Resting during the Autumn and Winter months is such a natural instinct for us as humans, but the high energy of modern Christmas-time can often really disturb our peace around this time.
This year I'm committing to stepping into that restful energy, if I don't do it now when will I? The best part of my day at the moment? It’s not fancy, it’s the twenty minutes after everything else is done, when the house goes a little quieter after dinner. Outside, the darkness has completely closed in by this point and it can feel like midnight even though it’s barely gone seven. It's easy to dread this time of the evening, but instead I've been sinking into it, and embracing this natural cry for rest.
To support your peace, I wanted to share with you the bedtime bliss ritual that I am really enjoying at the moment, I hope it will be a ritual to protect your peace too. I wanted to share it with you, partly because it’s helped me so much, and partly because it’s a lovely excuse to live alongside the season rather than rush through it.
Setting the scene (and your boundaries)
It starts with a bath, just soothing warm water and nowhere to be for a little while (top tip, LOCK the door!). While the water is running I add around 10 pumps of Winter Body Oil into the tub and add some Winter Diffuser Oil to my diffuser, so the whole room fills with that warm, cocooning scent before I even get in the bath.
Strengthen & cocoon
Next, I lie in the fragrant bath water and mask with the Alchemy 7 Comfort Balm. This gorgeous green balm goes on thick, it's a proper treat for the skin, don’t expect a watery cream here, this is 100% botanical goodness, no fillers to bulk it out. It’s worth paying particular attention to those areas of your skin that get battered during the colder months, such as lips, nose and around the eye area. I leave my mask on for ten minutes to let it cocoon and nourish my skin while I do absolutely nothing else, which is honestly the most restorative part of the whole evening (I have a strict ‘no phones’ in the bathroom rule.)
The Oil of Tranquility
Out of the bath, skin still slightly damp and softened, I massage in the Winter Body Oil. There’s no need to rush here, I like to take my time and work it into my neck a little and pay some attention to my poor neglected feet. For me, the Winter scent is the equivalent to a sitting quietly on a beach watching the waves come and go. Anytime I breathe that scent in, my shoulders just melt. There’s something grounding about it that’s hard to explain until you’ve done it a few times and it’s all down to the vetiver essential oil, known as the ‘oil of tranquility'.
Next up, I get into a lovely pair of fresh jarmies and snuggly into my beloved fluffy dressing gown, much to the delight of Bruno my chihuahua who thinks I’ve now morphed into a deliciously scented, cuddly blanket. Now’s the time to take two of my Viridian Magnesium Bisglycinate supplements, as I really find that quality of my sleep is so much better when I take these.
Bedtime for skin & mind
Last thing before the light goes off, I use the Luna Drops Night Serum. It’s become as much a signal to my mind to switch off as it is a treatment for my skin overnight. I like to keep it on my bedside table so that I’m not tempted to just not bother as the evening progresses. I know this serum is loved for its plumping and regenerative ingredients, but as ritual is such a huge part of my skincare routine, I love that I get to fall asleep to the calming scent of neroli, lavender and ylang ylang each evening. Absolute bliss.
Have you committed to getting more rest this winter? Are you enjoying a bedtime bliss ritual of your own? We'd love to know.
