Helping to ease your daily stress

Feb 1 2009 by Zoe Burn, Sunday Sun

YOU’VE had a hard day at work, a stressful journey home and all you want to do is relax and put your feet up . . . so make some valuable time just for you.

A long bath is the perfect way to unwind, and forget about washing hair or shaving legs . . . this is all about relaxing.

Run a hot bath to help stimulate the immune system and boost circulation, as well as relax tired muscles. While you’re in there, try out one of these fab products . . .

A FANTASTIC treat for the skin is Spieza Organics’ Lemongrass and Marigold Body Scrub, £19.10 from www.spieziaorganics.com This luxurious exfoliator is perfect for a long bath and this is one product you will really want to enjoy.

It’s made with two types of organic sugar and calendula petals and has a firm consistency, looking just like brown sugar with root ginger.

It smells fresh and zingy and goes on well and, despite its rough appearance, it’s remarkably gentle on the skin, leaving the organic natural oils on the body after rinsing, locking in moisture.

ESSENTIAL and organic oils are just the ticket if you’re trying to relax, so keep it natural with JR Watkins’ Natural Apothecary Hand and Body Lotion, costing £6.99 exclusively in Superdrug.

It contains 10 different oils and has gentle but not overpowering fragrances of lemon, lavender or vanilla and, when used alongside the Spieza scrub, it leaves skin smelling clean and fresh.

POST-hot bath is the perfect time for annoying little tasks like sorting out problem facial hair, because the pores are still open from the heat.

With time on your hands, give the tweezers a break and try a hot wax such as Smooth Appeal’s microwave formula facial pot, at £3.49 for 40g from leading chemists. Just whack it in the microwave for 40 to 50 seconds, spread it on and pull it off with your fingers . . . there’s no need for strips.

It’s easy to use, but takes some time and concentration to ensure you don’t accidentally get it on hairs you don’t want to remove. However, it’s painless and doesn’t make a mess.

The only down side is that it cools and sets again quite quickly, so you need to reheat for a few seconds midway through the application but, aside from that, it’s a great product.

AND take some time out for a body brush. It feels great, and will stimulate the circulation to release toxins . . . very useful in the battle against cellulite.

Riffi make a fab massage brush with natural bristles and wooden pins with a good size handle, £8.25 at selected chemists. We were pleased to discover you can use the wooden pins on tense muscles to help relieve aches.

HOT THIS WEEK: Three sensational new Gentle Foaming Cleansers from Clarins, costing £14.68 from stockists. Some 27 years since Clarins Paris first launched this product, there are now three new versions, with cotton seed for normal or combination skin, shea butter for dry or sensitive types, and tamarind and micro-pearls aimed at combination and oily.