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Health

13th Mar 2021

Lockdown life (still): 5 stress-relieving beauty products I love right now

Trine Jensen-Burke

stress-relieving beauty products

I don’t know about you, but I am all about self-care these days.

Online shopping has become my new best friend, and what I am finding myself clicking home, more so than anything, are gorgeous, treat-yo-self wellness- and beauty products, all designed to take some of the stress out of these very different days.

The evenings, when my children go to bed, have become my little sanctuary. Where some look forward to wine o-clock, I am now all about bath o’clock, carefully planning my ‘wind down’ session with military precision. Some nights I do a sheet mask, other nights I give myself a foot soak, followed by a little mani-pedi. I have candles burning, oil diffusing and am literally living my very best beauty journalist life these days – and here is why I think we should all be doing more of just that.

Simply by taking time for ourselves, be it in the bathtub, or just shutting the door and doing some meditation in the privacy of our bedrooms, indulging in some self-care and calming rituals have so many benefits to our health, both mental and physical – and will go a long way in helping us feel less stressed and anxious about the current state of things around us.

Ready to become a self-care queen yourself? Here are five gorgeous stress-relieving beauty products to click home right this minute:

1. Kotanical ‘Still’ Rollerball

I am obsessed with this Irish brand, and cannot even start my evening ritual without their oil diffuser and beautiful, organic essential oils.

One product I simply cannot live without right now is their ‘Still’ rollerball, the perfect little wellness buy to create a soothing atmosphere in a stressful environment.

The calming notes of vetiver, geranium and citrus will encourage a moment of stillness. Whenever I am starting to feel a little stressed or overwhelmed, I simply apply a little bit of this to my palms, gently rub my hands together and place over my nose and breathe deeply.

Seriously – instant calm and serenity – you really need to try this for yourself.

Alternatively, you can also roll this gorgeous oil blend on pulse points (wrist, temples) inhale and exhale.

€22, Kotanical.ie

2. Votary Antidote Bath and Body Oil

Every night is has become bath night, and this oil plays a large part in my new evening ritual. The Antidote Bath Oil consists of sweet almond oil, which is intensely rich in Vitamin E for deep down hydration of the skin, while the lavender works as a natural soother to encourage rest and recovery. As well as this, it also contains chamomile to help you to unwind and feel calm.

All I do is add three to four pumps to a warm bath, sink in and enjoy the soothing fragrance. After my bath, I gently towel dry and smooth the remaining oil over my limbs for even more intense hydration

€97, Votary.co.uk

3. Nunaia Nourishing Radiance Serum

Another Irish company you just need to become aware of, especially right now.

I am obsessed with this facial serum, there is no other word to describe how much I love it and have loved since the very first time I tried it. The scent, the feel of it, the texture of it – and most importantly, how it makes my skin look and feel – it is the best money I have ever spent on a beauty product ever.

Nunaia’s Nourishing Radiance Serum is made with exciting, new ingredients from the Peruvian Rainforest and Andes Mountains. It’s deeply moisturising and created to help balance the skin’s natural moisture levels, reduce redness and the appearance of inflammation and enhance skin tone and texture.

I also love how it comes with instructions on how to make a ritual out of applying it in the evening, realising the power of rituals when it comes to feeling calm, centred and connected. This, to me anyway, has become the favourite part of my evening, I take my time cleansing my skin properly (as it happens, Nunaia also has the most amazing new cleansing balm and it’s a dream!), then applying this serum while giving myself a little face massage in the process. The result? My skin looks so glowy and fresh, and feels completely nourished.

€79, Nunaia.com

4. This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray

The perfect, perfect buy if you a struggling to sleep these days. This Works’ Deep Sleep Pillow Spray is a cult product for a reason, and if you have yet to try it: This dreamy pillow spray has been proven to help you drift off faster, sleep deeper and wake up feeling more refreshed and awake come morning.

Sounds amazing? It really is.

In fact, I love nothing more than crawling into my bed with my sheets smelling gently of this gorgeous, fresh spray with hints of lavender – like – there isn’t a hotel bed in this world that tempts me as much as my own bed when I am using this wonder spray!

€47, Marksandspencer.com

5. Rose Quartz Gua Sha

If you have yet to hear or try gua sha, now is truly the time.

In short, a gua sha is both a skincare tool (most often made from stone, like rose quartz or jade) and also the name of the facial massage you give yourself with when using this tool. Gua sha is renowned to help tone, firm and stimulate the skin, and is perfect for using with your daily skincare to help improve your complexion.

I love using this gua sha tool with the Nunaia serum above, and it feels like the perfect way to end my day and get ready for bed.

Using very gentle strokes, glide the Gua Sha up the side of your neck from your collarbone to just underneath your ear to encourage lymph drainage. Massage from the centre of your face by your nose outward towards your cheeks, taking care around the eyes. Then, proceed to massage down your chin and gently sweep outwards to your ear and upwards on the forehead.

€26, TheWhiteCompany.com