Whereas a bath is all about putting the world on pause and letting your brain and body unwind, so taking a shower is all about thinking time. Planning the day (or evening ahead), working through those mental to-do lists, gearing up for an important meeting or energetic activity, a shower is just the right place to get your head around, well, what’s ahead! In the evening, it’s also the perfect way to ‘wash’ away the day, taking some time for reflection and thinking things through.
At Slow Ageing Essentials we are huge fans of bathing and showering for their myriad benefits. We’ve found that a good balance for us is showering 5-6 times a week and bathing 1-2 times. You can utilise either method for different outcomes and, depending on the results you want, select the best one for you at any given time of day. Here’s how we think you can make the most of a revitalising shower for optimum mind, body and beauty benefits:
Brush that body
For the shower as well as the bath, we are huge fans of dry body brushing beforehand. If you’ve not tried it before please do give it a go. We’ve found that once you’ve tried it you’ll be hooked – the results are that good! By whisking away dull, dead skin cells in this way you’re not only revealing the fresh, bright new ones underneath but also stimulating both your lymph and blood flow. This makes a huge difference to how your skin looks and feels, especially when it has been hiding away under layers of warm clothing. With the average body covered in around 5 million sensory cells, prepping your skin like this triggers those cells and prepares them for any beauty treatments that follow.
Top tip: When body brushing, use long, flowing stokes along the limbs, brush out from the torso and then use circular movements around the hips, bottom and stomach area. Just 90 seconds to super-smooth skin!
Power up
We think a truly reinvigorating shower begins before you even step in – and we have a unique way of amplifying the results of warm water on skin. How? By massaging 1/2 a capful of our rejuvenating new Essential Bath Essence into your skin just before you shower. Although we call it a Bath Essence, this oil is a real multi-tasker making it ideal for the shower too. Anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory, this botanical oil is 100% natural so can be applied directly to the skin for immediate softness. This lets the 4 regenerating essential oils come alive, kick-starting your olfactory senses and allowing the warmth to aid their absorption by helping them penetrate into the skin. When you get into the shower, the warm streams of water rain down onto skin, further helping to activate the essential oils therapeutically through your sense of smell. It’s pure bliss.
Regenerate, rebalance, rejuvenate
Now you’re perfectly primed, step into the shower and luxuriate in the feeling of those warm water droplets streaming down and setting off all those amazing aromatic aromas and botanical skin softeners. Our beautiful blend of exquisite, pure essential oils and naturally soothing, vitamin-rich hazelnut botanical oil really does turn an everyday shower into something out of the ordinary, restoring vitality and verve to mind, body and soul – every time.
Temper the temperature
We know in winter that it’s very tempting to turn the heat up for a hot shower but if you care about your skin, please try not to. Hot water may feel great at first but it dries your skin too quickly, sapping it of essential moisture. Always using a facial oil and a body oil afterwards will help to ‘seal in’ vital hydration and avoid sore, itchy skin that’s become over dry.
Sing it!
Many studies have shown that singing releases those feel-good hormones endorphin and oxytocin. As well as encouraging a bit of a smile, this joyful activity helps release stress and feelings of anxiety, so go on… there’s no one listening!
Savour the benefits
Once you step out and dry off, really make the most of that refreshed, warm skin by massaging in new Essential Firming Body Essence. Warm, clean skin is much more receptive to receiving additional nourishment and if you’ve body brushed beforehand, there will also be a silky smooth and very receptive surface to soak up any goodness. We’ve chosen hazelnut oil as the base for our beautifying body oil because its really fine molecules absorb quickly to allow you to get dressed straight away without leaving any unwanted residue. Massage into your body using a combination of small circular motions and long strokes to deeply moisturise as well as firm the body. The natural aromas of ylang ylang, lemon verbena and rosemary essential oils also smell so incredible we doubt that you’ll need to apply any other scent to feel sensational.
Protect your products
We want you to enjoy the benefits of Slow Ageing’s incredible ingredients until the very last drop, so try not to keep your exquisite, 100% natural beauty products in the shower. If you imagine all the showers that take place over a week, in hot temperatures (with accompanying steam!) you can understand how the heat and water could play havoc with them. If you want to preserve their quality and efficacy – and we’re sure you do - we recommend keeping them on your bathroom shelf instead.