In stressful times, it's more important than ever to create time for self-care. Not only is managing stress important for your mental health, it can be beneficial to your physical health as well. To set you on the path to wellness, we’ve compiled seven mini treatments to try at home. Practice one of these rituals a day — or mix and match — to enhance your overall health and well-being:

1. ​Fruit-Infused Water & Herbal Tea
2. Hand Massage
3. Aromatherapy Shower
4. Body Scrub
5. Mask & Milk Bath
6. Dry Brushing
7. Meditation

Fruit-Infused Water & Herbal Tea

Fruit-infused water and herbal tea encourage you to slow down and savor the moment. Plus, their ingredients boast plenty of benefits for mind and body health. Sip them morning and night for hydration and replenishment.

Detox Water

"Detox" water is infused with fresh fruits, vegetables or herbs, usually overnight. While it won’t necessarily detoxify your system, it will provide the hydration your body needs to function at its best (plus, it’s delicious). Here are a few of our favorite fruit-infused water combinations:

• Cucumber + Mint
• Strawberry + Basil
• Grapefruit + Rosemary
• Berry + Green Tea

Herbal Tea

Herbal tea, on the other hand, is well-known for its lengthy list of health benefits. These brews, which have been used in traditional medicine for centuries, are brimming with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Herbal teas have the potential to relieve stress, calm your mind and body, support brain health and boost your immune system. Here are two of our favorite blends:

• Chamomile + Lavender (soothes and relaxes the mind and body)
• Peppermint + Lemon (promotes focus and boosts mental performance)

Hand Massage

No time for a full body massage? No worries. An easy way to unwind is to give yourself a five-minute hand massage. This type of massage not only releases tension after a day spent typing and texting but also calms the nervous system and enhances circulation. Here’s how to perform one at home:

1. Warm a few drops of your favorite body oil or lotion between your palms. Our pick: Stone Crop Body Oil, which is infused with stone crop and arnica and is ideal for massage treatments.
2. Begin with your palm facing up and firmly press the tip of each finger.
3. Use the thumb of the opposite hand to rub the muscles surrounding your palm with gentle, circular motions. Pay particular attention to the fleshy area between your thumb and wrist as well as at the base of your fingers.
4. Slowly knead the center of your palm.
5. Slide your thumb down your palm in long, straight strokes. Focus on the space between each tendon, starting at the base of your fingers and ending at your wrist.
6. Flip your hand over and repeat step four along the back of your hand.
7. Palm up, rub each individual finger using small, counter-clockwise motions and moving from the base of the finger to the tip.
8. Switch hands.

Aromatherapy Shower

Add a relaxing step to your daily routine by incorporating an aromatherapy element to your daily shower. According to Healthline, “inhaling the aromas from essential oils can stimulate areas of your limbic system, which is a part of your brain that plays a role in emotions, behaviors, sense of smell and long-term memory.” Creating an at-home aromatherapy shower is simple:

1. Spray your favorite essential oil blend onto a washcloth
2. Tuck it into a corner of your shower
3. Let the water run for 5-10 minutes
4. Step into the oil-infused steam
5. Take a deep breath and relax into the present moment

Not sure which essential oil to choose? Try these selections for a relaxing, stimulating or balancing soak:

• Relaxing: neroli, jasmine, ylang ylang
• Stimulating: citrus oils, rosemary, eucalyptus
• Balancing: lavender, clary sage, bergamot

Body Scrub

Elevate your at-home self-care treatment with a body scrub. These are physical exfoliants that use salt and/or sugar to mechanically slough away dead skin cells, draw out impurities and smooth rough, dry skin. But, which to choose? Try a product like our Stone Crop Revitalizing Body Scrub which blends both hydrating sugar and invigorating salt to provide long-lasting, luxurious exfoliation. 

Applying a body scrub has plenty of benefits for the skin:

• Promotes efficient circulation and skin cell turnover
• Removes dead cells from the skin’s surface
• Smooths and softens rough, dry skin
• Draws out impurities and clears congestion
• Frees ingrown hairs and smooths razor bumps

Mask & Milk Bath

If a bath is more your style, follow Cleopatra’s lead and sink into a soothing milk bath. Adding milk to your bath water has plenty of benefits. Milk is packed with healthy fats, proteins, lactic acid, vitamins and minerals which help to soften and soothe dry, itchy skin. 

To make a milk bath:

1. Add 1-2 cups of milk to a full tub of warm water
2. Mix in your favorite body oil (we recommend our ultra-hydrating Apricot Body Oil)
3. Add extras like rose petals, herbs, honey and/or oats
4. Let ingredients soak for 15 minutes
5. Step in, sit back and relax

To truly indulge, apply your favorite Eminence Organics face mask. Our Radish Seed Refining Peel contains nettle, whole grain oat and willow bark to rejuvenate the skin and smooth the appearance of lines. Apply a thin layer of the peel onto clean and dry skin, and leave it on for 3-5 minutes before removing with cool water. 

Dry Brushing

Another body treatment to try at home is dry brushing. This ancient technique has gained popularity over the years for its ability to boost circulation, detoxify the skin and reduce the appearance of cellulite. Plus, it’s incredibly easy to do at home! Here’s how:

1. Step into the shower (but don’t turn on the water)
2. Reach for a body brush with stiff, natural bristles
3. Brush your body using long, sweeping motions
4. Begin at your feet and move upward, toward the direction of your heart
5. Brush each area several times; overlap as you go
6. Rinse away dead skin and debris

Follow your dry brush with a toning body cream that will continue to target areas of concern. The Stone Crop Contouring Body Cream contains extracts of microalgae and coffee to smooth skin and improve the look of cellulite. Massage it into cleansed skin, focusing on problem areas, and leave on. 

Meditation

It’s no secret that meditation is incredibly beneficial for mind and body health. For thousands of years, it has been celebrated for its ability to train the mind to focus, stay in the present moment and gain a deeper awareness of self and surroundings. With regular practice, meditation has been shown to impart the following benefits: 

• Relaxes the mind and body
• Lowers cortisol levels and relieves stress
• Increases feelings of positivity and happiness
• Enhances communication and decision-making
• Improves memory and focus

Unsure how to start a meditation practice? Try adding five minutes of mindful breathing to your daily routine:

1. Sit comfortably
2. Close your eyes and relax your body
3. Slowly inhale through your nose and out your mouth
4. Breathe deeply, filling your lungs and expanding your diaphragm
5. Focus on the sensation of breath entering and leaving your body
6. Follow your breath in and out for five minutes
7. When your mind wanders, return to your breath

What wellness rituals do you practice at home? Share them with us in the comments below and join the conversation on social media.

This article was originally written in July 2019.