The Emotional Support Beauty Products That Got Me Through Emergency Surgery
When "look good, feel good" took on a whole new meaning.
I’m going to go ahead and say what we’re all thinking: The headline of this story sounds like something ripped from a Reductress article mocking how out of control our collective obsession with beauty has gotten. But though I’ve long believed that beauty is more than skin deep—so much so that I’ve made an entire career out of it—I never truly realized it’s power until last week, when I was writhing on the floor in pain, searching for one *very* specific moisturizer to throw in my bag before I would let my fiancé take me to the hospital for emergency surgery.
Let me back up just a bit. Last Tuesday night, what had started earlier in the day as a dull pain in my stomach transformed—almost instantly—into the most excruciating agony I have ever experienced in my life. I’m not sure if it’s common knowledge or just something I happen to know because it’s always been a top-tier medical fear of mine, but given the location and intensity of the pain, I realized almost immediately that it was appendicitis.
I collapsed onto the floor and, to put it simply, completely fell apart. I was already crying from the pain, but the stress of an impending surgery and who-could-even-say-how-many days in the hospital gave me a full-blown panic attack. Not only would I have to take time off of work to recover (which, when you’re a freelance writer, means you don’t get paid), but I was also scheduled to leave for my own bridal shower the next day. The only words I could get out through the tears were, “THIS IS SO INCONVENIENT.”
At that point, I didn’t even know if I’d be able to get off the floor and into a car to go to the emergency room, but my brain kicked into overdrive. If I was going to have to spend the next two-plus days in the hospital, what could I grab that would make the whole thing just a little bit less terrible? I forgot my headphones, my laptop, and my contact solution, but by some miracle, my most important beauty products made it into my go bag.
Finding comfort in beauty
Depending on your own personal relationship with beauty, that sentence will either make you nod your head in agreement or roll your eyes in horror. And though there were certainly moments when I wished that I could drown out the sounds of the ER by blasting The Tortured Poets Department directly into my ears (or, ya know, take out my crusty day-old contact lenses), I stand by my choice to snag skincare instead.
I’ve written at length about how critical my beauty practices are to my wellbeing, and that continued to be true in the face of one of the scariest, most stressful moments of my life. There wasn’t a whole lot I could do for myself when I was hooked up to IV and being shuttled from one diagnostic test to another (it was appendicitis, BTW), but massaging my most luxurious moisturizer into my face and applying my favorite flavored lip balm brought me comfort at a time when I was absolutely terrified.
After six hours in the ER, I was admitted into a room where the doctors kept me comfortable until they could squeeze me in for surgery. I was in and out of sleep for most of the time I was there, but when I was able to get up and out of bed, I was grateful to have body wipes to make me feel clean and my favorite scent for a little whiff of home. After the drugs kicked in and I started to feel a little better, I found myself braiding my hair and applying my go-to bronzing serum. Even though I felt like shit, I didn’t want to look like it.
It may sound vain or stupid, but there’s a growing body of research that’s beginning to lend validity to the “look good, feel good” ethos that’s always been a part of my life and work. A small 2023 study found that the simple act of applying facial care products can relax the nervous system, and psychodermatology—a burgeoning field that's been buzzing over the last few years—studies the very real connection between skin and mental health.
But honestly? I don't need science to tell me that the link between beauty and wellbeing is real. I've experienced it enough for myself to know that it is.
Feeling like my best self
The surgery was as easy and uncomplicated as it possibly could have been, and exactly 24 hours later, I was back in my apartment being greeted by the absolute tornado I’d created while whipping through my products the night before (big shout out to my fiancé who cleaned up all of the aftermath because I wasn’t allowed to bend down 😇🫶🏻). I took what can only be described as “the best shower of my life,” coated my body in lotion, and went to bed. The next morning, the first thing I did was straighten my hair and put on a sheet mask, then promptly got back under the covers and slept for the rest of the day.
In the grand scheme of things, my 24 hour medical drama is really NBD. A week later, I’m almost fully recovered, and by some combination of a miracle and my own stubbornness, even made it to my bridal shower three days post-op. But man, that 24 hours really sucked.
Obviously, my ability to track down that one particular moisturizer didn’t take away a single bit of the actual pain, nor would I ever want to suggest that skincare is some magical fix for anyone dealing with something more serious than a routine laparoscopic procedure. But my bag full of beauty products *did* make me feel just a little bit more like myself in a moment when I really, really needed it… and the fact that it kept me looking radiant after surgery was just an added bonus.
My emotional support beauty products
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Micellar Water, $10
Micellar water is the best of the best for cleansing your skin sans sink, which my brain *somehow* processed was something I’d want in the hospital. I’ve got about 15 of these products in my apartment, but reached for this one from Neutrogena because it’s super hydrating (seriously, someone should study my brain) and left me confident that it wouldn’t make my skin even more dry in the face of all that hospital air.
Youth To The People Superberry Hydrate + Glow Dream Mask, $50
To be clear, I wasn’t doing a 12-step routine in the ER. Aside from my cleanser, this was the only true “skincare” product I grabbed on the way out the door—particularly because I knew it would give me everything I needed from a single step.
In terms of actual skin health, this formula is ultra hydrating thanks to ingredients like hyaluronic acid, squalane, and glycerin, which work together to draw moisture into the skin and lock it in. It’s also got an antioxidant complex that protects against environmental stressors (which I honestly can’t say for sure really matters when you’re stuck inside a hospital) and offers some additional brightening benefits.
What really drew me to the product in my moment of need, though, is the absolutely *lush* experience that comes along with applying it. It’s got a nice, thick texture that makes me feel like I’m coating my skin in marshmallow fluff (but melts in almost immediately); a happy yellow color that makes me think of sunshine in a bottle every time I look at it; and a subtle fruity scent that took my brain on a mini vacation out of the ER and into a beach resort breakfast buffet.
Glossier Balm Dotcom Lip Balm and Skin Salve, $16
Glossier’s Balm Dot Com is basically Vaseline with better branding, but there’s a reason why people—including me, who bought this full price—spend $15 for a half an ounce of the stuff.
Like literally any petroleum-jelly based product, it’s incredible at locking moisture into the skin, which is obviously important when you’re hanging out around hospital-grade air purifiers. What makes it worth the (admittedly very high) price point, though, is the sheer joy that comes along with applying it. I’m a “Birthday Cake” girl through and through, and the slight shimmer and sweet flavor make me feel like there’s something worth celebrating… even when that “something” is an official appendicitis diagnosis.
In all honesty, my skin probably would have been happier if I’d stuck with Aquaphor or something similarly-bland (as much as I love this stuff, there’s no chance I’d ever slug my full face with it), but *I* was happier getting a hit of birthday cake and glitter every time my lips needed lubricating.
TULA Skin Care Bronze Boost Glow Bronzing Drops, $34
Putting on makeup felt a little *too* over the top in this particular moment, but I was able to give myself the same “best face forward” feeling ahead of surgery with this bronzing serum from Tula. It’s firmly planted in the complexion-care category with skincare ingredients like hyaluronic acid (for hydration and plumping), niacinamide (for brightening), and copper peptides (for firming), but it goes above and beyond in its instant-enhancing effects. It’s got a gorgeous bronze tint that evens my skin tone and made me feel like a pre-appendectomy goddess (FWIW, I definitely didn’t look like one).
YUNI Beauty Large Body Wipes, $31
I’m a two-a-day shower girl, and the thought of going more than 12 hours without being able to lather and rinse, even after surgery, seriously freaked me out. These shower sheets are my forever favorites for this exact situation—which, until last week, only ever happened on transcontinental flights—for a few different reasons.
First, they’re massive, so I can use a single sheet to cleanse my whole body without having to worry about moving any dirt and grime from one spot to another (I’m realizing as I’m writing this that I may be a bit of a germaphobe, but we’ll dive into that another time). Second, they’re scented with a combination of rose water and cucumber, which makes me feel particularly clean—as does the inclusion of Neen, which works as a natural deodorizer. Finally, they’re biodegradable, so I don’t feel *as* bad about washing myself with something that’s going to go straight in the trash.
Touchland Glow Mist Revitalizing Hand Sanitizer Spray, $16
Hospitals have plenty of hand sanitizer on offer, but I felt lucky that this baby was (as always) already hanging out in the bottom of the random purse I grabbed to take with me. Thanks to a blend of rose, peony, strawberry, and musk, it smells like perfume (not grain alcohol) and is made with skin-friendly ingredients to keep your hands from drying out. That Purell dispenser on the wall could literally never.
Rare Beauty Find Comfort Body & Hair Fragrance Mist, $28
Selena Gomez created this product to give people a sense of comfort, and having it by my side at the hospital made me feel like she’d done so just for me. It’s an earthy, woodsy scent that comes from notes of violet, vetiver, and lemon zest, which offer calming and uplifting benefits. Spritzing it on mentally transports me to my favorite memories from my favorite place—the back deck of my best friend’s beach house, where we’ve spent countless nights curled up in pilly sweatshirts laughing until the sky turned from blue to pink to black—which gave me a much needed break from the reality of being in a hospital room on the upper east side.