Self Care is a topic I've wanted to explore here on the blog for a long time! And with what feels like a million things to do right now-- between opening my first commercial studio, hiring my first employee, renovating my 1980's fixer upper, and planning my backyard wedding I need other things in my life to be easy. That goes for self care too. If it isn't easy I'm honestly just not doing it right now with the other big things I'm juggling. 

When I began hearing about jade rollers I thought they might fit nicely into my easy-things-only self care routine. But first I had a lot of questions, and when I mentioned jade rollers to my friends they echoed those same points. The most basic being, Why use a jade roller? And do they work? 

To learn more I spoke with Emily, founder of Urban Oreganics, an organic skin care company I've long admired over on instagram. Her images are so lovely and totally capture the easy care vibe I'm into these days. She hooked me up with a jade roller and her Eye Serum to use with the roller so I could try these products for myself. My verdict: Love. 

While I had Emily I asked her about her self care routine. I suspected that she'd be tight on time too, as a mom, and business owner who also happens to be in the middle of renovating her home. If you're reading this and you're struggling to make time for self care, you're not alone. Turns out it's a struggle for most of us. Here's what Emily had to say about her self care routine:

"As a mom of two toddlers, and an entrepreneur, my self care routine tends to ebb and flow. I naturally put everyone else before myself. But recently I've been better about waking up early so I can have some me time. Whether it's reading a few pages of a book, sipping a cup of tea, or applying a quick facial mask. It's an hour a day where I do something just for me. While this may not seem like "self care", it's exactly what I need to start my day on the right foot."

I think it's the making time part that's important. Whether it's five minutes or an hour. Taking those moments to check in with yourself are so important. And that's one of the reasons I've come to love my jade roller. Gently rolling the smooth, cold jade stones on my face feels very soothing, and after a few uses I began to notice my eyes were less puffy, the dark circles fainter, and my wrinkles seemed to be less noticeable! I asked Emily about the benefits of using a jade roller and her response confirmed my experience:

"Jade is a semi-precious gemstone used in traditional Chinese medicine. It enhances circulation, de-puffs the eye area, improves skin elasticity, treats acne, and will even define cheekbones, jawline, and brows!" 

I paired the Urban Oreganics Eye Serum with the jade roller and the skin around my eyes felt replenished. I can't think of a better word to describe my experience. I asked Emily about the benefits of her Eye Serum:

"Our eye serum contains only 4 all natural/*organic/vegan ingredients, with the following benefits:

. Sweet almond oil*: anti-aging, reverses/protects against UV damage, reduce hyper pigmentation

. Evening primrose oil*: moisturizes, improves skin health, treats acne, reduce hyper pigmentation

. Carrot seed oil*: revitalizes and tones skin

. Non-GMO vitamin e oil: protects and repairs skin

In addition to using it as an actual eye serum, it can also be used as an eye makeup remover, full body moisturizer, bath oil, or my favorite - as a mix-in with our cleansing grains (facial cleanser) or facial masks. You can also add a few drops of essential oil for additional benefits."

So that's a lot to rave about. But let's take this back to the short on time thing. Is it easy to fit jade rolling into my self care routine? Absolutely! This is how my daily jade rolling breaks down: I softly roll beneath my eyes in the morning after waking up to de-puff (it feels so soothing). This is a quick, gentle massage beneath my eyes for maybe 20 seconds on each eye. In the evening I use a couple drops of Eye Serum with my jade roller, rolling first around my eyes and then my forehead, and jaw. This easy routine takes less than a couple minutes, and it's basically like a short session facial massage twice a day!

I've already received comments from family members and friends who have noticed my usually dark purple circles beneath my eyes are fainter, and that the skin around my eyes look younger, the wrinkles less noticeable. I'll take it.

Want to give jade rolling a try? Emily is sharing a 15% off code on the entire Urban Oreganics site just for Suite One Studio fans! Use code: SOS15 at checkout between now and 6/30/18. I"ll take one of these cheeky pouches! I hope you enjoy her products as much as I do, and that you take time for your own self care!

xoxo Lindsay

A big thank you to Urban Oreganics for sending me a jade roller and Eye Serum to try in exchange for sharing my real experience with their products! Just like all of our sponsored content, we only share products we've tried and loved!