REPAIR + RECOVER: Rituals for SELF CARE into The New Year
recover from holiday stress and repair dry winter skin
Resolve to create a self-care ritual to support your goals and resolutions into the new year. Try one or all of the rituals below to repair winter damage and prep MIND AND BODY for the seasons ahead. #newyear #newyou #yougotthiS
HAIR + FACE /
The cold wind and dry air can turn hair frizzy, dry and brittle. Holiday party heat styling and product build-up can make hair extra vulnerable to damage. If you went all-out with your hair styling around the holidays with hair sprays, heat tools, or donned a full face make-up (contour face beat & bake, perhaps?), give a little extra care and attention to your hair and skin. A few ways to show love:
- try a strengthening and conditioning mask or oil treatment: you can make this treatment DIY with extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, or the coconut oil you have in the kitchen, depending on your hair type.
- book a facial and hair bath or give yourself a balancing scalp massage. TIP: I often mix a little bit of organic raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar into my masks or as an after shampoo rinse to tone and re-balance the PH of my skin + scalp. The scalp massage stimulates circulation and helps aid in hair growth.
SKIN + NAILS /
Indoor heating appliances dry out the skin, stripping skin of its natural moisture. Revive your radiance by sloughing away rough and flaky winter skin.
- buff skin with a natural dry brush or natural sponge + scrub with an exfoliating creme.
- use a foot and hand scrubber or pumice stone for rough areas. Apply a nourishing cuticle oil around cuticle and over your nails.
BODY /
Treat dehydrated skin with a protective, nourishing, moisture locking barrier. An abhyanga self-massage does wonders for rejuvenating the body on a lymphatic and muscle level. Prepping with good full-body scrub will bring rejuvenation to the epidermal level by energizing the skin and removing dead cells from the skin's surface. Focus on the body, its complexities and imperfect nature, hard working and sometimes abused. the feet, the knees, the thighs.
- prepare a warm essential oil bath.
- cleanse with a gentle, aromatherapeutic cleanser. I love rose, lavender, and citrus cleansers!
mind + SENSES /
They call it the winter blues for a reason... seasonal change has an influence on our mood, each season bringing forth its own palette, re-creating our environments with new weather, new colors, new patterns. Lift the winter heaviness and clear your head from your 'holiday high.' Get energized with citrus and other uplifting scents, calm with lavender. It's all about clearing and cleansing your mind and your space.
burn an oil diffuser or light naturally scented candles, incense or sage to clear the air and reset your energy.
find a mind calming physical activity: try yoga or running to boost your mood. A few sun salutations in the morning will give you a boost of energy and is better than that cup of coffee you're trying to give up.
de-clutter your mind by writing down lingering thoughts or creative ideas in a journal. Write down your fears- what is keeping you back? Resolve to create a plan to break the habit of living in fear.
