What better time, than in the current 'lockdown' scenario, to take a breath, try and slow a little, and possibly treat ourselves to a home spa?
How to achieve a 'Luxury Lockdown'!
In these uncertain times, having a tranquil bath that can restore your sense of self, reduce anxiety and soothe aching muscles (especially after a vigorous Joe Wicks workout!) has never been so important.
After years of struggling with health issues linked with toxic cosmetics, cleaning products and environmental nasties, I have created a few products and habits for transforming bath time into a beneficial experience.
Beautiful essential oils
Bath oil has the ability to be a really 'clean', non-toxic product in any natural beauty range because it is simply oil - or a blend of oils - with perhaps some fragrance. I wanted to offer a bath oil but not a sticky bath oil so I created a truly unique version, a gloriously tactile melting syrup which we call Bath Jelly as the oils are set with a sugar-based ingredient, similar in process to that of making jam. It's massaged into the skin BEFORE getting into the bath. Once the jelly has been massaged in, step into the bath and relax as it begins to dissolve into a milky substance. Relax for 20 minutes and then pat your skin dry. Your body will feel softer, never sticky and faintly perfumed.
No Secrets Bath Jelly (from £18) has the base oils of sunflower seed, grape seed, kukui seed, and macadamia seed, which means you are getting some real skin heroes, rich in nutrients, calcium, iron, magnesium and zinc, as well as vitamins A, C, K and especially E. These all combine to nourish, moisturise and condition the skin leaving it regenerated and softened. Both blends contain anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties which help support your immune system and wellbeing, far more beneficial than a bubble bath of chemical foaming agents and synthetic fragrance.
Magnificent magnesium sulphate
I also advise seeking out bath salts that contain magnesium sulphate, which is a mineral absolutely essential to the body and without it muscles physically cannot relax. As chemicals - good and bad - are absorbed through the skin, bathing in a bath that contains magnesium sulphate means that you are partly replenishing this essential mineral.
I only like bubbles in my champagne glass - so nothing should fizz in the bath. Bath bombs main ingredients are Bicarb of Soda and Citric Acid, which are totally skin stripping and are actually more appropriate as natural cleaning alternative, rather than a skin treatment!
No Secrets Bath Sugar £30, made from magnesium sulphate, is a modern twist on traditional bath salts which have been ground to the consistency of icing sugar, making them quicker to dissolve and less prickly on one's skin. From the moment you untwist the lid of the glass jar, the room fills with the beautiful signature scent 'Four' which evokes a home spa experience.
Home Spa tips
Some tips for creating your DIY Home Spa:
- The first thing to do when having a bath is to make sure it is ‘clean’ from any toxic cleaning products that you may have used. Most regular cleaning products have warnings on the side like toxic or corrosive. You don’t want to sit in a bath with them swimming around, giving your skin the opportunity to absorb them. So the first thing to do, is to rinse your bath with hot water to make sure there is no residue of these products that would impact on your home spa treatment.
- Soak by candlelight! Choose a soy wax candle infused with essential oils. Most scented candles available to buy – from the least to the most expensive – contain petroleum based paraffin wax, a by-product of the crude oil industry. Dimming the lights and lighting a candle will also help with the relaxation process. Try our hand poured soy wax votives or 20cl candles.
- The temptation to catch-up on your weekly binge on Netflix should be avoided! Taking a book or magazine into the bathroom with you is also a great way to relax and take yourself into a different world for a while. While we can’t travel, books can transport us.
- Create you own ritual: pick your 'special' time, perhaps at the start or end of the day. Give yourself 20 minutes in the bath and a little time to relax and gather yourself afterwards. Your water should be between 36-38 degrees C, and the room should be 25-30 deg C ideally. Quieten your mind by eschewing all tech. To help you float away, try breathing in through the nose for five seconds and out through the mouth for five seconds, increasing to ten seconds for each, and continuing for two minutes. Finally, try to complete your ritual slowly, perhaps using the softest towel to pat yourself dry.
For those of you seeking perfection, or able to devote the time, some other tips for creating your DIY Home Spa, include what to do with the space. For example, de-cluttering, more creative storage, a fresh coat of paint, new artwork or a mirror, or even just refreshing your towels!
Some accessories which can be useful are bath trays for essential spa time items; body brush for improving skin tone and stimulating blood circulation; bath pillow (or simply roll up a towel) for ultimate comfort; all natural sponge (try our Konjac sponge - £12) to rejuvenate the skin.