From our own kitchen table to oceans over, there are a lot of thoughts swirling around our minds these days. Good things, sure, but also a lot of hard things.
We’re sending along our favorite products and practices to create your planet-happy, cortisol-curbing repose from it all. Not just because it’s nice to unwind, but also because taking this time for ourselves helps us to show up for the people who need us (even if that person is, well, you).
A typical spa experience is a blow to your bank account – and you can’t ensure that the spa is applying eco-friendly practices behind those paper panels.
Plus, who knows who else has been in that hot tub *instantly pictures an old man peeing while the jets swish it around.*
Yeah… best to stick to your comfortable, clean abode when you need an evening of stillness.
Ease yourself into the week with a sustainable evening-for-one (or two, a spa buddy is never a bad idea).
DIY to R&R
The most sustainable products are the ones you make yourself. And you get to tap into the chemist, mixologist, and creator in you, so it’s a win-win.
Most of these self-care products can be made with items you may already have in your home. If you find yourself having to buy any ingredients, make sure to look for options with minimal packaging (especially plastic) that you can find nearby, rather than having to ship them.
Bath salt
This bath salt recipe pairs well with your favorite essential oils and that novel you meant to read for the last six months.
The ingredients below will make about five cups. For one hot bath you’ll want to use ½ to one cup.
Ingredients
- 3 cups Epsom salt (unscented)
- 1.5 cups coarse sea salt (such a pink Himalayan sea salt)
- 1/2 cup baking soda
- 20 drops essential oils of your choice (make sure to go with an organic option)
- Optional: 2-3 tablespoons dried flowers
- Optional: 2 tablespoons almond oil or coconut oil
Directions
- Mix all ingredients in a large bowl (make sure your hands are clean!).
- Store excess in a glass container (Tip: Reuse a glass jar for sustainable storage, just don’t be fooled by the “hot salsa” label you forget to peel off).
- Poke holes in the lid of the glass container to keep air pressure from building up.
- Store in a cool, dry place for up to 6 months (3 months if you use oil).
- Let your stress melt into the water, then pour it down the drain. 🫶
Body scrub
Get a little rough with it. When making a body scrub, you’ll usually see one of three bases: sugar, salt, or coffee grounds. We’re opting for coffee grounds because they’re gentle on the skin while doing the most to remove dead cells and leave you glowy.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup coffee grounds (you’ll want to use coarse ground coffee, not the fine stuff you put in your espresso machine)
- 2 tbsp. hot water
- 1 tbsp. coconut oil, warmed
Directions
- Combine coffee grounds and hot water in a bowl. Mix thoroughly.
- Add the coconut oil. You can add more coffee grounds or oil as needed to get to the right consistency.
- Once you’ve struck that balance, scoop the mixture into a container.
- Get scrubbin’.
Face mask
We love this face mask for its healing and soothing properties – and the fact that it comes recommended by Mona Gohara, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist and professor of dermatology at Yale School of Medicine.
Remember that everyone’s skin is different, so if these ingredients might irritate your skin, opt for another recipe.
There’s just one ingredient in this mask: Manuka honey, which comes from bees that pollinate the flowers of the New Zealand–native Manuka bush. This honey is known for its antibacterial benefits, even more than traditional honey.
To use, apply a thin layer of Manuka honey to your skin. Leave on for 15 minutes, then rinse off and follow with your toner and moisturizer.
Buy wisely
For those products you can’t make at home, we love these because they’re natural, sustainably sourced, and add a little love to your spa routine.
Gua sha
Choose between rose quartz or jade for this Gua Sha, both sustainably sourced. Gua Shas have been used in Chinese medicine and around the world for thousands of years. They’re known to reduce puffiness, ease tension, stimulate blood flow, sculpt and reinvigorate skin, and allow your skincare products to penetrate deeper.
Get yours here.
Face oil
This luxurious face oil by Honey is the perfect accessory to your gua sha ritual. Put it on your nightstand – you’re going to want to reach for this antioxidant, non-comedogenic (doesn’t clog pores), breathable formula every day.
Snatch yours here.
Hair oil
Good hair days always. This hair oil by Hinu is lightweight yet ultra-nourishing, made for all hair types using the most natural ingredients.
Stock up (you’ll want to) here.
Zero waste candles
No spa night is complete without a crackling candle. But single-use vessels and wax riddled with palm oil are not the move.
Find a reusable vessel for your candle in this Etsy shop – there are dozens of colors and each one is unique.
Refill your vessel with 100% soy wax in every heavenly scent you can dream up. Each refill even comes with a wooden wick. Find it here.
Bring that sustainable, cozy feeling of your at-home spa to all the areas of your life with our hemp underwear (because magic isn’t just for self-care nights). Shop here.
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