Body and Soul: Five of the Best “The Body Shop” Products for a More Luxurious Lockdown
Long before this whole lockdown life began, British beauty pioneer The Body Shop, played a pretty important role in my Sunday night self-care routine. Now that the world has turned upside down and inside out, taking good care is more important than ever. A long, relaxing bath and great body care products may help ease any anxiety we’re experiencing, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
Here are five favourites from Anita Roddick’s big green company, and not necessarily in order of importance. There’s loads to choose from but these are the ones that share my space.
Drops Of Light Pure Resurfacing Liquid Peel
This one is so good it appeared on my best-of list a couple years ago and is always on my skincare shelf. It’s gel-to-peel technology traps and gently peels off impurities, taking dead surface skin along with it. Using brightening red algae extract which is rich in Vit C, it will leave you glowing after one use. Warning: it does get caught in facial hair so if you’re as furry as I am, have a damp facecloth on hand to get rid of all the product and think of it as extra exfoliation.
Polynesian Monoi Radiance Oil and French Lavender Massage Oil
From The Body Shop’s sophisticated Spa of the World line (more grown up, less fruity) these silky body oils are luxurious but much less expensive than very similar products from rival (mentioning no names) brands.
Polynesian Monoi Radiance Oil is my daily out-of-the-shower body moisturiser. Applied to still-damp skin it’s absorbed very quickly and is kind to limbs and knobbly knees and elbows. The monoï (a sacred blend of coconut oil and tiare flowers) scent is pleasing and not at all overpowering or too floral, which is not really my thing. This is one I wouldn’t want to do without now. What’s left on my hands after body application I run through my hair.
French Lavender Massage Oil isn’t just for massage. In fact, I’ve never even used it for that! This is the one I turn to for an extra dose of relaxation. After bath and before bedtime, especially on Sundays, don’t ask me why, I apply it as a body oil. It helps me to get into a yoga nidra state of mind before turning the lockdown lights off.
Hawaiian Kukui Cream
Yet another from Spa Of The World line I discovered the Kukui Body Butter a while ago and go through it pretty quickly. Wanna know my secret moisturising trick? Ok, here it is: at bedtime (any night, it doesn’t have to be Sunday) I apply the body butter over the Monoi Radiance Oil. This locks in the first layer of oil moisture and is especially useful if your skin has had too much winter or too much summer. Mine seems to be in a permanent state of parchment so a double layer is my moisture miracle.
The body butter alone is a luscious, hard working cream with a subtle fragrance from a million miles away (Polynesia to be exact) and frankly, anything that takes me back to Hawaii gets my vote. It’s better than most bigger ticket lines. Aloha.
Cactus Hand Mitt
Last but not least is the cactus hand mitt, from sustainable Mexican cactus fibres and not too scratchy. I like this the best of a lot of body scrubbing options – it’s a really good size, has a sturdy and very useful handle, and much more importantly is not some plastic nightmare staring me down next to the bathtub. I am not sure why The Body Shop is still so fond of those hideous plastic “bath lilies” but they were banned from my house a long time ago.
Self care is a tricky thing to balance, to get just right. At times like these our instincts lead us to take care of everyone else first, but we have to start thinking a bit more oxygen mask theory. Taking care of ourselves first enables us to take better care of the others so once you’ve looked after numero uno, remember that any one of these would also make a lovely present for the front-line worker in your life, your street or your friendship group.
I’m off to run a bath. Stay safe and take good care, of body and soul xo
