4 Beauty Experts Share Their Top Mental Health & Wellness Practices

With therapy stigmatized and wellness seen as a privilege, mental health is often left untreated in the Black community. Despite Black people being 20 percent more likely to have mental health issues (often as a result of racial, systemic, and generational trauma), only 25 percent seek mental health treatments, with Whites seeking help almost twice as much, at 40 percent. 

However, beauty >“In The Chair With” series, hairstylists often say beauty is like therapy for their clients, making biweekly self-care appointments one of the most common mental health and wellness practices for Black women. But, wellness is a daily practice, happening more than just every other week. 

“The biggest wellness lesson I’ve learned is that wellness doesn’t have to be big or grand,” founder of Black Skin Directory Dija Ayodele tells ESSENCE. “It’s actually about the small, consistent things you do for yourself every day—the quiet rituals that nobody but you sees that build up your mental health reserves over time.”

From taking nature walks to being present, and even saying “no” more, mental health means finding room for you in every moment. In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, four beauty experts share their top mental health and wellness practices below.

A post shared by Dija Ayodele (@dija_ayodele)

“My earliest wellness-related memories are really tied to how you look after yourself on the outside to feel better on the inside. I remember following my mum to the beauty salon—she’d sit in the chair, get her nails and hair done, and the other women would fuss over her. It was more than just grooming—it was care, it was affirmation. 

When I started going too, and sitting in that chair myself, having someone work on me made me feel good from the inside out. But beyond that, I realize now how much community played a role in those moments. The salon was a space where you could debrief, get things off your chest, laugh with other women who just got it, understood what you were talking about culturally, emotionally. It was healing in more ways than one.

I used to watch how my mum would leave the salon—she looked ten feet taller, her back straighter, her chin lifted, almost invincible. And I felt that too, especially after I got my hair done (even if it was just bangs) I’d walk out feeling like I was on top of the world.”

“Wellness practices massively impact my mental health and how I feel about myself and even my place in the world. When I take the time to look after myself, to prioritize me, it changes everything. It reminds me that I matter. As an entrepreneur, a mother, a wife, a friend—I’m often giving so much of myself away. So those moments of wellness are more than just nice-to-haves. They’re the times I can actually put myself first, even if just for a short while. And that makes a huge difference to how I move through the world: more grounded, more centered, controlled and with a deeper sense of self.”

“My top mental health and wellness practices are really simple, but deeply impactful. I live near a nature reserve, so I’ll often go for a walk—just me, no music, no podcasts—just nature and my thoughts. That silence brings me a lot of clarity and peace. It’s a reset. I also love a shower at any time of day, especially when I’m not feeling my best. There’s something about literally washing away that heaviness. It’s symbolic but also very real. After that, I take my time to lotion my body. It’s not rushed. I’ll take care to lotion my feet, the areas that often get overlooked because it’s about putting goodness and positivity back into myself, building myself up in a world that can feel quite harsh at times.

Washing and caring for my hair is another act of wellness for me. When I feel depleted, this is something I do to pour back into myself. It’s restorative. And honestly, the older I’ve gotten, the more I’ve prioritized sleep as a cornerstone of my wellness. It has a direct impact on my mental health: how I feel, how I show up, how I interpret what’s happening in my life. So now, I protect my sleep because it’s one of the most powerful tools I have. I also say ‘no’. A lot. And without explanation. Again, the older I’ve gotten the more I realize that saying no isn’t about being mean or difficult, it’s also about self preservation which is part of my wellness.”

“My advice to anyone trying to get into wellness or mental health practices is: start small. It doesn’t have to be big or elaborate. It could be something as simple as setting aside five minutes a day to rub oil into your dry cuticles, or spending a few quiet moments massaging thick moisturizer into the soles of your feet. Even just committing to brushing your teeth every night – that’s wellness, too.

It’s about intention, not perfection. Choose one thing and do it consistently. Once it becomes part of your routine, you can build another habit on top of that, and another. That’s habit stacking – and over time, you’ll have a whole toolkit you can call on when you need it most.

I’d also shout out Myleik Teele and her podcasts. In recent years, I’ve found her words to carry such a gentle touch – they really speak to me and help restore me. And that’s part of wellness too: finding people who can accompany you on your journey. Finding community. That might mean actively joining something, or it might simply be listening quietly and taking strength from it. You don’t always have to speak – just knowing you’re not alone can be deeply nourishing.”

A post shared by Mamy Mbaye Polk (@mamymbaye)

“My wellness practices serve as the baseline to check in with myself and know how I’m doing. Am I doing my skincare routine? Have I gone to yoga? Am I journalling? I notice that if I’m letting go of these things, I’m usually in a really low space and re-prioritizing them is oftentimes the first step to making it to a better headspace.”

“Yoga has become really important to me, I work from home and can spend endless hours sitting at my desk so it’s a practice that’s forced me to be more present and truly focus on myself for those 60 minutes. It also helps that I found a Black-owned studio that’s made it easy to feel welcome and comfortable. Another practice I’ve come to love is my washday. It used to bring me so much anxiety but streamlining my routine and finding the products that work for me has turned it into this weekly ritual that makes me feel ready and confident to take on everything that’s on my plate.” 

“Be gentle with yourself. It sounds so simple but it’s been incredibly difficult for me to do over the years. I took a break from work last year and focused on building some wellness habits – at first I treated them like tasks on a to-do list, being harsh on myself when I didn’t meet my 4 yoga class/week goal but I quickly realized that needed to change. Now, I just try my best to carve out the space in my day to be gentle with myself whether it be through taking that walk or forcing myself to close my laptop and just embrace rest over productivity.” 

“Start somewhere – it’s not easy to build up a new habit so just start with whatever is accessible to you at that moment. I never used to journal because I found it daunting and thought I had nothing to write about but I challenged myself to write two sentences about how I feel every day when I was on that break and ended up with pages and journals target="_blank"> View this post on Instagram

A post shared by tomi (@tomiandrizzy)

“My earliest wellness ‘aha’ was spotting my mom back from a London trip, lacing up her sneakers at sunrise, and just running around our neighborhood in Lagos. I remember thinking, why is she doing this… back then it wasn’t very normal to be running around for no reason but she was on this health kick.” 

“I actually have acute depression, which, as a Nigerian, has been a long road to acceptance. However, on days I feel that gloom creeping in, a quick dance party in my living room or a jog around the block literally flips the switch. Moving my body lifts the fog and reminds me I’ve still got full-on person energy in me.”

“Random Dance Breaks: No choreography—just me, the music, and some wild moves. Instant mood booster.

Easy Neighborhood Walks: I’ll pop in my earbuds, wander aimlessly, and suddenly half my worries are gone.

Morning Jogs: When I’m feeling ambitious, I hit the pavement—hello, fresh air!

Music on Repeat: If you walk into my home, there is a good chance I have afrobeats or bollywood on full blast, and that’s because their sounds almost instinctively spark joy and lift your energy whenever you hear them.”

“Forget grand commitments. Just step outside, walk for a few minutes, and notice how it feels. That tiny spark is all you need to start.”

The post 4 Beauty Experts Share Their Top Mental Health & Wellness Practices appeared first on Essence.