Set the mood:
Scent is one of our most potent senses and can truly make or break a mood, so setting up the olfactory atmosphere of your space can really add to creating a relaxing or energising ritual.
“Our response to scent is primarily emotional: it resides in an ancient part of our brains– the amygdala and hippocampus. We seek the scent of flowers, fruit, roots, trees, resin and animals to complete us,” says Marie Aoun, perfumer and founder of local luxury natural fragrance brand Saintd’Ici.
“The more true to form these scents are, the more I believe we respond to them in an emotional way and the more complete they make us feel.
“Depending on the intention, I burn frankincense, myrrh and impepho as it clears both my mind and my senses,” says Aoun.
How to create an At-Home Spa
This Women’s Month, light up that scented candle and pour a glass of your favourite wine as our guide to self-love will help you create the perfect admission for a one-man pamper party.
While we’re out there being “boss babes” in the boardrooms, super-moms and the perfect BFF to our girl gang; taking out some quality time for ourselves is always at the end of our priority list. As women, probably one of the hardest things to do within our busy lives is to pause and take time out just for you. Paying a beauty therapist for a signature treatment at your favourite spa, getting a quick polish-and-go and other forms of aesthetic maintenance may be the modern idea of self-love, but creating a sanctuary in the comfort of your own home and making a weekly ritual out of it is also an easy and equally effective form of self-care. If your social media feed on a Sunday is anything to go by; seeing countless #SelfcareSunday tagged images of women trying out their favourite sheet mask, indulging in a luxurious body treatment or just taking the time out to perform a facial massage, should be the signal that self-love is trending more than ever.
Set the mood:
Scent is one of our most potent senses and can truly make or break a mood, so setting up the olfactory atmosphere of your space can really add to creating a relaxing or energising ritual.
“Our response to scent is primarily emotional: it resides in an ancient part of our brains– the amygdala and hippocampus. We seek the scent of flowers, fruit, roots, trees, resin and animals to complete us,” says Marie Aoun, perfumer and founder of local luxury natural fragrance brand Saintd’Ici.
“The more true to form these scents are, the more I believe we respond to them in an emotional way and the more complete they make us feel.
“Depending on the intention, I burn frankincense, myrrh and impepho as it clears both my mind and my senses,” says Aoun.
Use the right tools:
Use body and facial oils filled with a blend of essential oils. Also try rich and creamy face masks, luxurious body masks, body and facial scrubs. Apply each product slowly, using long fluid strokes in order to enjoy the different textures. Use oils to perform a massage on stressed, tired areas like the hands, feet, the neck and shoulders. Also gently massage around the temples and eyes.
Indulge in a relaxing facial:
After gently removing makeup, apply an enzyme-based exfoliator all over the face and neck with damp fingers. Leave this on for the prescribed time, usually 5-10 minutes. Gently remove all traces of the product. Apply a serum high in hyaluronic acid to the face and neck to boost the moisture content of the skin. Apply a facial mask and cover the eyes with round cotton pads soaked with an alcohol-free toner to refresh. If you’re in the bath, lie back and relax. Once the 10 minutes are over, remove the mask with cool water and apply the facial cream using light strokes.
Use the right tools:
Use body and facial oils filled with a blend of essential oils. Also try rich and creamy face masks, luxurious body masks, body and facial scrubs. Apply each product slowly, using long fluid strokes in order to enjoy the different textures. Use oils to perform a massage on stressed, tired areas like the hands, feet, the neck and shoulders. Also gently massage around the temples and eyes.
Indulge in a relaxing facial:
After gently removing makeup, apply an enzyme-based exfoliator all over the face and neck with damp fingers. Leave this on for the prescribed time, usually 5-10 minutes. Gently remove all traces of the product. Apply a serum high in hyaluronic acid to the face and neck to boost the moisture content of the skin. Apply a facial mask and cover the eyes with round cotton pads soaked with an alcohol-free toner to refresh. If you’re in the bath, lie back and relax. Once the 10 minutes are over, remove the mask with cool water and apply the facial cream using light strokes.
Create an At-Home Spa
Quick showers are great for the busy days in the week but come the weekend, take a little extra time out to indulge in a long, pampering bath ritual. Whether you enjoy performing an aromatic body scrub, applying a detoxing face mask or slathering on scented body oils; these products will help transform your bathroom into your own luxury spa.