Your Guide to Winter Wellness
Winter has arrived and with it comes colder weather, shorter days and a slightly different approach to wellness and body care. Living in sync with the seasons means making small adjustments to our daily rituals. Here are some of our favourite ways we like to lean into winter with new practices that make the most of the seasonal shift.
LAYER YOUR BODY CARE
Winter's low humidity, increased exposure to hot water and indoor heating, and harsh weather can all strip the skin of natural oils, leaving it dry and dehydrated. Much like how you might wear a base layer, mid layer and outer layer in your winter wardrobe, think about applying this same approach to your BODY CARE ROUTINE. First, cleanse the skin with a gentle and low-foaming PH-BALANCED body cleanser. (your base layer). Then, while skin is still damp after just stepping out of the shower or bath, liberally apply BODY MOISTURISER to infuse the skin with hydration (your mid layer). Finally, use a few drops of body oil to seal in moisture. This will create a physical barrier on top of the skin that keeps all those nourishing ingredients locked in (your outer layer).
BOOST YOUR IMMUNITY
As the temperature drops, so too does our immune defence. Ensure that you're eating a balanced and healthy diet, rich in whole foods and nutrients that nourish the skin from the inside out. Focus on seasonal fruits and vegetables that will give you a natural boost of vitamin C, like broccoli, citrus and kiwi fruit. Leafy green vegetables like kale and silverbeet or chard are loaded with vitamins and great for soups, stews, sautés and smoothies. Increase your hydration in winter with warming herbal teas, honey and ginger drinks, cacao and matcha, and bone or vegetable broth.
REJUVENATE WITH RITUALS
Incorporate grounding and warming rituals into your wellness routine like INFRA-RED SAUNAS and steam rooms. These habits can promote increased circulation and help to release toxins from the body. If you don't have access to a bath house, create one at home. Try adding some Epsom salts to your next bath (but please, try to keep the water warm not hot to avoid interfering with SKIN'S BARRIER FUNCTION). You could even add a few drops of essential oil to create a SPA-LIKE EXPERIENCE at home.
DRY BRUSH YOUR BODY
An ancient Ayurvedic practice, DRY BODY BRUSHING stimulates the body's lymphatic drainage system to release stagnant fluid and promote collagen production. As a form of PHYSICAL EXFOLIATION, it also gently sweeps dead skin cells from the surface of the skin to result in smooth and supple skin. Done before the shower or bath, simply take a firm natural bristle brush and use it in long, upward strokes on the body. Start at the feet, brush arms from hands to shoulders, then finish with a circular motion on the torso.
EMBRACE REST
Winter is the perfect time to slow down and reflect. Taking cues from the Danish 'hygge' quality of being cosy, warm up your space with soft throws and ambient lighting. Embrace meaningful rest as part of your self-care ritual. You might like to swap scrolling on your phone for journalling, reading a book, listening to a podcast, or even just mindfully enjoying a cup of tea. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, winter provides the opportunity to embody a more yin-like way of life by conserving energy and going inwards with gentle activities like yoga, walks and meditation.