Every six weeks my body is punished by working two weeks of night shift, at the end of these fortnights I like to have a bit of a pamper session to relieve my body of some of the shock that night shift puts it through.
I tend to suffer tummy aches, pimples, headaches and dehydrated skin (attractive I know!), during my night shift rotation and following is what I like to do on the days off I have following night shift to let my body/ skin know that I still care for it!
Firstly (after a looong catch up sleeep) I like to light some candles and have a nice hot bath. My absolute favourite bath products to use are Lush products (I know this is not the best way to store them but they make my bathroom smell wonderful and always seem to work still). I run the bath and choose whichever products takes my fancy that day, last time I used MMM Melting Marshmallow Moment bath melt which smells yummy and makes my skin feel super soft, it also turns the bath water a milky pink colour. My favourite lush bath product (you may be able to guess because there are 3 in the bowl above) is the Comforter bubble bar, which smells of sweet berries, makes lots of bubbles and turns the water a pinky purple colour!
While relaxing in my Lush bath I like to put a face mask on to help repair the stress my face is usually suffering from. Depending on the issues at the time will depend on the mask used, if I have quite a few pimples I favour the Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque. I love the smell of this mask, a very fresh minty scent, it's very thick and does tighten my pores, it can be quite drying on the skin though, so I wouldn't use it if my skin is feeling overly dry.
If my skin is just dull and not too 'bumpy' I like to use a sheet mask, I have just used up my last SK-II facial treatment mask, these are really nice they make your skin look radiant for a couple of days after use and seem to plump up your skin. They are crazily expensive $140 AUD for a pack of six, so I am planning on trying out some different sheet masks. Above I have a LAC Taut Collagen Infusion Mask that I received in a Lust Have It box, I haven't tried this one yet but I am looking forward to it as it is marketed to brighten and hydrate your complexion.
When I am feeling particularly decadent I use my Eve Lom cleanser which I purchased a while back when my skin was disastrous and I would have spent anything to try and help it! This is a nice cleanser and the process with the muslin cloth makes me feel like I am giving myself a nice facial. I don't really like the smell and once I use this one up I won't buy another as it is far too expensive.
Once I have soaked for long enough and can be bothered doing anything I like to exfoliate my body. At the moment I have been using Philosophy The Gingerbread Man which is a salt body scrub that smells like ginger and lemon rather than gingerbread, still lovely though. This is one of my favourite scrubs, doesn't leave my skin oily and works well.
I also have a Laura Mercier Scrub in the Creme de Pistache scent. This creamy scrub is packed full of crushed up pistachio shells which gently exfoliate your skin and leave a lovely fragrance to the skin (slightly nutty). I only use this on special occasions though as it was given to me as a present and is a bit too expensive for me to justify buying for myself!
For a cheaper alternative that also works really well I often use exfoliating gloves with regular body wash. These leave the skin soft and well scrubbed, and you can use your favourite scented body wash, leaving you smelling wonderful.
All these masks and treatments... best I do something to my hair as well. I like to restore the moisture to my hair post night shift and these products are three of my favourite!
Beginning with Lush Marilyn, A hair mask that you put on before shampooing, the instructions say to 'soak' your hair in this gloopy product for 20 mins prior to shampooing and conditioning. I do this and I must say I notice my hair is very hydrated after using this, maybe too moisturised, I would say use sparingly. Not a fan of the smell, but for the benefits I can deal with it.
After shampooing I like to use a hydrating treatment like JOICO K-PAK Intense Hydrator. This leaves my hair nicely hydrated and smells divine. Makes my hair silky soft after conditioning with it, can say I am a big fan of this!
Yummy... Matrix Biolage Intensive Strengthening Masque I use this when my hair is weak and snapping at the ends. It moisturises well and doesn't weigh down my hair. I bought this on a recommendation from one of my friends a couple of years ago and I have been enjoying it ever since.
Now onto the Moisturises... Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream. One of my favourite products of all time! I use this on my lips, elbows and any dry patches I may have, I have recommended this to many friends who now couldn't live without it. It's more of a balm then a cream with a strange smell. If you have never tried this product you really should give it a go!
Jurlique Calendula Cream, I love this product when my skin is distressed or dull. Its a beautiful cream that you warm between your hands before you pat onto your skin. It's very calming and soothing, a must have for my sensitive, easily upset skin.
Lastly an oldie but a goodie The Body Shop Body Butter, this one is in cocoa butter and is designed for very dry skin. I like this one the scent is not too overpowering and it is very moisturising. I have had many different scents of body butter and must say I enjoy the lightness of this one but I can always buy a different scent each time!
Hope this helps any shift workers out there! If you have any suggestions as to how you like to relax and repair I would love to hear them!
Meghan
Xx
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