Keeping Beauty On Mom's To-Do List

Apparently, there's no "me" in "mommy." A recent survey revealed that the seemingly never-ending demands of family, work and household duties often cause moms to neglect their own beauty routines.

In fact, some might say this selflessness is reaching surprising proportions. The survey found that 75 percent of moms have skipped their own showers to take care of their children's needs-with one-fourth confessing that they have actually gone three days or longer without showering.

If that's not hair-raising evidence that a beauty intervention is in fast order, consider this: Nearly half of moms claim that they have gone seven months or more without a haircut, and almost two-thirds (61 percent) admit to wearing sweatpants or ponytails more often now that they're moms.

The survey, called the Suave Beauty Monitor Survey, polled moms across the country. Here are some additional results:

The Beauty Lowdown on Mom's To-Do List

While it's not overly surprising that moms are putting their children and families first, somewhere in the unwritten guide to motherhood, beauty seems to have been pushed to the back burner. Only 13 percent of moms say that beauty has not taken a backseat to their family's needs. In fact, when asked to rank activities on their regular to-do lists, taking care of appearance falls close to the bottom of most moms' lists-with doing the laundry, having leisure time and shopping for themselves falling below it. The result of this selflessness may be taking its toll, as 50 percent of moms admit that their personal appearance has become worse or more difficult since having kids.

"On our show, I see moms all the time sacrificing their beauty and personal needs for the benefit of their families," says Stacy London, host from TLC's popular makeover show, "What Not to Wear." "The truth is that personal beauty does have a place within motherhood, and all moms should look like they have it all, including looking their best."

Beauty at a Price

Despite this desire to feel beautiful, more than half of moms (55 percent) view spending time on their beauty as a luxury. However, the Beauty Monitor Survey revealed that it's not just about lack of time. When asked what they would do with an extra $50 in their monthly budgets, 59 percent of moms said they would spend it on items for the kids and family such as clothes or shoes for the kids, groceries for the family or toys and school supplies for the children. A mere 14 percent said they would spend it on themselves-with even less (2 percent) saying they would spend it on beauty products.

"First off, let's be honest that looking good does take at least some investment of time and money. But, that doesn't have to mean big bucks or long hours slaving away in front of a mirror," says London. "Some small, simple steps can go a long way in helping mom get beauty back on her list. For instance, I suggest using beauty products like Suave that work, but don't cost an arm, leg and your child's college tuition." She says the beauty brand offers moms guilt-free beauty through a wide range of products at a great price. The brand is urging moms across the country to make a commitment to themselves and to embrace motherhood and beauty simultaneously.

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