Sleep, Boost, and Breathe: Stepping up my self-care routine with The Body Shop’s new wellness range

Self-care became a beauty buzzword these past few years. Because of the pandemic, our collective focus shifted towards our physical and mental well-being. What may have been perceived as indulgence before has become a seeming necessity. Taking care of ourselves is essential after all!

One of the ways I practice self-care is to make sure I pause and savor my daily beauty routine. I carefully select our linens and pay attention to ingredients. I consciously curate my makeup so they function as well as inspire. I invest in quality skincare products that help destress while washing up and even while sleeping. Coming across The Body Shop’s new Wellness line felt like these are products that get me, that these are products I need. But do I really? Let’s see.

The Sleep, Boost, and Breathe routines of The Body Shop’s Wellness range are targeted to help users recharge, reconnect, and re-energize. The products are made with "100% natural essential oils and at least 90% natural-origin ingredients". In line with The Body Shop's commitment to sustainability, these are packaged in recyclable glass, aluminum jars and bottles.

The Body Shop Sleep with Lavender and Vetiver

The Body Shop Sleep Balmy Body Cream (P1,995) has a very soothing scent from the lavender and vetiver essential oils that, as the name suggests, promotes sleep. The 4 step Sleep routine of the Wellness range is actually clinically proven by the European Sleep Centre to fall asleep faster and improve sleep quality.*

This body cream comes in a wide mouthed recycled glass jar and an aluminum lid. I have to admit, I find the glass jar a bit heavy and slightly inconvenient especially if you’re in a hurry. On the other hand, its heft and material reminds me to be mindful when applying.

The cream is thick and I recommend using a spatula to be hygienic. I find that you have to warm it up with your hands first before applying to the body or else it will be hard to slather on. I love the scent and how it lingers. You can still catch whiffs of it even after an hour or two!

In terms of it being moisturizing, I have no complaints. Does it help me sleep better? I can’t really tell since I only have this one product from the 4-steps. But I do appreciate the pause it gives me and the application proper helps me calm down and center myself. Slowly but surely is key or else I might drop the heavy jar.

The Body Shop Boost with Mandarin and Bergamot

The Body Shop Boost Uplifting Hair and Body Wash (P895) comes in an aluminum bottle with a twist cap. I immediately noticed a strong citrusy scent from the 100% natural and biodegradable mandarin and bergamot essential oils used in the product. This perky zesty scent is probably why they recommend using it in the morning, giving you a "Boost" to get you started for the day.

I enjoy using this wash immensely. The scent truly makes me smile! It’s a one stop product that works well even for my dry hair. I can get away without conditioner as long as I don’t do it for consecutive uses. Since the products have such strong scents, I do recommend trying to smell them in store first to know if they’re right for you.

The Body Shop Breathe with Eucalyptus and Rosemary

The Body Shop Breathe Essential Oil Blend (P1,195) is an interesting addition when creating a relaxing self-care routine. This blend includes eucalyptus and rosemary essential oils, as well as olive oil and sweet almond oil. Packed in a pocket-sized glass bottle, you can carry this around to breathe in anytime you need some inner calm. I have tried applying this on my pulse points aside from smelling directly but I feel like I still need to figure out how to best use it. I hope I can get my hands on the other blends to see which one works best for me as I enjoyed the two previous scents.

The Body Shop Philippines shared other ways you can utilize essential oils, such as adding it to hot boiled water and inhaling the steam. You can check it out in this video:

The Body Shop Wellness range products are currently available at The Body Shop Philippines online store and in select stores. I’ve tried looking for it at their store in Robinsons Magnolia but only select items are stocked. I’ll probably check SM Makati next to see if they have a better selection.

Overall, I enjoyed The Body Shop Wellness range. I highly recommend it to anyone looking to level up their wellness routine. The cream and bath wash both make me look forward to my showers. I also love how the brand works with communities and practice sustainable sourcing aside from encouraging recycling of their products’ packaging. You can actually drop off empty containers at their stores to make sure they get recycled. Admittedly, the line is a bit of a splurge but if you can, The Body Shop products and ingredients are well worth it.

The Body Shop Sleep Balmy Body Cream Ingredients:

Aqua/Water/Eau, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter/Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter/Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Glycerin, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil/Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Oryza Sativa Bran Wax/Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Wax, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Parfum/Fragrance, Bertholletia Excelsa Seed Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Caprylyl Glycol, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil/Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Linalool, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Tocopherol, Coumarin, Limonene, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil/Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Geraniol, Sodium Hydroxide.

The Body Shop Boost Uplifting Hair and Body Wash Ingredients:

Aqua/Water/Eau, Sodium Coco-Sulfate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Propanediol, Parfum/Fragrance, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Limonene, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Linalool, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil/Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Sodium Chloride

The Body Shop Breathe Essential Oil Blend Ingredients:

Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil/Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil/Eucalyptus Globulus (Eucalyptus) Leaf Oil, Pogostemon Cablin Oil, Salvia Sclarea Oil/Salvia Sclarea (Clary) Oil, Limonene, Linalool, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil/Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil, Cupressus Sempervirens Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Leaf Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil/Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Oil, Geraniol, Coriandrum Sativum Fruit Oil/Coriandrum Sativum (Coriander) Fruit Oil, Citronellol, Mentha Viridis Leaf Oil/Mentha Viridis (Spearmint) Leaf Oil, Citral, Eugenol, Farnesol.