Cold crisp days, dark evenings, and the howl of wind whipping at your skin, winter is the season to cocoon and nourish. To take pleasure in simple sensory delights. The crackle of a candle, a fragrant hot bath or the feeling of soothing oils against your skin. It’s the season to pay a little more attention to your needs, to ground and warm your soul.
The evenings can be long and cold at this time of year so this is the perfect time to dedicate a little more time to your self care and enjoy a winter skincare ritual. One thing we love at NEVE is ritualistic skincare. Here are three rituals to explore during the long winter evenings.
Soothe & Cocoon
At this time of year we often need a little soothing nourishment, for both skin and the soul. The Alchemy 7 Comfort Balm is infused with calming and repairing plant extracts, a tonic to dried out, stressed skin during the cool months when the contrast between the cold outdoors, and hot central heating, is too much for your skin to bear.
This time of year can also be a drain on our energy reserves as we begin to socialise more, sometimes even with people we don't want to (annoying uncle anyone?). Protecting our energy at this time is crucial to preserving our wellbeing.
Alchemy 7 Comfort Balm is the perfect product to use for our 'cocooning' ritual, a simple and beautiful ritual to protect your energy and nourish your skin. Imagine a protective layer or 'second skin' emerging as you apply your Alchemy 7 and try repeating this affirmation as you massage the balm into your arms, legs, face, anywhere in need of nourishment:
"I am at peace, and my forcefield is impenetrable."
Applying a light layer over your skin is a wonderful way to cocoon skin from the elements and lock in hydration, keeping your skin plump and dewy. A layer of this as your morning facial moisturiser will not only nourish but also protect, and visualising your renewed forcefield each morning is a powerful start to the day. It's floral, herbaceous scent is a tonic for the mind too, making Alchemy 7 an essential for a winter skincare ritual.
Even better, take a tip from Alchemy 7 customer, Victoria who turns her balm into a soothing ritualistic mask experience:
“I use the Alchemy 7 Balm as a reset mask twice a week for 20 minutes while I’m in the bath. When I wake up the following morning, it’s like I’ve had a fortnight’s rest!”
The oat extract in the Alchemy 7 Comfort Balm is perfect for both hydrating, and moisturising the skin, just what you need after a cold blustery day. At this time of year you will turn to this pot of green goodness again and again.
Shed & Restore
Winter is a season for reflection, particularly as its beginning also marks the new year. This is the perfect time to think of anything you want to release that hasn't worked for you this year. Schedule a night once a week to enjoy this ‘shedding & restoring’ winter skincare ritual with two of our favourite pro-age products, Tri-Elixir, and Luna Drops.
The Tri-Elixir is an everything oil of pure gold with essential oils of geranium, bergamot and rosemary. Geranium, often regarded as a feminine oil, is a wonderfully restorative and balancing essential oil, bringing peace and harmony to mind and skin. The Tri-Elixir also contains extracts of rosehip and calendula to bring calm and a regenerative quality to your routine, while olive squalane and grapeseed oil condition and hydrate.
Step 1: Cleanse
Begin with a gentle oil cleanse by massaging the Tri-Elixir into face and neck before removing with a hot cloth. Take a moment to hold the cloth over your face and inhale the aromatic oils. This is a perfect moment to think of all you want to let go off before completing the cleansing process.
Step 2: Shed
It’s time to sink into the shedding process. Begin by applying a layer of Glow Mask to face and neck and leave to dry while you enjoy a full body brush experience. We often neglect exfoliating our bodies through the winter months but this will really refine and smooth the skin. Regular exfoliation will also reduce congestion in the skin and increase the absorption of your lovely products.
We love to use a body brush and make vigorous circular motions across the body, to give the circulation a welcome boost from the cold. Once your body brush is complete, remove the Glow Mask with a little warm water, again working in circular motions to remove any old skin cells and leave skin smooth and glowing.
Releasing and shedding both physically and emotionally is such a natural theme for winter, letting the old die away, ready for spring renewal. By focusing on what you would like to let go of, and ‘shed’, during this process, you can create a very cathartic winter skincare ritual.
Step 3: Release
Next, it’s time to relax and restore, perhaps a chance to exercise a little self forgiveness? The shedding process can stir up many emotions. We recommend you fill you a warm soothing bath. Try adding a handful of dried coconut milk, sea salt, calendula, and lavender flowers for a silky botanical soak. Take some time while bathing to breathe deeply and consider all that you would like to release. As the water drains away, imagine all you would like to release going with it. Say goodbye to what has gone and make a commitment to welcome in the new.
Step 4: Renew
A fresh start and a 'new' skin. The last step of this ritual is to restore and regenerate the skin and mind. The Luna Drops is a beautiful night serum to regenerate and plump the skin, while restoring and calming the mind. Apply 3-5 drops to face and neck and deeply inhale the scent of ylang ylang, neroli and cedarwood, a calming and grounding blend. To nourish the body, gently massage a layer of Tri-Elixir all over your skin before sinking into a pair of fresh pyjamas!
Don’t forget to take the time to really engage your senses during this process to create a grounding experience, focus on the touch of your skin and the scent of the aromatic oils in the air.
Indulge
Our final ritual is simply to remind yourself that you are worthy of this time for yourself. For many of us the word 'indulge' can make us feel uneasy. As women, we are prone to putting others before us, as society has taught us to, and reconditioning those beliefs can take time.
When it comes to our skin, the things it needed two or three months ago may no longer be what it yearns for now. Our beautiful Mini Ritual Set offers the chance to explore the skin’s needs, and create a full winter skincare ritual at home. A chance to make a commitment to put some time aside for yourself.
The Mini Ritual Set include includes a 5g Glow Mask, a 10ml Tri-Elixir, a 3g Luna Drops, and a 5ml Alchemy 7 Comfort Balm. The full NEVE Wellness experience of plant powered skincare.
Try this Radiance and Regenerate routine:
Step 1: Cleanse
Massage the Tri-Elixir all over face and neck and remove with a hand hot face cloth. Repeat if wearing make-up.
Step 2: Polish
Blend a tsp of Glow Mask with a tsp of warm water to make a silky, chocolatey paste. Apply all over face and neck and leave on for 5-10 minutes until dry. Apply a little water to the mask and begin working it into your skin as you remove, to give the skin an added polishing glow.
Step 3: Feed
Apply 3-5 drops of the Luna Drops directly on to damp skin and deeply inhale the delicate scent of ylang ylang and neroli. Your skin will drink up this vitamin rich night serum.
Step 4: Nourish
Apply a little Alchemy 7 Comfort Balm to lips and hands before bed and you will wake up with plumped, softened skin.
A full winter skincare ritual to get the most out of your Mini Ritual Set. You could go full sized with our Ultimate Ritual Set, which combines the full NEVE collection with 25% off.
Top tip, if you have any moisturisers or water based serums that you like to use, apply these between steps 2 & 3.
We hope these beautiful tips will inspire you to create your own nourishing winter skincare rituals for skin and mind. You can buy all of the products that inspired these rituals here.
