Bathing Rituals — How to Create an At-Home Spa The Soothes

How to create an at-home spa ritual that soothes the soul and nourishes the skin.

Words KATE HOLLAND

Bathing became a self-care ritual for me long before I was pregnant with my first baby. Now, as I sit engulfed in warm Epsomsalted water at 36 weeks, I feel thankful I have this tool up my sleeve. Easing the tension from carrying extra weight around the middle, the bath makes me feel weightless as it relaxes my lower back and hips. The warmth of the water soothes my itchy and stretched belly skin. My baby seems to love the bath too — from inside the womb I feel its tiny hands and feet kick and play. But it’s more than that. Bathing offers me a moment of stillness and solace that’s perhaps amplified by the impending knowledge that soon these moments are going to be hard to come by. The time to relish the stillness and be selfish is now. And so I bath for hours and hours, sometimes twice a day. Thankfully, where I live gets significant rainfall every year, so water is never scarce. I use all my best self-care products like fancy Epsom salts, body oils, unscented candles for ambience and an oil burner with my favourite essential oils. I’ve also added a few Herbalife products to my beauty routine for their lasting effects. My favourites from the range are the Herbal Aloe Strengthening Shampoo and Conditioner, the Line Minimising Serum and the Brightening Vitamin Mask.

Haircare.

My pregnancy hormones have done wonders for my hair. It’s thicker, shinier and stronger than ever before. The haircare range from Herbalife features a Herbal Aloe Strengthening Shampoo and Conditioner. I squeeze some of the shampoo onto my palm and massage it into my scalp. Infused with botanical ingredients such as aloe vera the shampoo smells delicious. Free from parabens, colourants and sulphates, I know it’s a safe choice for me and my baby. The shampoo includes a hydrolysed wheat protein that helps to protect, repair and strengthen my hair. It’s lightweight and doesn’t feel greasy. As I rinse the shampoo out, I give my scalp a nice massage — another self-care ritual I love to do in the bath. After a good rinse, I apply another round of shampoo — just for the scalp massage.

Next, it’s time to condition my long locks. I squeeze a dollop of the Herbalife conditioner onto my palm and begin combing it through my hair. Said to preserve colour and reduce hair breakage by 90 per cent, the conditioner has a subtle smell of botanical ingredients like xx and xx. With no added parabens, colourants or sulphates, I appreciate that the Herbalife range shares my same values. Using a comb, I spread the conditioner evenly throughout my hair. I leave it in for minutes and close my eyes. Taking some deep breaths with my hands on my growing belly, I feel my baby kick with life. I send love and health to my baby and thank my womb. I cannot believe I’ll be meeting this little one so soon. I rinse out the conditioner and move on to my skincare routine.

Skincare

Next, it’s time for my skincare pampering. The Herbalife Brightening Vitamin Mask is my favourite. It’s enriched with aloe vera, Jeju sea salt, rice extract and many more beautiful botanicals. Perfect for those looking for brighter skin, which I always am, the mask is easy to apply and cooling for the face. I simply cleanse, apply the mask and adjust it to fit comfortably around the eyes and mouth then sit back and relax for 15 minutes. Again, I take some deep belly breaths and let the warmth of the bath take me to my happy place. There, I either do some birth visualisations or meditations to prepare myself for the big day. I remove the mask and gently pat my skin. It feels soft and nourished.

Finally, I apply the Herbalife Line Minimising Serum. The serum is silky for the skin and leaves me with that post-bath glow. The serum, which can be used in the morning and night, is said to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. I’m glad I’ve started using this product now as I foresee some sleepless nights ahead.

Lying back in the tub, I take some more deep breaths. This self-care routine nourishes me so profoundly and is the perfect prep for labour. I hope that in four or five short weeks I’ll go into my birth with a clear and focused mind, a relaxed body and an unwavering inner strength. I also hope for a water birth as it’s my happy place.

For more, visit herbalife.com.au.