Spa tips for holistic winter wellbeing

As the seasons transition, many of us feel our wellbeing needs shifting, seeking warmth, cosiness, perhaps a little more nurturing and nourishing than the summer months demand.

The ONE skincare product: making self-care easy

Our skin is our largest organ, absorbing everything and exposed to the elements all the time. So, if I think about skincare in particular, while I like to try a variety of things and periodically fall in love with different products, the one thing I always come back to is the Tribe517 ONE Oil. It's a superfood blend that helps to repair, heal and promote healthy skin, and it can be used everywhere and for everything - face and body, to cleanse, remove make-up, shave, moisturise and massage.

I think making skincare easy and joyful is really important for a lot of people, but especially in the winter months when we really want to feel looked after and loved and nurtured. For me, the beauty of this oil is that it’s easy to use and then you have that lovely feeling of being wrapped up warm afterwards.

My favourite thing to do is run a hot bath, and use the oil all over my face to take my make-up off - it's like washing the day away. You can then let it work its magic while you soak, and you get this amazing at-home aromatherapy experience as well.

Aromatherapy: winter wellness is more than skin deep

One of the reasons I think incorporating that aromatherapy experience into daily rituals is important, especially in winter, is because for lots of us the change of seasons, and the (sometimes) the forced jollity of Christmas, can be very hard. Lots of people find it a difficult time mentally and emotionally, and while aromatherapy won't be the whole solution, it can really help.

We use sweet orange essential oil in our products, which we always say keeps you warm and happy. It's very nurturing and mood boosting. Whether you use it in our products or in other ways, it's a beautiful way to look after yourself in winter. You can burn it around the house, put it on your pillow or on your wrists, and it does what we say - it helps to keep you feeling warm and happy.

Hydration: support thirsty skin

I think it's always important to work on hydration, but especially going into the winter because dehydrated skin isn't a skin type, it's a skin condition. It doesn't matter if you have dry or oily skin, dehydrated skin is thirsty for water, not oil.

As a product brand, a couple of the simple fixes we talk about are our Glass Beauty Fluid and our Glass Beauty Cream. They both contain massive amounts of neroli and glycerine, which help pull water into the skin and regenerate it. The cream is whipped up with pure white chocolate and orange blossom as well, which makes you want to eat it with a spoon.

It's hydrating but also nourishing, so it has that lovely impact on how you feel as well. Importantly, our products don't contain water, and the result is you only need the tiniest amount and it locks in what Mother Nature gave you and it lasts ages.

Don't save the best: everyday enjoyment

Lots of us have this attitude of saving the best for special days. You hear people say things like 'on Friday night, when I know I don't have to get up in the morning, I will treat myself to this or that', and I hear it about skincare products that people have fallen in love with too.

I think that it's important to do the things that make us feel good on days that aren't particularly important as well though. I have the attitude of living for today - I use the best glasses even if it's just me having dinner by myself, the best tea sets and so on.

When it comes to the body, it's there to be used and loved. Yes, I have products which I only use occasionally, but the things that make me feel joyful I will use any time. We have these balms that I am in love with, like our Hypnotic Sleep Balm. It is incredibly comforting - it's like having a warm blanket on the skin which makes you feel looked after all day long, locking in all the good things. We also have this new product, our Life Vigour Paste, which is a real double whammy of magnesium and turmeric, so it's great for restless legs.

Doing the things that feel good everyday is important for wellbeing. Everyday your feet get you out of bed, go to work, to meet friends; everyday you open your eyes and you can enjoy what's going on around you, every single day we can take for granted everything we have. So every single day is an exciting opportunity to do something fabulous, even if it's getting in the bath with your favourite oil.

Have fun: use skincare the way you enjoy it

I think it's important to find what works for you with skincare. There are often a lot of rules about when, what and how to use things, but with the exception of treatments for particular concerns, I would say play, experiment, and find what works for you. We're all guilty of using the same thing the same way everyday, but I learn so much from the people I work with who come up with their own ways of using our products. Make it fit you.

Pick up the product you love because then you will use it, but use it in the way you enjoy. You don't have to use exactly the same thing everyday, but find a routine that enriches you and makes you feel loved. The connection between mind and body is so profound, so looking after your skin and your body isn't just about how you look on the outside - it's the whole nurturing of self.

You can try Claire's products in the Pure Salt Grain Massage in collaboration with Tribe517 at Manor House Hotel - Alsager.