Pandemic Pampering: Products to Buy Now

Our concerns have been shrinking and expanding, in quantity and level of importance, almost constantly since the beginning of the pandemic. Some of these worries — relating to job loss, mortgage or rent, and of course, health — are clearly more pressing, but it doesn’t mean other less crucial matters haven’t been keeping us up at night. We’re talking about the stuff beauty, or lack thereof. As shelter-in-place mandates were doled out across the country, advertising shifted on a dime. No more emails for going out tops, sweats was the name of the game now. Makeup sales, aside from cornerstone items like mascara and concealer, went down. Many people leaned into this new way of life — men stopped shaving, women shaved their heads. But like an essay recently pointed out, lots of us have started to miss feeling attractive. 

It may seem frivolous and self-absorbed to be stressed about roots growing out at a time like this, but research proves caring for ourselves and our mental well-being are correlated. A morning in bed eating cold lasagna for breakfast a la Garfield is one thing, but continually letting hygiene lapse can be a sign of mental illness. People struggling with depression can find themselves with no energy or motivation, and skip showering or washing their hands — something especially critical during this time. “They report not having enough energy to do simple self-care tasks, such as brushing their teeth or washing their hair,” says Melissa A. Jones, PhD, HSPP, a clinical psychologist in a Healthline article. “Many of them do not take care of their personal hygiene needs unless they are reminded by a family member to do so.”

The good news is that starting today — June 29 — hair salons and barbershops throughout Marin are allowed to open for standard services that do not involve touching the customer’s face. However, electrology, aesthetician, skincare, cosmetology and massage services are all still postponed.

So in the meantime, don’t inject yourself with any mystery vials (or bleach) and check out these products — including local hair coloring kits, mens items, steals and splurges — that will give you a salon experience at home.

Local Hair Coloring Kits

Edward’s Salon

Perhaps you caught this when it aired on KRON4. Edward’s was one of the first salons to mail color touchup kits to clients back in March, and is continuing to do so.

Miller and Mane

A Best of the County winner, the Mill Valley salon is mailing root touch-up kits as well as products. Email them at millerandmanesalon@gmail.com for more information.

NH2 Salon

This Novato salon is offering virtual consultations, color match guidance and step-by-step support. Get a professional color kit delivered to you with free two-day shipping.

Pampering Products Available Online

This article originally appeared on better.net.

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• Quarantined With COVID-19: Marin County’s Public Health Officer Shares His Experience
• The Ultimate Guide to Cocktails in Marin During the Coronavirus
• Giving Tuesday Now: Here’s How to Donate and Pay It Forward Around Marin

Kasia Pawlowska loves words. A native of Poland, Kasia moved to the States when she was seven. The San Francisco State University creative writing graduate went on to write for publications like the San Francisco Bay Guardian and KQED Arts among others prior to joining the Marin Magazine staff. Topics Kasia has covered include travel, trends, mushroom hunting, an award-winning series on social media addiction, and loads of other random things. When she’s not busy blogging or researching and writing articles, she’s either at home writing postcards and reading or going to shows. Recently, Kasia has been trying to branch out and diversify, ie: use different emojis. Her quest for the perfect chip is a never-ending endeavor.