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14 Of The Best Calming Beauty Products To Help Banish Stress And Anxiety
Spritz, soak and smell your stress away.
Modern day life can be a serious struggle.
Juggling a career and a life outside work, navigating social media and even watching the news can all give your emotional well-being a bit of a battering, leaving you feeling anxious, stressed and, well, bleugh. Add a global pandemic to the situation and it's all to easy to feel overwhelmed.
But from essential oils, to soothing balms, and sprays dedicated to aligning your chakras (don't knock them 'til you've tried them), there's a whole hoard of beauty products which promise to help kick anxiety, stress, bad moods and even insomnia to the kerb.
And it's not just placebo, if that's what you're thinking. 'Essential oils in general have known constituents which are proven to be beneficial through traditional and ethnobotanical evidence', says Luke Taylor, Master Blender at Aromatherapy Associates. He adds that to choose the right one for you depends on your memories and what feeling the scent might evoke for you. Basically, whatever floats your boat.
And if they don't actually bring your stress levels down? At least you and your home will smell delicious.
Check out our pick of the very best calming sprays, candles, skincare products and more available right now.
Thisworks Deep Sleep Pillow Spray - £19.50
The OG pillow spray, and still probably the best. Not too strong in scent, it helps your mind slow down and your body relax into dream town. Top tip: take it travelling to help with jet-lag.
Bamford Essential Oil Collection - £80
Developed with yoga masters, the four blends (in handy roller-ball form) mean you can pick and choose what you need to shift your thoughts to a better place...
Shavasana for rest and recovery, Chakrasana for energy, Balasana for safety and protection, Padmasana for concentration and mindfulness.
Clarins Relax Body Treatment Oil - £40
Luxurious and nourishing, this delicious smelling oil will not only make your skin happy, but your mind too. Best applied in massaging strokes by someone else, if you can find a volunteer.
Origins Peace of Mind On-the-spot Relief - £15
When you need an instant escape, dot a little dose of this remedy behind the ears or on the temples and breathe in the zesty aroma to reground. Also great for headaches, the teeny bottle will handily fit in your handbag.
Cowshed Calming Bath Salts - £18
Sometimes only a long, hot soak in the tub will cure your blues. Throwing in a dose of these calming bath salts, relaxing and soothing with essential oils, will take your bathing to the next level.
Therapie Crystal Clear set - £32
No time to have a restorative bath, smother yourself in body oil or even finish reading this piece? Ok we'll make it snappy: sniff these (pure salt crystals soaked in a hyper invigorating essence), feel instantly awake.
And soothed.
And calm.
And happy.
Ok, that is all.
Miller Harris Zaffre Room Spray - £55
This scent might not be soothing, but when you want perking up spraying this (full with invigorating bergamot and fresh berries) liberally around your living space should do the trick. It lingers in fabric so you'll get a fresh whiff for days on end.
Uma Pure Calm Wellness Oil - £60
Noisy housemates ruining your zen? A drop or two of UMA's Wellness Oil provides you with a few moments of me-time, whether you pop a little into your bath or massage into your skin. Jasmine essential oil soothes the senses, clary sage promotes peacefulness and chamomile delivers a wave of calm.
Aveda Chakra-1 Balancing Body Mist - £30
For times when you feel a bit all over the place, pick up Aveda's Chakra-1. Taking inspo from the ancient healing art of India, a single spritz of this vetiver and patchouli-packed body mist has the clever ability to cut through nervous tension and stuffy office air, bringing you right back down to earth. Spray a cloud above your head and let it work its magic.
Aromatherapy Associates Inner Strength Roller-Ball Oil - £18
Like mind trickery in a bottle, uplifting clary sage, intense frankincense and stimulating cardamom work to deliver a surge of positive energy - amazing if you're feeling depleted at work. It's a desk-drawer essential for sure.
Byredo Parfums Cotton Poplin Scented Candle - £59
This Cotton scented candle is like diving headfirst into a pile of clean laundry. A subtle and sophisticated duo of linen and chamomile work to dispel that fog of stress that hangs over you after a difficult day in the office - and it has an impressive 60 hours of burn time.
Votary Aromatherapy Pillow Spray Lavender And Chamomile - £35
Another pillow spray? Well yep, because this is as luxe as they get. One spritz of the lavender, rose and chamomile-infused mist promises (and delivers) hours of uninterrupted sleep so you won't have to hit snooze on loop come morning. And let's be honest, you can never have enough pillow spray.
Neom Organics Tranquillity Intensive Skin Treatment Candle - £40
Neom's genius skincare candle smells amazing and provides you with an indulgent body treatment. Simply burn the candle (jasmine, sweet basil and lavender scented FYI) for 30 minutes until a pool forms, blow the candle out, then drizzle the cocoa butter and almond-oil enriched treatment wherever you need a little hydration.
Mio Liquid Yoga Restorative Bath Soak - £26
Been on your feet all day? Treat your bathwater to a generous dash of this. Mineral salts, herbs and arnica unravel tight, knotted muscles in a matter of moments while spearmint slays stress and helps you breathe easy - no yoga mat or downward dog pose required.
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