Wind down with winter treats
I LIKE winter. The clothes are better. The food is better (it’s essential to eat double portions every night to keep warm, so you do). And there’s more sleep. On the dark nights, I have no guilt about creeping into bed with a hot-water bottle and a good book at 9.45pm.
The season of hibernation, winter is about long, sleepy nights. I like to maximise the comfort and relaxation by lighting the fire, slipping on cashmere socks and going for beauty products that increase my tranquility. I’m not talking scented candles. I’m talking bath soaks that make you want to nod off, and body lotions and delicate oils that will send you to sleep.
The key ingredient in beauty products that increases relaxation is lavender essential oil, but use it with caution. Too much lavender can be a stimulant. (I once was so enamoured of using lavender drops on my pillow at night that I kept upping the dosage until I was wired.) One drop is sufficient, and if using it on your pillow is too intense, put a drop or two around the top of your duvet.
I love the simplicity and the cost-effectiveness of lavender essential oil, which lasts a long time.
But if you want a fancier route, there are tons of sleep mists that do the trick, too. Molton Brown’s relaxing Yuan Zhi ambiente room fragrance, €28, is ideal for spritzing around your bedroom and has ylang, ylang and vanilla. Divine.
This Works, meanwhile, has a range devoted to a better night’s sleep. The ‘deep sleep treatments’ include a fabulous pillow spray, €19.50, with lavender, vetivert and wild chamomile — a perfect way to wind down for eight-hours of shut-eye.
One of the best ways to chill out before bed is to have a bath. While even a plain, simple bath is calming, if you throw something relaxing in it, it’s a bonus. Lavender oil is great here, but my favourite chill-out bath soak is Neal’s Yard’s soothing bath oil, €14.70. The rich blend of lavender, geranium, bergamot and cypress is my ticket to zonksville.
Dr Hauschka’s lavender bath, €21, is a lovely, skin-softening option that really pumps the relaxing aroma of lavender through the bathroom.
A more upscale treat (also great as a present) is Jo Malone’s amber and lavender bath oil, €50.
I like to do either a relaxing bath oil or a relaxing body lotion, rather than both (and a relaxing bath is better for getting you in the mood for sleep), but there are great options out there, if you don’t have time for a long soak. Weleda’s relaxing body oil, €12.94 at www.bodykind.ie, is fabulous if you can find somebody to massage it in, but even without an assistant, it makes a great pre-bed moisturiser, with sweet almond and sesame seed oil infused with lavender.
I’ve always been very partial to Origins ‘calm to your senses lavender and vanilla body souffle’, €33.
As well as being a cracking moisturiser with an amazing texture, the smell is something I would happily envelop myself in night after night.
Wind-down body products
I’m am not a connoisseur of lavender oil, and would find if hard to tell a good one from a bad one. They all smell like lavender to me. But it’s not a bad idea to opt for an organic product, if you can get your hands on one. Otherwise, you’ll find a good selection of reasonably priced options from your local pharmacist or health store.
What a great range of treatments from one of the best cult beauty ranges around. The products aren’t cheap, but they’re incredibly well thought out, from the simplicity of the packaging to the quality of the essential oils. This Pillow Spray is deeply relaxing and a real treat to fall asleep to. If you travel on business a lot, it’s a great one to chuck in your suitcase to make that boring hotel room feel comfortable and comforting.
Pure essential oils work fine in baths, but for something a little more luxurious and to keep your skin feeling soft, fragrant and very smooth, this bath oil is perfect. It fills the bathroom with the most gorgeous scent that stays for ages long after you’ve hit the hay.
Lavender is, of course, a very distinctive scent. This bath oil very successfully tempers it with amber, petitgrain and bergamot. Like all Jo Malone Bath Oils, it’s a luxury product rather than an everyday one, but it’s definitely one to add to your Christmas list.
I like very simple, lightly scented body lotions, but this one makes me turn my back on all that. The full-on scent is fabulous, and the whipped texture is just divine. As soon as autumn hits, I start putting the pennies aside for a pot of this stuff. Perfect just before bed.
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