This blog post has been kindly sponsored by iHerb
For the past few years, I've incorporated self-care into many aspects of my life from how I start the day, to my body care and how I treat my skin. So when iHerb asked me if I wanted to feature a few hair, shower and body products on Makeup Savvy I knew right straight away it would be from the angle of self-care.
Without sounding too cliche or dramatic, self-care even in the simplest form, for example, hair washing, is everything to me. It keeps me on track and feeling balanced and it's the first thing I rely on when I feel a little 'off'. This does mean I often take 30-minute showers and have hand cream in every room of my house... but that's not such a bad thing, right?
Focusing today on my shower and body care routine which I always take as 'me' time generally in the evening, I wanted to share with you some Aveeno products that do the job but all have a little something extra about them. You can find all the Aveeno products featured here and more (they carry over 80 products from the brand!) on iHerb which I've found to be a great all-round shopping platform (easy to navigate) especially for hard to get hold of products in the UK. So if you are new to these products, even if you love Aveeno, then that will be why!
I should also mention that iHerb ship to over 160 countries, perfect for any international readers wanting to try out products from all over the world. The helpful customer service team also provide support in 10 languages - pretty impressive!
Anyway, let's get back to my self-care shower and body care routine with a few body-loving tips along the way!
New Customers will receive $5 off their Aveeno order of $20 or more - Click Here!
HAIR
Self-care and hair aren't words you often see or hear in the same sentence. However, hair washing and looking after your locks are pretty much daily tasks which can be utilised as self-care. I discovered this for myself a few years ago when I experienced a period of hairloss. Initially the quicker the process of washing my hair the better, I would often skip conditioner just to make my showers 5 minutes shorter. However, over time I realised I had to start being kinder to myself, except my hair loss (which turned out to be a symptom of a severe Vitamin D deficiency) and look after my hair and well being. Which is why to this day I enjoy washing my hair and treating it well!
For me, this means always opting for a moisturising shampoo and never accepting one that leaves the hair feeling tangled and almost dry when rinsed out. Which is why I decided to give Aveeno Nourish + Moisturize Shampoo a go. Designed to nourish dry, damaged hair this is a shampoo that leaves the hair anything but dry, in fact, pre-conditioner I find I can run my fingers through the lengths and ends of my hair as it leaves it with a silky texture yet doesn't leave my roots turning oily within a day. If your current shampoo leaves your hair feeling sapped off moisture then you need to try this!
Once I've washed my hair I gently squeeze out the excess water and apply Aveeno Nourish + Strengthen Conditioner. While I always opt for a moisturising shampoo I like to go for something with strengthening properties with my conditioner as this is the last product on my hair before drying. With a dreamy clean hair scent, this conditioner easily applies through the lengths of the hair and can be washed out immediately to reveal the silkiest feeling hair. The conditioner also targets the weakest part of the hair to help repair over 90% of damage and reduce breakage, which is something I definitely want and would encourage for all hair types in these colder months to protect the hair.
BODY
While my hair is pinned up covered in conditioner as I always allow all conditioners to soak in for 5-10 minutes regardless of their instructions I focus on my skin, picking up something calming in scent and moisturising in formula.
As a huge fan of lavender and chamomile, two very calming stress-relieving ingredients, the Aveeno Stress Relief Body Wash has become a real favourite when taking a shower in the colder, darker evenings of late. I've always found lavender calming but ever since I started to use lavender based pillow spray to help me drift off to sleep I now strongly associate the scent with feeling calmer. So if you are totally new to the scent of body products or just sceptical them I'd truly recommend you give it in a go with this body wash or a product before bed. Combined with chamomile and ylang-ylang the lavender in this body wash doesn't come across as heavy or overpowering and there's still that clean skin scent that I associate with Aveeno there which I like. So while my skin has that clean scent to it after stepping out of the shower I also feel calm and relaxed. This is also a nice body wash for sensitive skin as it's soap-free!
Another product I like to use in the shower is soap... actually soap-free soap! Confusing I know, but soap-free bars although cleanse just as effectively don't contain any nasties (including SLS) and don't strip the skin of its own moisture, making them ideal for the face and other sensitive areas. Which is why I had to try Aveeno Moisturizing Bar! This natural looking and smelling bar (it smells like oats!) impressively contains only 12 ingredients making it ideal for both dry and sensitive skin. Although I don't have dry skin I like to keep my face free from feeling tight after washing it so a soap-free formula like this is perfect! With a mild but adequate lather, I've found this to be a great cleanser for bare skin in the shower and again part of my self-care routine of looking after myself and my skin.
BODY (post-shower)
After stepping out of the shower I'm all for taking my time with both my evening skincare and body care routine. Then allowing products to fully sink in while reading a book before getting dressed. Side note - I'm currently reading Turtles All The Way Down by John Green and it's simply wonderful.
Here I have two moisturisers from Aveeno with Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion with sunscreen (Broad Spectrum SPF 15) which I see as being my AM/daytime moisturiser and Aveeno Stress Relief Moisturizing Lotion for my PM/evening calm-inducing body care product of choice.
As I mentioned iHerb is especially great for hard to get hold of products in the UK, or simply products that we don't have, so I was really excited to get my hands on Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion with sunscreen... because when does a body lotion contain SPF?! I'm a big believer in daily SPF for my face so why not for the body too? Much like my staple Aveeno Daily Moisturiser which I've used for years, I find the formula non-greasy yet nourishing and I love the barely there oat scent that's perfectly unisex. I have a feeling this will totally come into its own over spring/summer when I want daily protection, although for sunny/hot days I will use this in conjunction with a higher factor sunscreen as I do have fair skin.
But back to my evening routine, ending with Aveeno Stress Relief Moisturizing Lotion to calm and relax before bed. Exactly like the above body wash this has a relaxing blend of lavender, chamomile and ylang-ylang that is in no way overpowering and is in fact fairly delicate as a scent on the skin while still being detectable. In fact, I'd describe the scent as comforting, perfect for applying over the arms and legs before hopping into bed. Again like all the Aveeno moisturising lotions, this provides a good level of long-lasting moisturisation without feeling greasy on the skin.
Remember if you're a new customer you will receive $5 off your Aveeno order of $20 or more!
To end my self-care evening routine I like to pull on my favourite cashmere socks, so cosy, and light a candle, or two.
I'd love to know if you incorporate self-care into your body care routine and also your favourite Aveeno products!
Fee xo.
