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Taraji P. Henson understands self-care.
Morgan Johnson; Getty Images / Noam Galai / Stringer; Product images courtesy of the brands
As a black woman, she feels she has no other choice.
The actor knows that mental health and wellness isnt all bubble baths and yoga.
Its also therapy, support, and having the appropriate resources.
And getting a good night of sleep.
Sleep is so, so important, she says in ourSleeping With…interview.
(Henson has spoken openly about her own struggles with anxiety and depression.)
Clearly, theres a lot going on in her brain.
My mind races, so I have to slow it down, she says.
Heres what a night in Chicago full of scalp care and cuddling looks like for Henson.
I have that cooking up while Im getting ready for bed.
It steeps for five minutes, and its done.
I take it into my room.
It is the best sleep ever.
Im about to finish the second season ofKilling Eve.
I also just finishedThe Righteous Gemstones.
I have to finishThe Spy.
Thats the one I cant watch at night.
My fiance finished the whole thing.
But I usually have a timer on the TV.
On her shooting schedule
Its different every week.
There are some times where Ive got to be in the chair at 5:30 in the morning.
They attempt to be sweet to me.
Theyll put another scene ahead, if they can.
Theyll give me some rest.
I usually end up going to sleep at about 10 p.m., 11 p.m. Because if my fiance comes in after me, of course I want to stay up and talk.
So it just depends.
And I always gauge it by what time I have to wake up the next day.
I wipe until I see a light residue.
That way I know its all off.
And then I go through with myexfoliant Biore scrub.
It comes in a toothpaste squeeze bottle.
I dont even do facials.
On her healthy hair routine
For me, healthy hair starts with a healthy scalp.
If you cant take care of where your hair is growing from, youre fucked.
So I start off with my exfoliant scrub,Never Salty.
Never Salty is a play on words.
Of course its not saltsalt is drying.
Its a sugar scrub.
So I start off with that.
And I part my hair into sections because I attempt to cover as much scalp as possible.
I apply it, and then I massage my scalp really, really good.
But I dont scrubI just massage.
It literally feels like your scalp is munching on a Peppermint Patty.
So I take the towel and the cap off, and I wash that out.
I top it off with theMaster Cleanse shampoofor the scalp.
I wash that out.
And then I finish with theMint Conditionerfor the scalp.
So you exfoliate, shampoo, and then you condition the scalp.
I sleep with a satin cap.
I dont even know where I got it from.
Im just a creature of habit.
I got it from a Sallys Beauty Supply store somewhere.
I dont even know.
Its a black satin cap.
I have several of them.
And I also havesatin pillow casesfrom Bed Bath & Beyond.
On sharing the bed
[My fiance and I] do a lot of cuddling.
But I love that.
Something about that makes me feel so safe.
I turn off the heat in the bedroom.
And its cold in Chicago right now.
I dont leave the window openwe live right on the lake, so that window is cold enough.
I dont use any tech stuff.
I mean, my iPad and my phone.
But I dont sleep with it.
Its just charging on the nightstand.
We have a fireplace in the bedroom, so K-Ball sleeps by the fireplace.
He likes that direct heat.
He loves getting on the sofa with us.
But we wouldnt sleep well with K-Ball in the bed.
He has prickly hairs.
You know, the little short ones?
Hed have me itching forever.
I go to this store in Chicago calledTails in the Citywhere I buy a lot of his clothes.
He gets groomed atKrisers.
Its walking distance from the house.
They all love him, and thats where we get a lot of his treats.
I noticed even on my breaks, I used to stay up on set for that hour.
But I rest because Cookies emotional.
She stretches my emotions, and then I have to go home and deal with my own emotions.
So I find myself now sleeping on my hour lunch break.
In my trailer I have this faux-fur blanket that is so luxurious.
K-Ball takes over it.
I have to kick him off.
I have to say, You have to lie on top of me.
We have to get in the blanket together basically.
