Baby, It’s Getting Cold Outside – Cosy up Indoors With This Self-Care Spa Day
Ira is the email marketing specialist at Adore. Likes: lip oils, hand creams, people letting her look up their birth chart, and her cat. Dislikes: when moisturisers smell like roses.
It’s nearly wintertime. Homebodies rejoice!
It’s getting chillier outside and warmer inside, and we’re craving at-home comfort.
While your body and soul may be crying out for a TLC day at the spa, your wallet may tell a different story. What to do?
Let me take you through my, perhaps slightly over-the-top, at-home spa routine.
Like all spas, I’ve separated it into ‘packages’ you can pick and choose.
These are grouped in rough routine order, but as with all things beauty: do what you need and substitute with what works best for you.
Body TLC & Bath Time.
1. Black Chicken Remedies Garshana Dry Body Brush.
Starting from the ends of your limbs and working your way to your heart, gently brush your body in circular motions.
This is going to get you feeling warm and your blood flowing, and it’ll release all that tension you’ve been holding.
Remember: gentle is key.
This is the first step in your spa day and sets the tone.
Breathe deeply as you dry brush, be present, and mindfully take note of the way your body starts to feel.
I like the control you get with this long-handle brush, but any dry brush will do.
As you’re brushing, enjoy the sound of your bathtub filling up with water.
Please, please don’t make the water scorching hot. Especially if you have eczema like I do.
Not only is it bad for your skin, but it’ll cancel out all the gentle massaging you have just done. Relaxing, warm water is the way to go.
2. SALT BY HENDRIX Soak Infusion.
Add two to three tablespoons of this calming Salt by Hendrix soak to your tub. If you don’t have a bath, get a small tub and soak your feet - they deserve it!
Usually, I’m more no-nonsense and go with some good old Epsom salts, but I wanted to try something new so I got this Green Tea infusion.
No lies: I was very pleasantly surprised.
The Dead Sea salt and Himalayan pink salt concoction mixed with the green tea relaxed me into the water instantly.
And, of course, the flowers that open up bring a pleasant aroma and feel to the whole experience.
3. Weleda Relaxing Body Oil - Lavender.
Getting out of the tub, reach for this Weleda body oil instantly and start to rub it into damp skin.
Weleda products are luxuriously buttery, which can make them tricky to rub onto dry skin.
With your body still damp, pump this into your hands, take a moment to smell the relaxing lavender, and apply. It’ll dry in no time but your skin will feel smooth and nourished.
Alternatively, if Weleda is too rich for your liking try the CeraVe Moisturising Cream 340g.
Hair Rejuvenation.
1. Christophe Robin Purifying Mask with Thermal Mud.
If thermal mud spas are what you’re craving, look no further than this purifying mask for your hair.
You’ve got a couple of options on how to use this, but I usually go for the full experience: apply the mask from root to tip and leave it on for 15 minutes.
It does harden a bit so washing it off is a process you simply have to embrace, but it’s worth it.
2. Christophe Robin Hydrating Shampoo with Aloe Vera.
The mud mask is intense, so I like to follow it up with a very simple, hydrating shampoo and conditioner.
The Christophe Robin Aloe Vera products have been on my list to try for a while, especially with a customer review like this to back it up:
“I have an itchy scalp and get reactions with a lot of shampoos! this is super gentle and helps clean my hair, without stripping my scalp of its natural oils. great product."
3. STRAAND Microfibre Hair Towel.
This feels almost too simple to include in the list but if you haven’t got a microfibre hair towel yet, this is your gentle reminder to add one to cart.
This STRAAND towel is so soft and dries hair in no time, frizz-free!
4. Kérastase Nutritive 8HR Magic Night Hair Serum.
This is my absolute favourite hair product (excuse the empty bottle in the photo but also take it as proof of my love).
Firstly, it smells like the salon, so emotionally I instantly feel pampered.
Secondly, it’s beautifully hydrating and brings my hair’s natural wave back without weighing down my fine hair.
*Chef’s kiss.*
Facial Massage.
Now that your body is warmed up, your hair is rejuvenated and held out of your face, it’s time to wash all the sweat.
Go in with your usual cleanse, remembering to massage your cleanser for at least 60 seconds, followed by your usual serum.
1. La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5+.
I have dehydrated, sensitive skin so the colder months call for the heavy-duty stuff.
Cicaplast Baume is my winter-time GOAT.
Once my serum is soaked in, I go in with a relatively thin layer of the baum (a little goes a long way).
It feels soft and clean, and has no fragrance, which is exactly what I’m looking for in a moisturiser.
2. The Jojoba Company Australian Jojoba.
Apply two pumps of this soothing face oil over your moisturiser.
I love this Jojoba Company face oil for its rich, nourishing ingredients: vitamins A, D and E and omegas 6 and 9.
Plus, it smells wonderfully earthy so a great addition to a spa vibe.
3. Clarins Resculpting Flash Roller.
Look, do you need a facial massage tool in order to do some lymph node drainage? No, you can just use your knuckles.
Does this easy-to-use Clarins tool make depuffing the face easier and feel more fancy? Yes.
Personally, the way the rollers feel across my cheekbones and jawline makes the pamper worth the price.
As we did with the dry brush, use sweeping motions in one direction and remember to be gentle with your skin.
Final Thoughts.
Now that you’re clean, you’re warm, you’re doughnut-glazed and smelling like lavender, there’s one more act of self-care you need to give to round it all out. You have to compliment yourself.
I know it’s so naff but I promise it’ll make your heart feel good.
You’ve given the physical self-care, the emotional is just as important.
Tell yourself you love yourself, then off you pop into a warm bed to catch up on your fave shows with a cuppa.
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