As Valentine's Day approaches, it's a wonderful time to celebrate the most important relationship in our lives: the one we have with ourselves.
This month, I invite you on a journey of self-love and empowerment through the lens of beauty rituals. While these rituals may seem superficial on the surface, they hold profound potential to nourish our souls and ignite our inner radiance.
Whether it's the simple act of spraying your favourite perfume, applying a body oil or indulging in a luxurious skincare routine, beauty rituals offer us the opportunity to slow down, tune into our bodies and reconnect with ourselves on a deeper level.
So in honour of this self-love edit, I wanted to share a few of my favourite beauty rituals that help me reconnect to myself while promoting self-care.
GUA SHA FACIAL MASSAGE
If you've never given yourself a facial massage using a Gua Sha you don't know what you're missing. Using a Gua Sha is a soothing practice that promotes relaxation, lymphatic drainage and a radiant complexion. I apply a few drops of my favourite facial oil or serum and glide the Gua Sha over my face, applying gentle pressure where I want to relieve tension. If you have never used a Gua Sha click here to watch my short video demo.
SELF SOOTHING BODY MASSGE
A massage is a treat for the senses and nourishes the body and soul. Apply your favourite body oil onto the skin, inhale its beautiful scent and using a gentle touch, slowly smooth the oil over the body to hydrate the skin while providing a moment of relaxation.
PERFUME
It may sound like a basic act, but I love taking my time to apply perfume so I can experience every note as it gently lands onto my body. I then like to wait a few minutes and notice how the fragrance adapts to my skin and creates a unique scent.
HAIR MASK
At least once a month I like to treat myself to an intensive hair mask to not only nourish my hair, but to unwind while the mask works its magic. After shampooing my hair, I place a generous amount of the hair mask into my hands and massage it into my scalp, working it through my hair from root to tip. I leave the mask on for up to 30 minutes and during this time I read a book, meditate or listen to music, creating a moment of pure bliss.
While these are a few of my favourite beauty rituals, the truth is you can turn the most mundane tasks into a ritual or an act of self care. For example, cooking dinner is something we all have to do but may not necessarily enjoy doing. So instead of mechanically chopping vegetables, take your time and become aware of the colour, scent and texture of each vegetable as you chop them. Consider how the vegetables made their way from the farm to your table. It's amazing how much more satisfying the food tastes because of the new level of appreciation you have created in this mindful ritual.
What is your favourite ritual or act of self care?
