Lockdown a luxurious routine
Being temporarily locked down is hard going on us all. It takes a toll on us all mentally and emotionally.
It can be a good time for self-care though, we have more time than ever to take stock of our beauty habits and get our skin in tip top condition. We don’t know how long it will be before businesses reopen but, in the meantime, if you usually wax, leave the hair grow and don’t be tempted by the razor. Leave the brows and chin or lip alone too if you get threaded. The salons will need our business when they reopen.
It’s also a nice time to enjoy baths and I must admit being quite taken with Lusso Tans Summer Meadow bath bomb (€10). It’s designed to remove all traces of sunless tan and I found it to be quite effective on the areas immersed in the bath. The scent is divine and the colour a bright pink. It leaves a nice scent on the skin also.
My skin has been suffering from dryness, something to do with being out of routine and central heating. Oils and ceramides are your best friends in this instance and can be quite sensorial too. Use this time at home to indulge the skin on your body with some scented oils.
Indulge in an ultra-luxurious and intensely hydrating shower experience. A great tip is to put any shower oils on before you shower. This turns your bathroom into aromatherapy heaven. You use a shower oil in lieu of a shower gel.
Most are formulated with an ingredient that allows the oil to transform into a milky texture as soon as it hits water. I adore the Nuxe Huile Prodigieux Shower Oil (€13.50) from Nuxe. It cleanses skin to remove excess oil, dirt and impurities. The luxurious oil delicately fragrances skin with the brand's Huile Prodigieux scent of orange blossom, magnolia and vanilla and leaves a satin finish. With a golden pearl colour, the shower oil is enriched with sweet almond oil so you can experience soft, supple and purified skin.
For a spa ritual for lasting wellness at home, try Yonka Phyto Bain (€39). Use in the shower or in the bath, enjoy this iconic product with powerful and re-balancing essential oils of lavender, everlasting, petitgrain, rosemary and sage that drain and tone your skin. It’s an amazing wellness and energizing treatment.
While in the bath why not try a deep cleanse? A little luxury time before taking a bath or shower is great. Deep cleansing is usually performed to remove makeup, dead skin, and dirt from pores.
Follow these few simple steps: Wet a towel with warm water - optionally, you can microwave it for 30 seconds. Wrap your entire face with the warm towel to help open the pores. Leave it on for three minutes.
After your skin has softened, and the pores have opened, place three-five drops of Bia Wash-Off Codex Cleansing Oil (€78 for 100ml) in your hands, rub your palms together, and then use your fingertips and palms to massage the cleansing oil into your skin. After it has been thoroughly applied, roughly 30 seconds, rinse off your face with warm water.
The warm steam from the towels is critical to the deep cleansing. The pores are gradually opened by the steam, and the dirt, whitehead or light blackheads can be easily removed. Furthermore, the hot towel helps loosen tension from the face muscles, and the skin can be treated in a relaxed manner without drying out the skin.
Two new products that I am excited to try are from skincare brand Ultraceuticals. It’s a new brand to Ireland, hailing from Australia. The Ultra B2 Hydrating serum (€66 for 30ml) is a moisturising must-have in your bathroom cabinet. This works to visibly plump and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles to give the skin a supple, dewy and more youthful appearance.
It’s an ideal complement to your daily moisturiser to dramatically help increase the hydration levels of tired, stressed or dehydrated skin. The Ultra-Hydrating Lotion (€57 for 75ml) is a beautiful rich textured milky cleanser formulated to gently cleanse and nourish the skin. It removes make-up and daily residue while leaving the skin perfectly hydrated and is ideal for anyone with dry to normal skin. This lightweight lotion hydrates and restores suppleness to the skin and leaves skin feeling soft, smooth and perfectly balanced.