Love Your Skin. Love Yourself.

February has arrived, and with it, no doubt the inevitable barrage of ultra-mushy Valentine’s Day messages everywhere you look, too. (Flowers! Teddy bears! Chocolates! Hot dates!)

But, at Lulu & Marula we like to do things a little differently (in case you hadn’t noticed), so, we’re taking this month as our chance to remind you to take a little time for the person that actually matters most of all – you!

It’s been clinically proven that taking time for some self-care can reduce or eliminate anxiety and depression reduce stress, improve concentration, minimize frustration and anger, increase happiness, and improve energy – not to mention the obvious benefits to your skin and body when you’re happy, healthy, and rested.

So, with that said, here are some of our ideas on how to practise a little self-love, self-care, and self-wonderfulness  - with a little bit of self-skincare thrown in for good measure, of course.

R&R Are Your Best Friends
We know what it’s like – so many of us are living in a cycle of work, family responsibilities, and ongoing stress, so we only really take the time to relax when we’re on holiday. But it’s super important to catch some Zs at the end of each day so that you can reset that gorgeous bod and wake up feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the next one. Here are our top tips for making sure you get the best night’s sleep possible:

• Avoid caffeine in the evening (yup, even your fave 5 Roses cuppa tea)
• Swap before-bed screen time for something more relaxing like reading a book or bedtime yoga
• Take a nice, hot bath before you go to bed – our Calming Body & Body Kit is PERFECT for this because it’s crammed with scents like neroli, geranium, and ylang-ylang which will melt away your stress. Promise.

External Self-Care, Internal Benefits
It will probably come as no surprise that we’re big fans of taking a little time out of your day to care for your body (especially your skin) and the power of a little self-care to start and end your day on a good note. In fact, one of the 4 key principles over here at Lulu & Marula is that we believe in the importance of relishing the simple pleasures. We like to think of caring for our skin as a much-needed daily ritual – so, why not challenge yourself to view your skincare routine as a rare moment of calm in the panic of everyday life, starting this February? That’s the exact reason why we’ve created each Lulu & Marula product with a sensory experience in mind, so that you can slow down, be mindful, and get a ridiculously lovely glow at the same time. Win, win!

Treat Yo’self
Taking a little time to check in with yourself is a wonderful and wildly necessary treat that we should all be making space for in our everyday lives! And while it need not be long (even 20 minutes of quiet time can be enough!) it is important. Here are our favourite ideas for practising a little self-love – which one resonates with you most?

• Do an online yoga class
• Water your plants
• Take a gentle walk around the nearest park. Extra points if it’s a dog park where you can take in all the gorgeous doggo faces!
• Put on a face mask and do a 10-minute meditation
• Give yourself a really good face massage – our Treatment Oils are fabulous for this!
• Do an at-home pedicure and lather up with our Soothing Hand & Foot Balm

And if all else fails, treat yourself to something ridiculously lovely from Lulu & Marula – it is Valentine’s month, after all!

How are you gonna show yourself some love this month? Inspire us in the comments!

Team L&M x