My Evening Green Beauty Routine for a Gentle & Natural Unwind
Let me present You with today’s guest post author, Helen from Natural Beauty With Baby. Our blogger friendship goes back quite a few years and let me tell You, she is the kindest sweetest person ever. Her blog and Instagram photos are unmatched, I always marvel at the beauty of them. Oh, did I tell You that she is raising three children? So if You are in the same chapter in life, her blog might become Your favourite corner of the internet. Say hi from me when You are there.
With that being said, I’ll let Helen take over.
Are you looking for an evening green beauty routine to ease you gently in your evening, ready for a restful sleep? Welcome!
But first, picture this. Coming back from the long commute home from work, a van cut me up at the lights. My heart was racing as I bounced through the front door. “A man in a van just cut me up!” I shouted at my husband, eyes wide and heart racing. At that moment, I didn’t know what to do with my pent up negative energy.
It’s the same story for most of us every day. Often, we end our days with burdens that we need to lose in order to feel truly relaxed. In this way, winding down at the end of a busy or stressful day isn’t a luxury – it’s a necessity. Minimising stress reduces our cortisol levels and our heart rate to improve our overall health and wellbeing.
As a green beauty lover, a slow yet intentional beauty routine helps me to decompress from the modern day stress that’s part of everyday life. It just feels right. Would you like to try it for yourself? While I can’t protect you from disrespectful drivers, I can share my go products in my routine designed to calm, soothe, and promote restful sleep.
So grab your favourite herbal tea, and let’s get started!
1. Create a Space and Get Cosy
Winding down with green beauty begins with creating a serene and peaceful environment. It’s not always easy, especially when you have kids or a house full of clutter to be tidied first. If possible, try to create a special and cosy space just for yourself and your daily relaxation.
Once my little ones are in bed, the beeswax candles come out for soft flickering ambient lighting. I also have a Himalayan salt lamp in my bedroom for a cosy night light.
Music is a big part of relaxation for me, I love ambient music from the 90s, but you do you. Scent is also a great way to set the tone, and a quick spritz around the room can quickly elevate your mood. There are some lovely natural room sprays out there. For a true aromatherapy experience, try brands like NEOM, Tisserand, and Neal’s Yard Remedies. Or make your own using witch hazel and essential oils.
2. Cleansing: A Calming Sensory Experience
I’m sure I’m not alone with this, but cleansing is my favourite step in my skincare routine. I love the sensory experience of cleansing. Not to mention coming out the other side fresher and newer. It’s a slow and intentional ritual that involves deep and steadying breaths.
My favourite cleansers are clean, non-toxic, and thoroughly shift a day’s worth of makeup, sunscreen, grime, and stress. In my evening routine, I look for soothing and relaxing botanical cleanser botanical ingredients such as squalane, aloe, lavender, chamomile, and evening primrose oil.
First up, an oil-based cleanser to melt away makeup and sunscreen. Secondly, a water-based cleanser to totally whisk everything away. My favourite oil-based cleansers for evenings when I have a little more time are non-emulsifying oil-based cleansers. Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Botanical Cleansing Oil is one of my favourites.
As for a water-based cleanser, a gentle yet effective cleansing gel is soft and perfect. Biossance Squalane and Amino Aloe Gentle Cleanser makes an ideal choice for the deepest of cleanses without stripping.
3. Facial Oils & Tension Busting Massage
Massage with facial oils is a huge part of my evening routine. Paired together, they bring my skin the healthy glow up it deserves, while reducing tension and stress in my face and body. I love cold pressed organic rosehip oil – rosehip is well known for its age-pro properties and works like nature’s retinol. My favourite is Wild Sage + Co Cold Pressed Organic Rosehip Oil.
Try this jaw massage with your facial oil to release tension in the jaw. Find the mandible muscle in the lower part of your jaw just below the masseter, along your jawline. Apply gentle but firm pressure to the mandible with your index finger.
4. Evening Hair Care to Nourish My Strands
Scalp and haircare are just as important to me as facial care. So, if it’s the weekend I usually condition my tresses with a natural hair treatment before bed. Just playing with my hair relaxes me, but a scalp and head massage takes it to another level.
I usually use a home-made hair oil tailored to my dry hair. To make it, I blend liquid coconut oil with argan oil as the base, then include rosemary oil for its hair benefits along with frankincense, jasmine, lavender, and bergamot essential oils for a relaxing sleep.
I dampen my hair first, usually with lavender hydrosol, then massage the oil into my scalp and my lengths, focusing on the ends. Then I wrap my hair in a silk bonnet to keep it untangled and smooth, ready to wash away in the morning.
5. Body Care as Self-Care
After taking a bath, I nourish my body with a rich natural body oil. My current favourite for my evening green beauty routine is Neom Perfect Night’s Sleep Body Oil – it is simply divine, with a tranquil blend of lavender, sweet basil, and jasmine. Gently massaging each part of my body with body oil helps me to acknowledge all that my body does for me in a day. I love to focus on the silky texture and scent of my body oil, and try to relax each part of my body as I massage.
Another way to ease myself into a gentle sleep is to include magnesium oil in my routine. This essential mineral has so many health benefits, especially in the evening. Say hello to a better night’s sleep!
7. The Final Touches: Breathwork & Bedtime Beauty
Before you drift off into your best sleep ever, try some breathwork. The 4-7-8 breathing technique is recognised as being one the best to aid sleep. To try it, inhale through the nose for a count of four, hold for seven, then exhale through the mouth for a count of eight.
Remember, if you worry before bed, writing everything down in a “brain dump” is an incredibly useful tool for letting go of the day.
A natural pillow spray or essential oil roller – mine as by Neal’s Yard Remedies – helps to seal the deal on your restful sleep.
Final Thoughts
Finding time to create an evening green beauty routine to help you unwind is a great way to destress and take care of yourself.
Green beauty isn’t just about skin care, hair care, and makeup. It’s a ritual that grounds us and brings us back to ourselves, so we can feel our best and be the best version of ourselves. These consistent rituals signal your body it’s time for rest. Isn’t that wonderful?
Now it’s over to you. Craft your own evening ritual for your best nights ever. Wishing you the most perfect sleep!
Author: Helen Little at Natural Beauty with Baby posts about natural ways to feel good with your little ones.