Image: Seasons Agency
The difference between regular body care and those that are scented to relax and soothe your senses is that the latter products are like spas – they make every part of us surrender to relaxation and encourage restfulness. Now, close your eyes, take deep breaths, turn off your phone, and… zzzz.
A 50 cent-sized amount of the Elizabeth Arden White Tea Pure Indulgence Bath and Shower Gel goes a long way with its lingering tea fragrance. $40.
Massaging your legs with Sisley White Ginger Contouring Oil for Legs – which has a scent similar to lemongrass – feels unexpectedly spa-like. $215.
READ MORE: 6 new soothing skincare products for tired, acne-prone or stressed-out skin
The lavender scent in Vatea Kind Shampoo relaxes you immediately. It thoroughly cleanses while making hair feel soft. It can be used on sensitive scalps. $36.
The eucalyptus-and-frankincense scent of Three Full Body Wash AC is meant to soothe and calm. The wash leaves a cooling, tingling sensation on your skin that just melts away lingering stress. $46.
Spray the Hysses Lavender Chamomile Room Scent over your sheets and pillowcase to quiet inner turmoil so you can unwind. $31.90.
READ MORE: 8 things you can do at home for a stress-free 2018
Create a pre-sleep ritual for a better night’s rest
To help you rest, relax and reset for the next day, adopt these habits so you can prime yourself for deep, restful sleep.
1. Lower the temperature in the bedroom
Keep your room at 18 deg C, with adequate ventilation. Studies have found that most people sleep best in a room cooled to this temperature.
2. Dim the lights
Switch off the main light in your room. If you need some light to see by, use the reading light, or candles. Darkness cues your body to produce more melatonin, a naturally occurring hormone controlled by the level of light exposure that helps manage your sleep-wake cycle. Your brain releases more melatonin when it’s dark (which makes you sleepy) and less when there’s light (making you more alert).
READ MORE: 5 ways stress affects your looks, plus our beauty editor’s tips on how to fix that
3. Put away your digital devices
The blue wave light from LED devices such as mobile phones and tablets increases cortisol in the brain, making you more alert. It also inhibits the production of melatonin that helps you fall sleep.
4. Read fiction
Reading a hard-copy book – not something off your tablet or Kindle (which has blue light that could keep you awake) – sends you to the fictional world of your choice and disconnects you from real-world stresses. Also, when you’re reading, you’re often in a comfortable position and a quiet place – which already helps you to relax.
READ MORE: 6 cafes in Singapore that will make you feel like you’re overseas
A version of this article first appeared in the January 2018 issue of Her World magazine.