When you want to splurge on self-care, price isn't the only indicator of quality. That's why we asked beauty blogger Rich of The Skincare Stooge (@theskincarestooge) for his top picks to create a sense of luxury in your own home. He says:
Since the world turned on its head a year ago, making time for both a mental and physical re-set (in between homeschooling hell and lockdown cabin-fever, plus all the rest of life's challenges) has never been more important!
As we can't currently get out to the spa, we've had to bring the spa into our homes, turning our bathrooms into a mini sanctuary where we can shut the door on our problems and drift off, if just for a few precious moments. These are my top picks for some luxury home self-care.
No self-respecting home spa is complete without a soothing scent, and my top pick in this category is Byredo’s Wood. As we know forest bathing is the activity for relaxing the mind and revitalizing the body, but what do you do when you don’t have a forest nearby?
Light this beautiful candle and luxuriate in the earthy, grounding notes of cedarwood and the sweet musk of ambroxan. Breathe deep, and you could be in a leafy, soothing forest in mere moments. And as an added bonus? These make great storage or plant pots once used!
I like to layer up my fragrance when creating my home spa vibes. That's why I regularly look to one of my fave eco lux brands, African Botanics, to transform my bath water into a therapeutic and de-stressing lagoon.
Here, sea algae, green clay, and sea salt soothe tired muscles and comfort tired minds, while the scent of geranium, patchouli, and jasmine instantly calm. And what's more - this softens and moisturizes the skin beautifully, too, so you can even skip your body lotion if you're feeling lazy!
Aesop knows how to deliver on looks; although, that doesn’t mean they’re all style and no substance - oh no! Their supersize washes are a regular in my house and bring a touch of luxury to the everyday.
My pick is their geranium body wash that not only tantalizes the senses with bergamot, mandarin and the headliner (geranium), but it also leaves your skin soft as a kitten. An added bonus? It lasts for ages, too, so it's actually a good value for your money!
For those times where you feel like you're in need of an amped-up cleanse, why not make use of a natural sea sponge with your body wash? It provides a thorough yet gentle exfoliation, especially useful around knobbly knees and feet!
It does so with the gentlest of touches. In fact, it'll leave skin smooth as Lionel Richie on Valentine’s Day. The best part? These are 100% sustainable, so they can boost your eco-credentials.
Based in NY but drawing on ancient Ayurvedic wisdom, Taila creates beautiful products which not only care for your skin but also soothe your soul.
The Mukha botanical cleanser is my go-to oil ‘first’ cleanse. It has the perfect consistency; great ingredients such as turmeric, papaya, lavender, and sesame; and rinses clean away with water. This is perfect for a de-stressing facial massage!
For my second cleanse, I pick this liquid balm from German skincare experts at Royal Fern. This uniquely textured cleanser does a perfect job of nourishing while cleansing.
Featuring the brand's signature antioxidant Fern complex plus vitamin c and hyaluronic acid, this is more than a cleanser - it’s a treatment! It’s also in a supersize and highly concentrated, so will last you for an age.
A bath for me isn’t a full self-care experience without a pampering face mask, and what better mask to treat yourself to than May’s cult favorite, The Honey Mud?
This cocoa honey gloop makes short work of problem skin with silver, honey enzymes, and salicylic from wintergreen. And yet, it does so much more. Not only does it give you impossibly soft skin; it also feels and smells heavenly to apply - almost addictive! This multi-tasker also makes a great cleanser.
We’ve talked a lot about face and body care, but let’s not leave our poor hair and scalp out of the self-care party! My top pick for a good weekly detox is the Briogeo Scalp Scrub.
Using charcoal, micro-exfoliators, peppermint, coconut, and panthenol, this makes short work of dry, itchy, and flakey scalps with a satisfyingly fresh treatment. Added bonus: this also removes product build-up and revives color!
Once fully detoxed, it's time to inject some mega moisture with Briogeo's now-iconic Don’t Despair, Repair! Conditioning Mask.
With a super concentrated blend of botanicals, biotin, hydrolyzed proteins, and lux oils, just 30 minutes of luxuriating in your bath spa transforms even the most depressed of locks into a glorious mane! This will also make your hair 75% stronger than comparable treatments.
What better way to finish off this luxurious self-care experience than with this handmade creation straight from the Tuscan hills in Italy? I love this brand's approach to beauty. They create all of their products in-house with ingredients from their dedicated farm and state-of-the-art laboratory.
This light yet nourishing lotion makes use of probiotics and thermal waters to soothe and smooth skin both instantly and long-term. It's simply heavenly! These lux green glass bottles also make for a great handwash bottle once empty.
In reality, you don't need everything from this list. The most important part of effective self-care is to put aside some regular time just for you where you can switch off, forget your worries and take a deep breath. And if you can add in a luxury treat here or there, all the better! Enjoy and pamper yourself.
Household goods
Home electronics, PC, camera
Cosmetics and skincare
Food and drinks
Kitchen supplies
Clothing
Shoes
Accessories
Kids and baby
Interior and furniture
Hobbies
Outdoor
DIY and tools
Sports and fitness
Pets
Books, CDs, DVDs
Games
Cars and motorcycles
Gifts
Housing equipment and renovation
Smartphones and mobile phones
Mobile data
Investment and asset management
Credit cards and loans
Insurance
Music
Smartphone applications