindful touch was already a form of self-regulation.

What if I could help people build on that habit?

That's why I created ROOTED.

Not as a replacement for skincare. As an enhancement.

A way to take the two minutes you're already spending on your skin and turn them into a practice that regulates your entire nervous system.

More than skin deep.

Start here.

You don't need to be in crisis to start practicing self-regulation.

In fact, you shouldn't wait until you are.

Start today. Start with your skincare routine.

Pull a ROOTED card. Practice the technique. Two minutes. Morning and night.

Build the habit in the calm moments so your body remembers in the hard ones.

Shop ROOTED | Shop Skincare

Grab the pack for £10 with your skincare purchase just add code ADDROOTED at checkout under order summary.

Your skincare routine is already a ritual. Let's make it a practice.

More than skin deep,

Shona x