Self-made in the USA. Stephanie Lee (she / they) is the CEO and founder of selfmade, a personal care brand that develops products alongside BIPOC mental health experts and also cultivates beauty rituals with emotional intelligence in mind. As Stephanie says, “When you feel good, you look good—not the other way around.”

Here, we chat about dumplings (the best food, TBH), the importance of setting boundaries, and how our bedtime outfit can help set the mood.

5 P.M. When I commuted, I took my bra and pants off immediately upon arriving home. Now that I’m working from home all the time, switching from work mode requires more intentionality. I usually update my to-do list from the day / week, take a look at the next day’s schedule, and then take my dogs outside. Moving to different spaces, especially into nature, helps me shift my mindset.

6 P.M. If I don’t eat by this time, I get hangry and it’s a problem. If I get to choose where we go, it usually involves Vietnamese or dumplings. I love any type of dumpling: dim sum, gyoza, mandu, ravolis, perogies. If it’s in a small little pocket, I’ll eat it. Otherwise we do a pretty standard meal delivery subscription to keep things easy during the week.

7 P.M. My biggest lesson from launching a business during the pandemic (and in life) is to create boundaries—mentally, physically, and emotionally. I have an intentional boundary of making sure I mentally distance myself from work, whether it’s through working out, hiking, reading books, or mindlessly watching TV. Mental distance gives us the opportunity to zoom out and to check in on what we truly need, so that our emotional decision-making is aligned.

10 P.M. If I’m not too tired or lazy (just keeping it real), I wash the day off with Gallinée Foaming Facial Cleanser. I love the sensorial experience of the foam gliding across my skin. Then I like to ruin that mood by microneedling my face, which can feel masochistic. I love Chanel’s Hydra Beauty Essence Mist—which has micro-fine droplets—as a nice foundation for selfmade’s Secure Attachment Comfort Serum. To seal in hydration overnight, I love to use Utama Spice Tamanu Oil, which I found in Indonesia. Sometimes I get saucy and actually use our selfmade Self Disclosure Intimacy Serum instead. I like to finish it off with an occasional melatonin gummy and nose spray.

10:30 P.M. I have quiet time with myself. I love when there’s no talking and the vibe is super cozy and chill. It gives me time to tinker around in my mind, process the day, reflect on moments and how I felt, make notes for my future self, or follow the trail of a creative thought. It’s quite fun and really satisfying.

11:30 P.M I put on the right pajamas because I like to dress for the mood. Then I talk to my husband about our day and any big thoughts for some connection. I also make sure to say goodnight to the dogs. Lastly, I take deep breaths to ground into my body, and write myself a quick email to clear my mind of any last thoughts. Oh, and shoutout to my bomb a** sleep doctor Dr. Deshpande for helping me figure out the “sleeping” part of my nightly routine.