International Self Care Day

The Thought: Acts of self-care make a huge difference to overall wellness. Make yourself a priority, and take the time to do small things that make you feel good.

The Feeling: We’ve put together some easy and sustainable self-care tips using all natural ingredients to help you feel nourished and revitalised. Who knew that some simple acts of kindness (to yourself) could make such a big difference.

The Self-Care: The Honey Aloe Acne Mask

While having a bad-skin day doesn’t change who you are, it can change how you feel. Raw honey has anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory properties, which can do wonders for dry skin and help with breakouts. Try this easy, affordable, (planet-friendly) face mask to calm and moisturise dry skin.

You need:

• A quarter-sized dollop of raw honey
• 1 Teaspoon of pure aloe vera gel

The Method:

1. Combine ingredients and massage onto clean, dry skin
2. Relax and let it work its magic
3. Remove with a warm cloth after about 20 minutes.

The Self Care: Natural hair removal

Now there is nothing inherently wrong with having body hair (that’s a whole different conversation!), but if you are going to remove it why not try soft sugaring? It’s an ancient practice that just takes a couple of simple ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen. It’s just as effective as waxing but cheaper and better for the environment. Have you ever thought about where those throwaway strips go?

You need:

1. White Sugar– 1 cup
2. Lemon Juice - 1/4 cup (Lemon juice from a bottle is fine)
3. Water– 1/4 cup.
4. Cotton muslin strips. You can buy them or cut up an old cotton shirt. Any cotton fabric that doesn’t stretch is fine.

The Method:

1. Mix sugar, lemon juice and water in a cooking pot at medium heat
2. Stir continuously and allow your melted sugar mixture to boil gently for about 10-15 minutes
3. When your sugar mixture turns to a caramel colour and has a honey-thick consistency take it off the heat and pour into a glass container. Be careful, it will be very hot. NOTE: It’s a good idea to run warm water on the glass container before pouring the sugar mixture into it. This should prevent the glass container from shattering due to sudden increase in temperature.
4. Let the mixture cool for at least 20 minutes before use, making sure it is warm, but not hot. You don’t want to burn your skin.
5. Apply the sugar mixture on your skin using a table knife or a wooden tongue depressor 
6. Apply your cotton strips, and in one quick motion, pull the cotton muslin strip off your skin in the direction of hair growth.
7. Repeat until you are free of unwanted hair. You can use each cotton muslin strip multiple times (around 4 or 5 times). You can reuse these, just wash and dry them for your next session.

The Self Care: Avocado, honey and olive oil hair mask

Some of us naturally have drier hair, but all sorts of environmental factors can make it worse. From air pollution, to overusing styling tools, and colouring, our hair needs a little bit more love sometimes. And an avocado and olive oil hair mask can help add some moisture back in. Packed with omega-3 fatty acids, this treatment helps strengthen hair, add shine and rejuvenates and moisturises the scalp.

You need: 

• Half an avocado
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of honey
• 3 drops essential oil of choice

The Method:

1. Stir ingredients together until fully combined, then apply to wet hair with your fingertips, starting at the bottom and working your way up
2. Try wrapping your hair into a bun and covering with a shower cap
3. To help activate the ingredients, blow dry your shower cap-covered hair for 10 minutes
4. Let it sit for another 20 minutes, then shampoo.