As early evangelists in the practice of self care, Well+Good co-founders Melisse Gelula and Alexia Brue know a thing or two about the power of taking time out for yourself. But between deadlines (both the work kind and the life kind), what does that look like in reality?
To answer that question, Well+Good teamed up with Red Flower—the visionaries behind crazy-gorgeous skin-care essentials and aromatherapy candles—to create The Rose Renewal, a limited-edition beauty trio for both lit-from-within skin and de-stressing magic.
With an Illuminating Rose Collagen Renewal Face Serum, Moroccan Rose Petal Topped Candle, and a rose quartz crystal for healing vibes, it’s an all-inclusive beauty ritual you’ll want to give (and receive!) this holiday season.
“Decompressing and de-stressing is the first way to achieve great skin and a more radiant complexion.”
“As you live through this very harried world, there’s a lot of tension that’s reflected in the face,” says Red Flower founder Yael Alkalay, a longtime friend of Gelula and Brue, and an expert on global beauty practices. “Decompressing and de-stressing is the first way to achieve great skin and a more radiant complexion.”
So how do you do that? Below, we walk you through each simple step (in GIFs, of course). Just remember: It’s all about creating an achievable moment to reconnect that doesn’t require an hour-long time commitment. Welcome to the new favorite part of your day.
Scroll down for the step-by-step GIF guide to the Well+Good x Red Flower beauty ritual, modeled by associate beauty editor Rachel Lapidos.
Set your intention with scent
Consider the strike of a match the symbolic start of your ritual, and breathe deeply while the room fills with the scent of rose. With the Moroccan Rose Petal Topped Candle, you get 50 hours of burn life (with a natural vegetable-wax blend for a super clean burn) to last you throughout the season and beyond.
Pour the rose petals into your bath
Hey, we said this was relaxing. And while this part’s objectively lovely, the scent of rose actually has benefits beyond just being a pleasing upgrade to your bathroom, says Alkalay.
“There are 130 different molecules that actually make up the scent of rose. It’s a vibrational pattern, a frequency, and an electrical charge that’s just uplifting when you inhale the scent,” Alkalay explains, like only a scent-loving expert can. “It may help balance cortisol levels, your mood, and your overall emotional balance.”
Rejuvenate your skin
Inside each bottle of Illuminating Rose Collagen Renewal Face Serum is 99 pounds of rose petals and 10,000 cold-pressed cloudberry and raspberry seeds—AKA one seriously powerful skin-care cocktail. “It’s unlikely there’s any product on the market that has that much rose oil in it,” swears Alkalay.
The blend is all mixed into a base of avocado oil, delivering a radiance-boosting dose of omega fatty acids, vitamins, and antioxidants to promote a dewy glow and stimulate cellular renewal. To apply, press a few drops gently into your skin for maximum absorption. (Psst: With this technique, your bottle will last for as long as four months.)
Give yourself an acupressure facial massage
Between laptop screens, smartphones, and back-to-back meetings, we could all be more in touch with our senses—which is why Alkalay stresses that touch is an integral part of self care.
“Every fingertip has 2,500 nerve endings. It’s the most concentration of nerve endings anywhere in the body,” she says. “There’s a psychological component to touch—that connection actually has an impact over the body to reduce stress.”
“There’s a psychological component to touch—that connection actually has an impact over the body to reduce stress.”
To do the facial, add two to three drops of serum to your fingertips and follow the pathway above, holding your fingers on each point for about 10 seconds (you should apply enough pressure that it’s noticeable, but not intense).
Each point follows acupressure principles to improve overall wellness, but three important spots are the center of your forehead right above your pupils (known as a major mood-booster), either side of your nose below the nostrils (to maximize aromatherapeutic benefits), and the outer jaw (a common area for carrying facial tension).
Tap the crystal’s healing vibrations
Hold the rose quartz crystal in your left hand, and take a moment to tune into the mineral’s capacity to open your heart chakra (now’s a good time to bathe in the self-love vibes).
“The crystal phase is the final component of the facial,” says Alkalay. “It’s a grounding pinnacle of the idea of connecting back to the senses, de-compressing, releasing facial tension, and feeling emotionally connected as a way of treating the skin.”
In other words, you did it: A complete beauty ritual that not only helped you unplug, but took your skin to next-level status. Self-care goals, achieved.
Purchase The Rose Renewal, a limited-edition Well+Good x Red Flower beauty collab, at Red Flower, Credo, and Miraval right now for $124—while it lasts!
Images: Tim Gibson for Well+Good
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