Personal care is all kinds of actions and products that are made for your well-being. Although everything in that sense is included, the self-care industry has classified it into different types.
It will depend on the age and conditions of the person, the type of products or services, and so on. Considering that, this is what you can find about what exactly is personal care in different situations.
Personal care as a service
In general, as a service, personal care refers to assistance offered to seniors, the elderly, and disabled people. Such services are aimed to help them care about their personal life.
These activities may include grooming, dressing, daily chores, eating, walking, beauty routines, ingesting medicines, following schedules, and even using the restroom. Some people require personal care for every activity. And others require some specific tasks.
Where are personal care services provided?
Sometimes these services are provided at home and sometimes they are provided in special facilities. There are nursing homes and elder care institutions that offer these services. They have professionals trained to deal with and manage people with these needs.
Because offering personal care requires knowing people, good communication, and other techniques that guarantee good services. Relatives may also provide basic personal care to their family members. But when people have special needs due to their age or condition, it might be better to use special facilities.
How to choose personal care services
Choosing personal care services is a very important decision. Frequently, they are oriented to take care of the family or close relatives. If you need to select some of these services, looking for professionals is the best option.
You should not confuse them with nursing homes. Instead, personal care services are more oriented to help people who can still be part of the process. In some countries, there are places designed and licensed to offer personal care services. On the other hand, places like nursing homes, combine personal care activities with medical care.
Personal care as products
The market is full of products for personal care. They consist of cosmetics and hygienic elements formulated to enhance consumers´ physical and psychological well-being as well as their aesthetic appearance.
Such products may include lotions and creams, powders, makeup, oils, soaps, deodorants, shampoos, nail polishers, toothpaste, deodorants, moisturizers, and sun blockers, among others. They can be applied to different parts of the body and the formulas are prepared to cover different aspects and conditions. For instance, different types of skin, hair, or teeth.
Formulas of products for personal care
Products for personal care are made with different ingredients and formulas. Some of them contain chemicals and preservatives. And others are made of natural ingredients. It is important to know about this because components of the products are absorbed by the body.
Hence, when you buy products for personal care, you know what kind of reaction to expect. Nowadays, about 80% of the ingredients of personal care products are not fully tested or regulated. As a result, the industry of natural products is growing up. However, the differences between some terms are not clear. For instance, “natural”, “eco-friendly”, green, etc.
How to choose products for personal care
The main goal when you choose products for personal care is to avoid overexposure to chemical substances. Hence, the number one rule is to read the labels of the products. Besides checking the ingredients, it is important to verify the amount included. Overall, exposure to these ingredients has effects in the long term.
But still can produce immediate reactions like allergies and similar. If you opt for natural formulas, you should still check the ingredients. Since the ingredients are not fully regulated yet, you might want to confirm that you are obtaining real “natural” ingredients.
In short, products and services for personal care are always oriented to help people, no matter their condition or needs.
