Category: Healthy Living

1. Winter Skin

   Posted on 12:00pm Saturday 21st Dec 2019

   

   
   ‘Tis the season to be jolly…

   And worn out, and full of cold, and surrounded by loved ones for slightly too long…
   

   Stress, alcohol, diet, partying, sleep disruptions and travel are just a few of the factors that can wreak havoc on your skin and senses over the festive season, so we wanted to give a little helping hand with a few tips to help keep you glowing, inside out.
   
   You are what you eat – and drink

   It’s so true – no wonder our complexions flare up when the boxes of foil wrapped sweets, decadently rich foods and around-the-clock cocktails are in abundance.

   Our approach? Dilute. Make sure you have plenty of water and breathers from the feasts to avoid feeling too full and lethargic. Break down the big meals with herbs, leaves and spices that do wonders for soothing the stomach. Keep those Christmas colds in the room at bay with a few immune boosters; turmeric, garlic and chilli are all brilliant aids for this.

   Here’s a festive recipe from Alexandra:

   A cup of your favourite nut or coconut milk
   ½ tsp of cinnamon
   1 Star anise
   A pinch of Black Pepper
   A pinch of Turmeric
   Date syrup to taste (optional)
   
   Pop everything in the milk and very slowly warm it up. 

   Strip

   Let your skin be naked - Keep skin bare & breathing as much as you can.

   If your skin is prone to flare ups and takes on a life of its own, don’t fight it, let it calm down of its own accord. Make sure you care for the skin flare ups as you would your mood – our Sensitive Skin range is wonderful for this, but try to avoid anything new – play it safe, less is more.

   If you are making the most of the great outdoors, your skin may be feeling the winter chill and in need of a little more moisture, so have a think about a moisturiser with added vitamins that can boost that natural nourishment.

   For those looking for a clean glowing complexion from the comfort of your home, take a look at our previous blog talking about Honey extraction – your pores will thank you and you will smell heavenly too.

   Travelling? Pack carefully

   Going near and often far over the winter break sees many of us on planes, trains, and a host of car journeys… Pack sensibly and look for products that serve more than one purpose. Angel Balm is an award-winning multi-purpose balm that can be used as a cleanser, a mask, a lip balm, a dry skin saviour. Suitable for all skin types, you will be covered for all sorts.

   Last but by no means least, take the time to rest. Slow down, listen to your body and enjoy the stories being told around the room. How often do you get to reflect like this? Enjoy it, it is precious and entirely deserved!

   In this blog:

      

   Multi-purpose – Angel Balm
   Sensitive Skin – Awaken cleanser
   Ultra-nourishing Moisturiser – Formula 1

2. Honey

   Posted on 12:00pm Tuesday 26th Nov 2019

   Honey

   

   Honey. We all know it to be a healer in the kitchen cupboard and a wonder ingredient for just about anything digestible. We treat our insides to the glorious goodness of honey, why wouldn’t we treat our skin to the same healing powers?

   Honey is naturally antibacterial, bursting with antioxidants, making it brilliant for breakouts and ageing alike. It is wonderfully nourishing, so helps to create a natural glow, and given its sticky nature, it is brilliant at unclogging pores.

   Acid pads, enzyme masks and other skin resurfacing mediums do a great job at destroying the acid mantle layer and some go much deeper, leaving skin defenceless, making it unsurprising that so many people have sensitive and reactive skin.

    Scrubs are fine once in a while if there is an accumulation of dead flaky cells, but they should be used with care to avoid breaking healthy skin.  Honey is wonderful because as you lift it off the skin, only what is ready to come off will be removed. It also calms and nourishes the skin at the same time.

   Honey extraction has been a key component of Soveral signature facial treatments for 15 years now, blended with a secret formula of vitamins and plant extracts to enhance its anti-inflammatory properties. Alexandra designed a non-abrasive technique to remove the honey that lifts the underlining facial tissues to aid detoxification – you literally feel your lymph starting to move.

   Alexandra shared four simple steps for honey exfoliation at home with Vogue.com. Take a look and feel the difference immediately.

   Skin will feel squeaky clean but if you want to go a step further and do a deep pore cleanse, post-honey exfoliation is a great time to do so, as the pores are open and the first layer of dead skin has been removed.  Massage Soveral Angel Balm onto the skin and the fats in the balm will blend with the sebum in the pores while the Geranium in the balm will separate and travel down into the pore to balance the sebaceous glands, working wonders for the skin. 

   Once you remove the Angel Balm with another hot damp flannel you also remove the top layer of sebum within the black head. Overtime this technique will minimise pores and you will never need extractions again.

   For those with dry flaky or congested skin, treat your skin to this sweet ritual once or twice a week - for those with a more normal skin, we would recommend making this a fortnightly regular.

   

3. How to Create Hygge in your Home

   Posted on 6:58pm Tuesday 25th Oct 2016

   

   Scent is incredibly powerful. There is much research to detail how our limbic systems comprise of olfactory neurones that attaches scent to our memory, behaviour, mood and emotion. Scientists argue that smell plays a crucial role in our overall psychological wellbeing.

   This Autumn, books about Hygge have been launched by authors such as Meik Wiking and Louisa Thomsen Brits. The term is Danish and is pronounced as ‘HUE-gah’. There is no direction English translation. However the meaning of the phrase is to experience cosiness, relax and enjoy life’s simple pleasures.

   One way the Danes achieve a moment of Hygge is to spend an evening with friends and family and enjoy a candle lit dinner. Candles often feature in relaxation rituals due to their aromatherapeutic qualities.

   Soveral has natural candles that are drawn from places where nature has inspired Alexandra’s perfume work. These include Fields of provence, Woodlands of Avalon and Flowers of Iberia.
   They are hand blended and made out of soy wax from sustainable sources. Soveral’s candles promote a feeling of warmth and overall wellbeing. They are the perfect way to create a hygge ambiance in your home.