If you’re anything like me when Valentine’s Day rolls round you’re just shocked its only February. Most of us are back to reality after the holiday period, catching up on the work we missed and setting goals for the rest of the year. The end result? February can feel more frantic than romantic. Whether you’re single or coupled up we recommend using Valentine’s Day as an opportunity to reset, unwind and set your intentions for the rest of the year.
Read on for some super-luxe skincare treats that will make spending Valentine’s Day mindfully (and indulgently) totally irresistible.
Soak away your troubles:
The therapeutic benefits of bathing are well documented but it is something that can be hard to make time for. However, taking a bath is a great way to psychologically disengage from the cares and worries of the day. Hot water increases blood flow while the mere act of submersion calms the nervous system. Maximise your bathing with African Botanics Kalahari Bath Salts. Sourced from an ancient underground lake in the Kalahari desert these are not your Grandmother’s epsom salts. Infused with rare botanical ingredients from the Cape Florsitic Region of Africa, these salts contain anti-oxidant rich seaweed and caffeine, ingredients that stimulate circulation, banish toxins and boost your mood. The ultimate de-stress.
Get scrubbing:
Exfoliating regularly prevents breakouts, reduces pigmentation and makes other products in your regimen more effective. The Omorovicza Refining Facial Polisher combines manual and chemical exfoliation in one gorgeous blue-green formula. The ingredients that make it magic? Hungarian Moore Mud, a natural source of soothing calcium and magnesium along with gentle exfoliating acids, micro-algae, and natural astringent Copper Gluconate. The refining polisher can be used as a deep cleanser, but why not maximise your skincare by using it as a mask? Take a pea size amount and work the Polisher into damp skin and leave for 2-3 minutes. The deep azure will turn to pale pastel as it comes into contact with water. After the chemical and enzymatic exfoliants have loosen the dead skin cells, wash away using circular motions. The finely milled lava powder will buff away surface debris leaving you with a bright, soothed and smoothed complexion.
Massage Part Deux:
Now that your skin is perfectly prepped, add some moisture and get that glow. Darphin’s Vetiver Aromatic Care Stress Relief Detox Oil Mask is like no mask I have ever tried. The product has a five star rating on Mecca’s website, with one customer describing it as “like sunshine in a jar”. To reap its benefits, apply the gel to clean skin and massage it in with your fingers. Unlike some oil based masks that leave a greasy residue, this one rinses clean. This due to the tri-phase properties of the mask – the oil emulsifies when it comes into contact with water transforming into a light milk. This makes the mask the perfect product for deep-tissue facial massage (for instruction I recommend Lisa Eldridge’s tutorial). Meanwhile, a plethora of essential oils like Vetiver, Lavender and Geranium nourish your skin and calm your senses. The jewel in any skincare regimen.
Massage Part 2:
You have steamed, exfoliated and hydrated your skin. Now give yourself the star treatment with Angela Caglia’s La Vie En Rose Roller. Angela Caglia is a Hollywood facialist whose client list runs from Barbara Streisand to Chrissy Teigan. The hero of her skincare line is this face roller made of genuine Rose Quartz. Quartz has naturally soothing and cooling properties, so it is perfect for use between serum and moisturiser steps. After applying serum roll in gentle upwards strokes across the neck and face. For bonus points keep your roller in the fridge for an extra tightening affect. The roller will cool your post-steam skin, assist with lymphatic drainage and help your bedtime products absorb completely. I can feel that Teigan-Glow coming on already.
Body Worship:
The old rule is to apply skincare as if your face started at your décolletage – but why not spoil yourself top to toe? The Mecca Body Elixir feels like silk on the skin and boasts a formula made up of rosehip, jojoba, avocado and nut oils along with Vitamins A, B and E. Better yet? The scent of the oil is totally intoxicating and will leave you, and whoever you deign to share it with, feeling like royalty.
So this Valentine’s Day give yourself the gift of total relaxation, whether you’re unwinding with a book you love, or a person (that will be Hillary Mantel’s Wolf Hall for me).
