Self Care Tips

Self Care Routine Ideas

Simple and effective self care tips, to take the best care of you! These aim to be responsive to your preferences and lifestyle.

Relaxation – find inner peace in each moment

Relaxation is our natural state, like in nature, everything already is as it is and relaxation supports all of our body systems & mind to work at their best. A regular form of relaxation is a great way to provide self care and it can be whatever works and provides support to you. I love to take short moments of mind and body relaxation, which can be carried out anytime, anywhere, with nothing else needed, it is so easeful and the results are very quick and profound. It supports stability of mind no matter what we might think or feel. It is an ancient practice that has been developed for the modern day. This practice has ultimately supported me to see the best way to take care of the self. This is a pic of me below on a relaxation retreat, ahhhh super relaxed. See here for more info https://www.bright.how/

Exercise You Enjoy

Do something you actually enjoy, working out doesn’t need to look like pain and misery e.g. running for hours on the treadmill, do what is practical and will fit into your life, maybe a 7 minute workout each morning would work for you, or a Pilates class? There are many around and I personally love Sean Vigue pilates, he is on YouTube, so you just need a mat. I also love weight training with dumbbells to strengthen my muscles, I do a lot of massage so this helps to keep me strong & prevents injury. What about swimming, Kundalini Yoga or Hula Hooping!?

Food To Nourish You

Food can nourish body, mind & soul and different foods can support you at different times depending on what your body needs. There seems to be great awareness about the importance of eating for nutrients, it makes sense that each meal is full of goodies your body needs to heal & repair. I always say go with what you see you need to eat, if you listen to your body it will tell you. If you are like me and get hungry quickly, I do like to prepare a little with meal plans and snacks as this can support blood sugar levels. If you notice some foods don’t agree with you, test it out by not eating them for a few weeks and see how you respond, even better go and get some intolerance testing done here is a great lady I know which can help with that.

I love juicing, my favourite is apple, carrot & ginger, I also love raw choccie occasionally, here is my fav, yum yum!

Self care chocolate includedCarrot orange ginger juice

Office/Work Posture

How many hours a week, a month, a year do we spend doing the same actions repeatedly at work? If you are used to staring at a screen, give yourself little eye breaks every so often, by looking away into the distance, hopefully there will be something nice to look at too! Below is a suggested desk height posture, I use a portable adjustable laptop stand, but there are fixed stands available too. You can also get an iPad stand & a phone stand to save holding the item, its way more relaxing just try it! An ergonomic mouse really supports my wrists and a good chair is a great help too, here are some supportive chair options.

Self care correct posture working at desk

Earthing Mat & Electromagnetic Chips

I love Wifi and the benefits of the internet & I am often seen with at least two devices! Yet I also give myself down time away from the screen, this can look like doing something else that you love, maybe going for a walk by the sea. There is this idea that Wifi rays can not be so good for us and we do not really know the long term side effects of living with Wifi. The truth is I am not sure what to believe, but what I do know is I love to take care and it feels supportive for me to sleep on an earthing mat and I buy earthing chips which can be stuck on all your devices too. I do not need to intellectually understand how this works but it feels a supportive thing to do and I share it here so you can read more and go for it if you would like to.

Fresh Air

Weather countryside, forest, sea air or just a walk away from your work at lunchtime, it really supports you in all ways to take time out. Sometimes it can be tempting to feel too busy to stop, but ultimately time away restores and provides clarity so you might even come back with more ooomp to finish off the task you started. Also the extra O2 and exercise will support circulation.

Blue sky fresh air self care

Saunas

Yippee for saunas, sweating out toxins, easing up joint ache, limbering up muscles, flushing toxins, cleansing the skin, helping to support the immune system and a good recovery post workout. I also heard it can make your hair shinier by allowing the sebaceous glands on the scalp to secrete! Wahoo. I also sneak in Eucalyptus or Peppermint oil to add even more of a kick, breathing in all the antibacterial goodness. See below some benefits of Eucalyptus oil. 

Health benefits eucalyptus self care tips

Bed Time!

We spent a vast amount of time in bed over our lifetime, please invest in a good quality pillow and mattress that will support to keep your spine aligned. Also how do you wind down for bed? I love to relax in short moments which supports me to feel calm and when I remember, I naturally reflect on the day and all the things I enjoyed. It is when we are asleep that the body gets a chance to reset, so do take care of yourself here. 

Comfortable sleeping position self care

Relaxing Treatments

We all need an MOT, like our cars, to prevent and maintain good health there are so many amazing treatments to support you! I offer treatments in Bowen Technique, which is great for healing injuries new or old, it realigns fascia, which is an amazing sticky tissue surrounding all our joints, muscles, ligaments and nerves. I find after a Bowen treatment, I train better at the gym, as my posture is straighter and I have better movement of my muscles and joints. Aromatherapy massage and Reflexology are also great for supporting tense muscles too, using bespoke essential oils to match your health needs. 

Relaxing treatment self care tips

To reach out to ask a question, or to know more about the treatments I offer, please click here. Thanks for reading, please take care of yourself you little precious beings.

Emily xx

 

Eco Friendly Skincare

Eco Friendly Skincare

I am super passionate about using eco friendly skincare, products that are natural, effective, but also that have no packaging or packaging that can be recycled.  

When I looked at all the beauty products I owned it was like opening up a big plastic cupboard that you wish you didn’t open. 

Zero Waste reports that the majority of beauty products come packaged in plastic, which – when talking about your average moisturiser pot – can take nearly 1,000 years to decompose! OMG!! We can do our bit as consumers, by making choices. I share with you with you my top favourite natural skin and body care products, that are not tested on animals, made in the UK and made with eco-friendly packaging, wahoo!

1 Lyons Leaf

100% Natural Beauty Balm

Lyonsleaf natural beauty balm luxury facial treatment A beautiful cleansing balm with no artificial chemicals, 95% organic, crammed with free radical busting antioxidants, made in Somerset. This comes in a glass pot which can be recycled. I also wash the pots and reuse them for making face cream, or other ideas you see. I am totally convinced, my skin has never felt smoother, more radiant.  Use this alongside their 100% cotton muslin cloths.  Also available with my Luxury Facial treatment using yummy natural products to leave you beaming.

2 White Witch

Anti-Age Moisturiser

White Witch anti age moisturiser zero waste packaging White Witch eco friendly moisturiser zero packaging

Beautiful, delicately handmade in Ireland, organic, vegan, literally no plastic to be found whatsoever! A beautiful moisturiser containing  Virgin coconut oil, barbary fig seed oil and carnuba wax.

 

3 Pink and Green Organic Skincare

Chocolate and Rose Face & Body Mask

Luxury facial face mask chocolate & rose

Completely natural, smells amazing, great fun to mix with water and slap on your skin. Highly recommended results. Has actual Cacao in, surely that has got to be good. This comes in a glass pot which can be reused, or recycled. Handmade with care in the UK.

 

4 Wild Sage & Co

Shampoo Bar Rosemary and Lavender

Wild Sage & Co shampoo bar zero packaging

All of their soaps are made from 100% natural, vegan ingredients, cold pressed and lovingly crafted in the Herefordshire countryside. This shampoo bar also has Organic Apple Cider Vinegar along with homegrown Rosemary, infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil, er my scalp is crying out for this! Zero-waste product. 

 

5 White Rabbit Skincare

Chamomile and carrot seed eye cream

Chamomile & carrot seed eye cream zero waste packaging

This little gem tightens and firms the eye area, reduces under-eye circles and puffiness, repairs damaged skin and is packed full of antioxidants and vitamins. Packed in a glass jar and aluminium lid from a luxury, vegan skincare company, using only natural ingredients and made in Scotland. 

 

6 Soapnuts

Reusable Organic Cotton Cleansing Pads

Reusable cotton pads luxury facial treatment

Lovingly hand-made with certified organic and fair trade cotton free from pesticides and other chemicals. These naturally absorbent pads are a great washable alternative to disposable products. They can be machine or hand washed with Orethic coconut soap or other natural soap. Also selling artisan soaps, handmade in the UK from 100% vegan, natural and organic, ethically sourced, sustainable & cruelty-free ingredients.

 

7 Aurelia Skincare

Botanical Cream Deodorant

Natural botanical deodorant with zero waste Aurelia Probiotic Skincare’s Botanical Cream Deodorant offers a highly effective gentle and natural alternative with no aluminium which can block and alter sweat ducts. Contains antimicrobial Arrowroot and Kaolin, ready to absorb natural perspiration throughout the day; retaining dryness, inhibiting bacteria and resulting in long-lasting freshness. Shea butter, Tea tree, Eucalyptus and Peppermint, Lavender and Bergamot. Made in the UK. Amazing reviews including by Vogue, glass pot can be recycled too.

 

8) Neals Yard

Peppermint and Lime Deodorant 

Natural skincare products with zero waste

Natural and organic Peppermint & Lime deodorant, clinically proven 24hr protection. It has been formulated to help naturally guard against odour and wetness with cleansing shikimic acid and moisture-absorbing bamboo powder. A skin-loving combination of essential oils with no nasty chemicals.

9 Mooncup

Mooncup zero waste product

An average woman uses 12,000 pads/tampons in her lifetime, and it takes centuries for these products to degrade. Mooncup® is the original, soft, medical-grade silicone menstrual cup designed by women as the convenient, safe and eco-friendly alternative to tampons and pads. UK made a product with zero waste.

10 Georganics

Natural Mineral-rich Toothpaste English Peppermint

English peppermint georganics toothpaste zero waste

Natural toothpaste blended with organic English peppermint essential oil. Fluoride and SLS free, vegan, zero-waste packaging using a plastic-free jar, comes with a bamboo spatula, outside packaging made from compostable craft paper and vegetable ink. Full natural oral care range including toothbrushes and floss too. Made in West Sussex.

By Caring For You Treatments. Offering Luxury Facial treatments in Bristol and Bridport, Dorset.

Luxury Facial overview – You will recline on a therapy couch and be totally spoilt with a cleanse, tone, exfoliate, facial massage, with crystals and cold stones, followed by a heavenly scented face mask, serum, moisturise and eye gel; plus a shoulder, neck and upper back massage (getting into all those knots and tension) whooo! Because we care for you so much whilst your mask is setting, we will provide an extra massage to either legs and feet, a mini reflexology treatment, or a scalp massage Only using natural organic products with recyclable packaging. Book your treatment here.

Zero waste natural skincare luxury facial

Bowen Technique Bristol – Top 10 Benefits of Bowen Technique

Top 10 Benefits of Bowen Technique

I share the many benefits of bowen therapy to your health.

 

What is Bowen Technique?

Bowen Technique is a soft tissue technique where rolling moves are made over precise points of the body, working over muscles, fascia, ligaments and nerves, providing alignment, reducing pain, improving muscle flexibility, movement and posture. But what are the benefits of this treatment?

Read on to find out more and how Bowen can help you!

 

1 Relaxation

When was the last time you took an hour to completely relax and give yourself an opportunity to recharge? Bowen is incredibly relaxing, it instantly soothes the parasympathetic nervous system, which encourages a balance of sleep, digestion and reducing stress.

 

2 Pain relief

Over time fascia can become sticky or dehydrated, repeated movements at work, or poor posture, or from an accident can cause pain & discomfort. Bowen re-sets fascia to be free from restriction & therefore pain is reduced. 

3 Improves posture

An incredible side effect is that you feel and appear taller and straighter after a Bowen session and more aware of your posture. Its important to adopt a natural posture for you, through relaxation, however, some of us need a little encouragement from time to time and this is fine.

“I don’t know how it happened, but I am experiencing less pain and I feel much more aware of my posture too, I just feel straighter and find it harder to slouch when I am on my computer, thank you!”  

Katie HR manager Bristol  

4 Injury care

It is common for previous injuries to be supported, reduce pain and help prevent further injury. During a treatment, precise moves are made by the therapist over muscles, fascia, ligaments and nerves, sending neurological impulses to the brain, creating a vibrational pattern that re-aligns the musculoskeletal system to its original state, thus old or new injuries are worked upon.

 

4 Benefits fascia  

Fascia is a three-dimensional web, that is ever-flowing and uninterrupted. It envelopes the entire body, connecting our superficial skin layer to the deepest tissues. When fascia is restricted it has an effect on our complete health, affecting not just muscular and skeletal health, but nerve capacity, gland and organ function and our general well being. Over time repeated movements, trauma or poor posture can cause sticking and tightness, Bowen supports to release any tension and provide a balance through working directly upon fascia.

Fascia lines image

5 Reduces muscular/joint restriction

Bowen is amazing at easing up knots & tension through deep cellular relaxation. There is NO forceful manipulation. Bowen ‘asks’ the body to recognise and make the changes it requires and over the week after a treatment, the body responds and readjusts safely according to its needs.

 

6 Provides alignment

If your jaw, shoulder, hip, pelvis, sacral joint, ankle, back or knee is out of alignment, it will affect your movement and the rest of your body, if it isn’t now, it may lead to future discomforts. Bowen provides gentle realignment, which the body is able to hold, releasing pain and compensation patterns.  The improvement can hold for weeks, months, years or indefinitely, depending on the individual and their lifestyle.

 

8 Rebalances you & promotes sleep

The theory of what makes Bowen Technique effective is that it connects the mind and body through nerves and receptors. The moves performed by the therapist are designed to create a restoration of the structural integrity between the brain and the body, thus reducing discomfort and restoring a harmonic balance.

Lady sleeping well relaxation treatments

9 Stress reliever

Because you deserve some relaxation and timeout when was the last time you didn’t feel stressed? How do you manage stress? I tell you a secret, finding something that relaxes you is key to good health. Bowen can relax and relieve stress, producing good results by penetrating to a deep cellular level. 

 

10 Your bodies own self-healing mechanism

Bowen is really asking your body to sort itself out. The practitioner puts the moves into the body and the stretch receptors, neuroreceptors all communicate together, to align and repair.

I hope you enjoyed reading the top 10 benefits of bowen technique. Of course there are many more benefits but I wanted to share simply the main support that can be offered. 

Contact me to book a bowen therapy session. 

 

Contact to book an appointment

Self Care at Home – Caring For Your Muscles

Muscle Care 

7 muscle care tips to take the best care of your body and prevent injuries.

Caring for your muscles Bowen sports therapy

 

1 Get Moving & Stretch Post Workout

We’ve all heard how beneficial exercise is to body, mind & soul, well in my experience it does bring a lot of joy and support health, but the key is finding something you enjoy, the gym isn’t for everyone! I tried to find an online link to stretches that I find supportive, but no one routine is right for everyone, so here are some of my favourite stretches.

I recommend tailoring your choice of stretches to what feels right for your body and to what feels comfortable, do not force the range of movement but relax into it. Hold each stretch for at least 20 seconds, don’t forget to breathe! I warm up before exercise with core strengthening, or cycling, then stretch after a full workout, I would love to know what works for you?

 

2 Epsom Salts – for soothing muscle care

Otherwise known as Soda Crystals are a naturally-occurring product filtered and refined through unique heat processing to maximise their benefits. First popularised by athletes and sportsmen, now more and more people are using them to relieve swollen joints and ease sprains, strains and aching muscles after exercise or physical exertion. Great in a bath to relieve aching muscles, or with a bandage to reduce joint swellings. Word of caution can be slippy when getting out of the bath, also it is suggested to not soak in a bath with Epsom salts, longer than 20-minutes. 

 

3 Saunas

I do love to feel warm and to be honest, I get super excited to go for a treat to the steam & sauna, especially when It’s cold, rainy and grey outside. My joints feel supported from going and I have felt less cold this winter, with fewer colds. Other benefits can include flushing toxins, cleansing the skin, helping to support the immune system and a good recovery post workout.

I also heard it can make your hair shinier by allowing the sebaceous glands on the scalp to secrete! Like I need any more reasons to go as it’s so nice to be warm yippeee!

 

4 Relaxing Mind & Body

Bright is an amazing support network to relax body and mind in an easeful way. This has supported me to find ultimate health, a balance that sees clearly that this physical body is ageing and ‘temporary’ yet the great care to maintain its use, to be of benefit, for as long as possible. How you choose to take of you, is for you to discern, as i said before, we do not need to all go to the gym to be fit, yes that can support, but it’s your choice!

 

5 Supportive Posture

We all do it, slouchy tired posture, stressed out tense posture, but it’s great for preventing injuries to be mindful of your posture in a relaxed way. Great to hang loose in whatever way works for you, we are not all supposed to be straight bolt upright, but it’s often small habits over time that may contribute to an injury.

 

6 Nutrition Support

Listen in to what your body is asking for, as our natural intelligence will tell us. We have all heard about drinking water and the importance of keeping hydrated, it does contribute towards supporting our muscular vehicles to function fully, although no need to force tons of H20 down.

The foods you eat before a workout can play an important role in pre-empting the tissue-rebuilding process once the workout is over. I’m my experience I find it best to eat something small pre-workout such as a green juice or berry smoothie, I then have a healthy protein meal with greens around 20 minutes after a workout.

Omega 3,6 & 9, either taken in a capsule or through omega-rich foods (walnuts, oily fish, soya beans, chia seeds, flaxseeds) according to this source can reduce muscle soreness and increase muscle recovery, whoo!

7 Supportive Treatments!

We all need an MOT, like our cars, at least once a year! To prevent and maintain good health there are so many amazing treatments to support you! I offer treatments in Bowen Technique, which is great for healing injuries new or old, it realigns fascia, which is an amazing sticky tissue surrounding all our joints, muscles, ligaments and nerves. I find after a Bowen treatment, I train better at the gym, as my posture is straighter, aligned and I have better movement of my muscles and joints. Aromatherapy and massage are great for supporting tense muscles too, using bespoke essential oils to match your health needs.

Thanks for reading, happy muscles!

  • For more information or to book a treatment please click here.

 

References

 

Caring for hair removal

Caring For Hair Removal 

  Hair removal decisions Caring For You Treatments Hair removal, you know it, it’s that damn to do list agenda point that never goes! Are you one of these fair-haired jammy beings that never really has to remove hair, or a full-on HAIRY BEAST like me! How do you remove hair? Do you pay someone to sort it in forty-five minutes, or spend a couple hours doing the works yourself and end up with a crooked neck like me! Maybe you choose to fully embrace having hair and being fine with that instead? I have to say a massive thank you to my Mum for ticking off my Xmas list item – an epilator! I get ingrown hairs quite a lot, so an epilator results hold a little longer than shaving and leaves the skin smoother. However, it is a slower method that some and can be a bit painful, although you do get used to it and it gets less painful the more you use it. Here is a rundown of current hair removal methods and their pros and cons:

Waxing

The benefits:
  • It’s a quick hair removal method and you are left with smooth skin for up to 4 weeks.
  • It is also nice using a natural product, although some high street strips do have Paraffinum Liquidum in a petroleum-based product, just in case your like me and love the natural ingredients option. Here is a lovely organic natural brand I found Moom.
Downside:
  • You have to pay someone, you have to pay someone to get up close and personal and remove hair from your bits!? According to this source, the average woman spends up to £23,000 in a lifetime on waxing, oooooo!
Tips
  • Find a friend to provide reciprocal waxes? You can do it yourself, I used to and it took me ages as I couldn’t always pull the strip off knowing the pain was coming?
  • Just a reminder to care for your skin after waxing, for example, it is best to avoid water, saunas within 48 hours of waxing. Take care and if needs be avoid waxing over varicose veins, scars, moles, spotty, broken, irritated and sunburnt skin. There are lots of lovely things to apply to your skin after use; I love a good tea tree aloe vera gel.

Shaving

The benefits:
  • A great DIY option that is easy, speedy results and cheap. Apparently, this option costs the average women £6,500 in her lifetime, (A woman spends an average of eight weeks shaving unwanted hair in her lifetime)
Downside:
  • Depending on the hair levels, you may need to shave every day.
  • It does make my skin sore and more ingrown hairs appear. Does anyone else find it awkward to stand in the shower to shave, do you have a chair to sit on? Maybe it’s because I am tall.
  • Are your razors made from plastic? Doh more plastic waste! Here is a cool no plastic fancy safety razor by Edwin Jagger.
Tips
  • You will save yourself some ££ by not having to rebuy plastic razors and head replacements.
  • Below is a tutorial video on how to use the classy safety razor

Sugaring

The Benefits:
  • Like waxing, but sounds tastier, need I say more! Apparently, it is made out of sugar, lemon and water, so it is a natural product.
  • It isn’t hot so no worries about waxing scolds
  • It washes off the skin easily, as opposed to the stickiness of waxing.
Downside:
  • You are paying out for someone to do this. Interesting to hear about DIY sugaring attempts that have been successful or a ready-made pancake day mixture.

Epilating – my fav!

The Benefits:
  • Great results from an easy DIY option
  • Smooth skin for up to 4 weeks, often I do this once a week, or once every two weeks depending on the area, for example, armpits.
  • The average epilator is around £50-£100, which lasts a long time!
  • Often epilators come with a variety of head extensions, for ease of use in different areas, for example, the upper lip has a thin head, so only a small area is exposed to the blade, which means the pain is in a smaller area and is more manageable to use.
Downside:
  • It can be a bit painful, but as I said you get used to it and it is no worse than waxing.

Tweezers

Really, does anyone actually remove hair with a tweezer, I met someone once that did their bikini line with a tweezer!? They obvs can’t be that hairy?! Yes, eyebrows work here and those annoying wispy chin whiskers, sorry but we have all them at some point right?!

Threading

The Benefits:
  • Quick hair removal method
  • No chemicals used, just cotton thread
  • More gentle on the skin, although not suggested to be used for those suffering from acne
  • I did hear it is nice for your eyebrows to have this option done.
Downside:
  • Not ever tried this as a DIY option, but I did have it done in Thailand once and it didn’t seem to last that long for me though, so shaving seemed an easier option.

Cream hair removal

The Benefits:
  • You slap it on and hope for the best, an easy DIY option at home
Downside:
  • It smells
  • It is full of chemicals

Laser Hair Removal

Benefits:
  • A very long-term solution, targeting the hair follicle right at the root. It reduces hair loss to the point of not needing to shave anymore.
  • DIY yourself at home, easily done for £300 see here for tips on this DIY option
  • Doesn’t cause ingrown hairs
  • Cheaper and time-saving in the long run?!
Downside:
  • Similar pain threshold to shaving and waxing, not sure whether that’s a benefit or not
  • It can be a longer process, as it may take three to eight treatments on each area, depending on the size of the area, leaving three to eight weeks apart
  • According to this source, It does not work on hair that is grey, white, light red, light brown or blonde.
  • Side effects could be burning of the skin and potential lightning/darkening of the skin
  • Costs anywhere from £60-£3,200, could be higher depending on the area and number of treatments needed.

Leave it as it is option

The Benefits:
  • This is a very easy option, nothing to do but see it all as it is.
  • I have seen it directly on our elder females, a lot of whom grow really long hairs on the chin area (I am happy to share I found one on my chin when I was 27!) so at some point, it will catch up with us.
  • I never forget Julia Roberts at the Oscars when she showed her underarm hair! I couldn’t care less about anyone else’s hair, it’s totally up to you! And let’s face it we won’t have the paparazzi snapping pics of us.
I never knew quite how passionate I was about hair removal, truth be told I find it a right bugbear, but it’s funny how those things you resent can actually open out to be a reminder to be super gentle with yourself and question why you putting yourself through this. We can totally choose how we and if we remove hair, your body, your choice. Thanks for reading, happiness isn’t found in removing hair. Emily Caring For You Treatments