For so many of us at the moment, stress and anxiety levels are high, and we’re having to find different ways to cope with it all. And along with journalling, doing digital detoxes and trying to switch off as much as I can, I’ve also been reaching for the big guns at Lovely Girlie HQ, and have rooted out the best lavender beauty products from my stash. The scent of lavender just soothes my soul, instantly calming me. It helps me feel more zen, helps reduce my anxiety, and after the last few weeks, I’m most definitely in need of its powers! While I won’t be getting to any of those fragrant lavender fields in Provence this year, I wanted to highlight some of my lavender essentials that I’ve been turning to at the moment and hopefully give you some inspiration. But first, if your local garden centre is delivering, or whenever they open up again, I can’t recommend enough getting yourself a few lavender plants. We have six now at the back wall of the garden in an homage to Valensole, and I can’t wait for them to start blooming in the summer. They’re the Hidcote type (who knew there were lots of varieties, but this is the one I know and love the most). In the photo below you’ll see dried lavender that we brought home so carefully from our trip last year and I take this out on special occasions because it’s so delicate, and this transports me to France instantly. We bought a few little sachets over there too, but last year we took some lavender from our plants and dried them ourselves, making our own little sachets of calm. I totally recommend doing that gals. In the event that you can’t get near any lavender itself, I have some alternatives.
The best lavender beauty products
Waxperts Original Lavender Candle
I can’t count how many of the Waxperts Original Lavender candles (€30) we’ve gone through over the last couple of years and Ellen and Trish got this so right. The scent fills the whole downstairs of the house and genuinely is so soothing and calming and burns for ages, 45 hours to be exact. Containing pure lavender essential oil, this is the closest I can get to a French lavender field and that moment where you get out of the car there and the scent fills the air. It’s magic and is a gorgeous treat for yourself or a loved one and after trying out a load of lavender candles over the years, this is the best. I know I’m biased because the gals are my friends, but honestly no other lavender candle comes close to this one. And as you’ll see, they’ve paved the way when it comes to lavender beauty products and while the next item isn’t necessarily a beauty product, I couldn’t leave it out!
Waxperts Lavender Scent Room Spray
If you’re not a candle fan, but still want to get your lavender fix in the home, then the Waxperts Lavender Scent Room Spray (€15) is most definitely worth checking out. Sprayed in a room or on your pillow, this instantly helps create a zen ambience, so I recommend phone off, throw on a face mask, spritz this and you’re good to go.
Waxperts Beautiful Body Oil
Waxperts also have aBeautiful Body Oil(€12.99) in the collection that again smells incredible and is perfect for applying on damp skin after your bath or shower. It absorbs into the skin quickly and has a delicate and light fragrance. This is one I use after the shower in the evenings when I want to switch off, and this is a crucial step!
L’Occitane Lavender Shower Gel & Body Lotion
Mam and I always have a stock pile of the L’Occitane Lavender(or Lavande if you’re feeling fancy and French) products on hand. There’s an entire range of lavender based products in this collection, from soaps to hand washes, bubble baths to hand creams and I love every single product I’ve tried from it. I’ve just finished a bottle of this shower gel and thankfully have this one ready to go, but if you want to create a relaxing spa at home, starting with this shower gel and body lotion is a great place to start. I got to visit the L’Occitane factory when I was in France a couple of years ago and visited a field from the area where they pick the lavender, which was a true pinch me moment. I was then attacked by a mad looking bee thing which was fun times, but still, I’d go back to that field any day!
Yon-Ka Huile Detox Nourishing Invigorating Dry Oil
The Yon-Ka Huile Detox from the Aroma Fusion Collection (€39) is another favourite of mine for after the shower in the evenings. It’s a dry oil which I use on lightly towel dried skin that’s a bit damp, and spritz it all over, allowing it to absorb quickly. It has a lighter lavender fragrance than the rest of the products in this post, so if you’re not a fan of overly scented things, then it’s definitely worth checking out. There’s a bath and shower oil, an exfoliator and moisturiser in the Detox range too, so if you fancy an at-home Yon-Ka spa session, then you know what to do.
This Works Deep Sleep Shower Gel and Deep Sleep Pillow Spray
I think the This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray (€23) was the first lavender beauty products I’d tried in my adult life and years later, it’s still something I reach for when the stress levels are high before bed. I’ve bought countless bottles of it over the years for friends and family too and I ration it, keeping it for The Bad Nights, because I don’t want to become immune to its power. I find when I use this (most of the time), I sleep so hard, waking up in the same position I went to sleep in. When I’m stressed and anxious, I can fall asleep easily enough, but it’s when I wake up during the night and start thinking all of the thoughts, that’s where the problem is. But this definitely helps me get a better sleep. Mam has taken ownership of these two products, and hers are entirely more photogenic than my bottle of the pillow spray. But it’s a keeper. Let me know what are your favourite lavender products!
