With the days getting darker and colder it can be easy to feel a little bit like a blob and not showing our self some love and self-care. I can definitely feel my energy shifting during the winter months, the temperature drops, the sun exposure decreases, and we spend most of our days indoors. It’s really no wonder that our eating habits change, exercise routines slow down, and we tend to sleep longer. I personally see winter as a time for restoration, deeper nourishment, warmth and comfort.
It’s also the most important time to make sure that your wellness routine will support the body in maintaining optimal health during the colder months. Self-love is a practice that deserve attention all year around but in winter I particularly like to focus on developing habits that will pamper and nourish my body.
Of course, food is also at the core of winter wellness. Naturally as the temperatures drop, we tend to crave more comforting, warmer foods. That’s when soups, stews and veggie curries become my winter heroes, providing me with plenty of veggies, legumes and whole grains. I also make sure I equip my diet with healthy fats like nuts, seeds and avocado to help me prevent dryness in my skin.
There are definitely a few beauty rituals which I love treating myself to at least once a week as they make me feel grounded and nourished. Every weekend I cut out an hour or so just for myself when I can really switch off, relax and treat myself to some serious inside/out self-care. Here is my Winter Wellness Routine which I hope will inspire you to show yourself some extra love this winter!
Soothing Drink – Golden Glow Latte
Let’s start with food, obviously! I absolutely love making myself a piping hot drink during the cold evenings and this Golden Glow Latte has been my absolute favorite! Turmeric has endless health benefits, like reducing inflammation in the body, boosting the immune system during cold and flu season, promoting a healthy digestive system and making your skin glow from inside out! I would highly recommend making your own cashew milk as the recipe suggest, but if you don’t have the time please go ahead and use any milk of your choice (coconut milk will work really well too).
Ingredients:
- Makes 2 mugs
- 1 cup of cashews and macadamia nuts soaked for 3 hours or overnight (if you can’t find macadamia just use cashews)
- 3 cups of filtered water
- 1 piece of fresh turmeric root (about a thumb size) finely grated
- 1 tsp of ginger powder
- A pinch of cinnamon
- A pinch of black pepper
- 1 tsp of maca powder (optional)
Optional: to sweeten the drink you can add a touch of maple syrup or honey
Drain and rinse the nuts and place them in a blender with the filtered water. Blend until smooth and creamy. Strain your milk using a nut milk bag or a cheese cloth. Pour the nut milk into a pan and heat it up. Add all the other ingredients and give it a good stir. Pour the milk back in the blender (no need to wash it) and blend again until it starts to become frothy. Drink straight away while still warm!
Homemade Face Mask for Winter Wellness
Turmeric is not only great to add to any of our meals but it’s also a super powerful skin aid and works wonders in this homemade face mask. And no, I promise you won’t turn yellow!
Turmeric is also known to reduce scarring and to help fight acne or breakouts. I have been making this face mask for years and I absolutely swear by it! The addition of coconut yogurt makes it super hydrating and nourishing while the manuka honey adds powerful antibacterial properties, which again they are great to prevent and treat breakouts.
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp of rice or buckwheat flour
- 2 tsp of turmeric powder
- 2-3 drops of amaiaa saya oil
- 2 tsp of coconut yogurt
- 1 tsp of manuka honey
- 1 tsp of grated lemon peel
Simply mix all the ingredients into a bowl until you have a smooth paste. Apply to your clean skin and leave it for 20 minutes. Rinse it off with warm water and wash your face with your regular cleanser.
Normally as I wash off my face, I also like to take a bath or a shower, so I can then pamper myself afterwards with a face and body massage.
amaiaa Face Massage with Elisa from Happy Skin Kitchen
amaiaa’s saya oil is a gorgeous blend of 10 different natural oils. If you are performing this routine at night time, jasmine oil (one of the key ingredients) will also help you relax and unwind. Found in the Himalayan region, Indian Night Jasmine has an abundance of calming and renewing properties. This sensual oil is used to soothe and moisturize, allowing your skin to undergo restoration as you sleep. After I clean off the face mask, I love to dedicate few extra minutes to massage my face with this powerful facial oil which will revitalize and deeply nourish my skin. I apply few drops onto my fingertips and I massage onto my face, neck and décolletage.
Coconut Oil Massage
Moving onto my body I like to indulge in a skin-deep massage using extra virgin coconut oil. I particularly love coconut oil in winter as a body moisturizer as it’s super rich and nourishing.
Studies show that coconut oil, which is extracted from the meat of mature coconuts, may improve skin barrier function and repair, has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, and fights the signs of skin aging. I absolutely love smothering my whole body in coconut oil and to add a relaxing fragrance I just add few drops of lavender essential oil.
