As much as we’ve normalized self-care during the past few years, the idea of self-gifting is still a little taboo. But if you’ve ever taken a commercial airplane flight, then you know the thing about the oxygen mask: you have to put yours on before you can help the people around you. It’s the same with self-care. If you’re running on empty, you won’t have anything left to give to the ones you love.
We believe the greatest gift you can give yourself is time. Whether that’s a few seconds to take a breath between meetings, or an hour to pamper yourself in the comfort of your own home, the time you spend on yourself matters deeply.
Keep reading for five self-gifting strategies to beat holiday stress.
1. Create An Everyday Destressing Ritual
While the holidays are filled with joy and loved ones, they also can bring on extra stress. Creating an everyday destressing ritual is a self-gift that keeps on giving all year round. Here are four ideas that take five minutes or less:
Spend 5 minutes meditating. Fire up your favorite meditation app and spend 5 minutes connecting to your breath. You can even do it in your parked car before heading into the office or after dropping off the kids.
Create an in-shower ritual. Spend an extra minute on total-body TLC using a biodegradable exfoliant such as our award-winning Squalane + Enzyme Sugar Body Scrub.
Replace scrolling with journaling. Put down your phone and pick up a pen. Recording your thoughts by hand has been proven to reduce stress.
Work an extra step into your skincare routine. It only takes about 30 seconds to massage in a hydrating serum or facial oil, but that small amount of time spent comes with a big payoff. When we look good, we feel good and when we give our skin extra hydration and nourishment, it instantly looks healthier. We recommend our Squalane + Copper Peptide Rapid Plumping Serum for smoothing fine lines and boosting hydration and our award-winning Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil to increase radiance and lock in moisture.
2. Make The Most Of What You’ve Got
Visiting your favorite spa feels amazing, but fitting in that “you time” can be tough during the holidays. Your bathroom, on the other hand, is open at your convenience.
Guarantee self-care time (and save money) by indulging in an at-home spa treatment after a long day, or whenever the mood strikes.
Need some inspo? Light a candle, hit “play” on a soothing playlist, and try one of these three ideas:
Indulge in an exfoliating and toning body treatment. Our Self-Care Starter Set has everything you need for spa-worthy results in the comfort of your own home. Start your treatment by exfoliating with the included dry brush, then smooth and hydrate with our Squalane + Enzyme Sugar Body Scrub. Towel off, then lock in moisture and firm skin with our Squalane + Caffeine Toning Body Cream.
Soak up the hydration in a luxurious moisturizing bath. Adding just a few pumps of our 100% Squalane Oil to the tub softens and moisturizes your skin from head to toe. While you’re at it, massage a few drops into the ends of your hair to hydrate strands and add shine, and to your nails to moisturize cuticles.
Create a hydrating overnight treatment. Indulge in a layered skincare routine featuring our Squalane + Omega Repair Cream to deeply hydrate and support your skin’s moisture barrier, then seal it in with our Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil to lock in moisture and increase radiance. (Pro tip: you’re doing it right if your skin looks like a glazed donut.) Let it sink in while you read a chapter of your favorite book or watch an episode of your favorite show, then go to sleep. You’ll wake up looking smoother, brighter, better hydrated, and more relaxed than you did the day before.
3. Get Social
Many of us fell out of practice with making plans during the pandemic. Take a minute at least once a week to ping a friend or two and try to meet for a walk or a cup of tea. And don’t be afraid to be spontaneous. If you’re out running errands, text a friend to see if you can bring them a coffee. You’ll likely end up having a quick chat, and your random act of kindness will make you both feel great.
4. Model Self-Care
Whether it’s our children, our friends, or our partners, we all want the best for the people we love. It can be painful to watch friends and family members stack their schedules at the expense of their own well-being. Encourage others to take time out to care for themselves by modeling self-care in your own life.
This can look like:
Taking pleasure in preparing a healthy, comforting meal or snack. Our Brand Ambassador, Reese Witherspoon’s, go-to green smoothie recipe is packed with skin-loving veggies and fruits.
Teaching a loved one how to use a facial roller or gua sha tool over their favorite moisturizer or facial oil, then doing it in tandem either in person or over Zoom.
Stretching or doing yoga instead of sitting on the couch during TV time.
Making sure you’re caring for your health inside and out by moving your body daily, using sunscreen, and drinking enough water. Our H2Overload gift set comes with an adorable glass water bottle to ensure you’re always staying hydrated as well as a full-sized Squlane + Copper Peptide Rapid Plumping Serum to deliver hydration directly to your skin.
Demonstrating that the word “no” is a full sentence. Creating healthy boundaries might be uncomfortable at first, but it’s the #1 most effective form of self-care.
5. Add Yourself To Your Gifting List
Take a moment to treat yourself while you’re shopping for everyone else. Our holiday sets are the perfect self-gift because they feel special, they’re sustainable, and they save you money on products you’ll actually use.
Here are some of our favorite sets for self-gifting:
Rapid Radiance: Use this set of four mini best sellers for a self-care moment while you travel, or on the go. The set includes mini-sizes of our Squalane + Marine Algae eye cream to deliver deep, all-day hydration to delicate under-eye skin, Squalane + 10% Lactic Acid Resurfacing Serum to exfoliate and promote more even-textured skin, Squalane + Omega Repair Cream to deeply hydrate and support the skin’s moisture barrier, and Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil to lock in moisture and increase radiance.
Glow Forth, Be Bright: Give yourself a brightening pick-me-up with a travel-size Squalane + Omega Repair Cream and a gift-size Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil. This award-winning combination is the perfect antidote to dry, dull winter skin, boosting moisture levels and giving you a dewy glow.
Love, Joy + Bestsellers: Treat yourself to a layered skincare routine featuring three of our bestselling products plus a luxe PCR sleep mask. The set includes a travel size Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil, full size Squalane + Omega Repair Cream, and a travel size Squalane + 10% Lactic Acid Overnight Serum so you can indulge in a multi-step evening routine and awaken refreshed and glowing.
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Christine Tusher
Author
As a lifestyle writer and journalist, I’m excited to bring my passion for storytelling to Biossance as an Engagement Content Writer. Two things you should know about me: I have a deep love of the ocean (especially sharks) and I’m obsessed with clean beauty. My bathroom cabinet is literally overflowing with my many-layered sustainable skincare routine. This combo is what led me to buy my first bottle of Vitamin C Rose Oil. I was so impressed by the way it improved my skin that I wanted to shout this brand from the rooftops. Three years later, and here I am doing just that. I’m excited to be on this journey of clean beauty innovation with Biossance, and to share it with you here on the blog.