If you’ve been cooped up at home for the past, is it nearly three weeks now, you might be starting to feel the fatigue from this lockdown-lite. No issue, you can always create a spa day at home, where that extra pampering should help liven up the mood a little. Here’s part two then — caring for your hair, nails, and the rest of your body. While we can actually go to a salon for a hair treatment or manicure, booking an appointment or having to don a mask to step outdoors might just give enough anxiety to completely disregard that thought. That’s where these nifty tools and beauty products come in, as they give us everything from a soothing scalp massage to pristine, shiny nails.
HAIR
Tangle Teezer The Scalp Exfoliator And Massager, $22 ; Jung Beauty 2-Step Steaming Hair Spa, $50 ; Hayo’u Beauty Restorer Comb, $50 ; Silke London The Kate Silk Hair Wrap, $98
Shiny, silky, soft, voluminous hair is always the goal, and dare we say, it really starts from a healthy scalp, all the way to well-moisturised tresses. Tangle Teezer’s new invention, the Scalp Exfoliator and Massager, ups our shower routine with an invigorating scalp massage, with soft yet precise bristles that help remove dead skin cells and prevent product buildup. Same goes for the luxurious Hayo’u jade comb, which you can use both in and out of the shower to reduce stress and tension. Use them with shampoo or scalp treatments for a good scalp detox.
Hair masks have been quite the rage in South Korea, and Jung Beauty’s 2-step one is truly a step up, as it first cocoons your hair in warm steam to encourage blood circulation, lift the hair cuticle, and enable the mask treatment to penetrate deeply into the hair shaft. After that comes the nourishing step, with a leave-in Keratin treatment that helps heal damaged hair. For Silke London’s silk hair wrap, as with silk pillowcases and hair ties, the smooth material protects your hair even overnight, preventing tangles, breakage, and frizz.
BODY
Vanderhone Sasawashi Exfoliating Body Cloths, $109 ; Drunk Elephant Sugared Koffie Almond Milk Scrub, $40 ; Sand & Sky Australian Pink Clay Smoothing Body Sand Scrub, $54 ; Fenty Skin Butta Drop Whipped Oil Body Cream, $54
Can you really make your shower routine better? Why, of course, and we’ve got some new scrubs and body rub products to recommend. Make gentle exfoliation part of your daily regime with Vanderhone’s exfoliating body cloths. These are made from Sasawashi, an organic fabric derived from traditional Japanese paper, Washi and leaves of the Kumazasa plant, which contain natural antibacterial properties while helping to boost circulation and lymphatic drainage.
This season’s most exciting scrubs include Drunk Elephant’s heavenly-smelling one, of roasted and powdered coffee beans, as well as brown sugar crystals, which sweep away dead skin cells while invigorating the skin; a luxurious almond milk blend then helps nourish the skin, even sensitive ones. Sand & Sky’s body sand scrub is adorably accompanied with a scoop too, in theme with the body sand scrub that detoxes and smoothens skin with their signature Australian Pink Clay, Macadamia and Coconut shell, and even biodegradable glitter for a golden hour glow.
Next, slather some of Fenty Skin’s Butta Drop Whipped Oil Body Cream for instant, all-day hydration and a glossy sheen. This one packs 7 luxurious oils, including Kalahari melon, baobab, and sunflower seed, as well as shea butter, mango butter, and more for supple skin in no time.
NAILS
Handmade Heroes Oat Mighty Cuticle Oil, $9.90 ; Burt’s Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream, $18 ; PUREDERM Moisture & Nourish Fingernail Mask, $34.09 FOR A SET OF 10 ; Le Mini Macaron Cocooning Pedicure Set, $40.99
Since we’re talking about head-to-toe pampering, let’s not forget the tips of our fingers as well. Handmade Heroes’ cuticle oil has been a personal godsend lately, and contains 8% colloidal oats and Vitamin E, for soft hands and strong, shiny nails. The formula absorbs almost instantly, and is dispensed via a brush pen that makes this way more convenient to pick up and use. Burt’s Bees’ lemon butter cuticle cream is also another no-fuss formula that moisturises and softens cuticles, plus there’s a refreshing lemon scent to look forward to.
If you’ve got a bit more time on your hands, consider Purederm’s fingernail mask. This sought-after k-beauty essential consists of finger pouches that contain moisturising essences, which you leave on for 30 – 60 minutes in order to nourish damaged nails and cuticles, especially if you’ve always been opting for gel manicures. Finally, don’t neglect your feet and toes as well, with the cutest 3-in-1 pedicure set from Le Mini Macaron, which ensures your feet are well-exfoliated with a dual-sided brush and pumice, pampered with a fizzy lavender-scented foot bath bomb, and thoroughly nourished, thanks to a spa-quality “Butter Me Up” Shea Foot Butter that eases dry and rough skin.
