Valentine’s Day is just around the corner but for many of us this year will be spent indoors as we observe the advice from the government to stay home to save lives. Yes, unfortunately a worldwide pandemic where we’re all encouraged to stay away from each other doesn’t exactly bring forth romance and passion, especially as most of us have been cooped up with our partners for months on end and they’re becoming a little less desirable and a little bit more irritating. You get it.
If you’re in the heartbreaking position where you aren’t living with your partner and you’ve had to isolate yourself without them, my heart goes out to you star-crossed lovers. For you I particularly want to share my How to make long distance relationships work blog post, who would have thought down-the-road could qualify as a long distance relationship!
Then there’s those who aren’t in a relationship and going on a hot date has been reduced to eating a meal you cooked yourself on a video call with a stranger who you hope won’t notice that you’re still wearing your PJ bottoms.
Yes, Valentine’s Day in a global pandemic doesn’t exactly have us dressing up for a night on the town but on the plus side, at least we don’t have to fight for reservations months in advance and can avoid competing with other couples for who looks the most in love in restaurants, like you haven’t…
You may also be interested in “5 romantic getaway ideas for Valentine’s Day”.
So Coconut & Cotton – a plastic-free, earth conscious store that helps you to live a more sustainable lifestyle – and I are here to help you make the most of your Valentine’s Day indoors by turning it into an at-home spa day! Whether you’re at home with your partner or friends or are living independently we will help you to treat your mind, body and soul to a relaxing day of self-care and self-love that you deserve and it’s environmentally conscious too! To quote the late, great Whitney Houston, “learning to love yourself is the greatest love of all”.
Nothing says self-care and self-love more than a massage and facial followed by a full body exfoliation with a soothing soak in the tub accompanied by hot tea. Sounds like a dream right? Well all of the products sold by Coconut & Cotton that I’m about to introduce you to in this blog post will help you to enjoy every one of those luxurious treatments at home. So don your fluffiest robe, press play on my spa day playlist below, light your favourite candles and let’s get started.
To purchase any items from Coconut & Cotton simply click on the links in pink or on the photos below and you’ll be taken to their online store where you can add them to your basket.
Coconut & Cotton makes some lovely gift boxes but this one is my very favourite. It smells wonderful – like a bouquet of fresh roses – the moment you open it and is packed full of so many opportunities to treat your skin the way it deserves.
It’s a particularly perfect Valentine’s Day gift as it’s all rose scented and each product will help to protect delicate skin throughout winter by giving it the extra nourishment and hydration we all need during the colder months.
The Luxury Rose Pamper gift box by Coconut & Cotton is just £36 and includes the following:
Rose Marseilles soap
Rose geranium Friendly soap
Organic hemp sisal soap pouch
Organic rose geranium facial oil (50ml)
Rose earl grey tea (100g)
Flawless Rose and lavender hydrating face toner
Ball loose tea infuser
It comes gift wrapped (plastic free and recyclable of course) with a label for you to write a loving message to your partner, friend or yourself and it contains a card that explains how to use each product.
For a deeper insight into Coconut & Cotton’s Luxury Rose Pamper gift box I’m going to take you through each product included below. You can buy each item in the gift box individually too if that better suits you!
Marseille soaps are my favourite soaps in the world (which is why you’ll see them recommended a few times in this blog post). They’re little bars of heavenly-scented cleanliness that is enriched with shea butter so it doesn’t dry out skin and they lather up like a dream. The range of scents goes beyond your imagination and each fragrance smells exactly like the real thing. All the ingredients are natural and are particularly favourable to sensitive skin.
Use in the bath or shower and leave smelling like a bouquet of red roses without the extortionate Valentine’s Day price tag. Pairs well with the organic sisal hemp pouch for exfoliation too.
Cost
£3.50
Roses aren’t just a lovely treat on Valentine’s Day, they’re also known for their anti-inflammatory qualities, so not only does this bar of rose geranium Friendly soap smell wonderful but it also helps to reduce any facial redness – excluding blushing cheeks upon receiving this Luxury Rose Pamper gift box.
Friendly Soaps’ bars of soap are free from cruelty, preservatives, palm oil and plastic but better yet they’re the kind of gift that just keeps on giving. For every sale, Friendly Soap donates 10p to Just A Drop who will provide less fortunate communities with safe hand washing stations to reduce the impact of the Coronavirus. They’re also partnered with Treesponsibility to reduce their production’s carbon footprint.
Also their packaging is not only recyclable, it’s made from recycled paper too.
Cost
£2.40
This organic sisal hemp soap pouch is ideal for making the most of the last bits of your soap. Pop any bars of soap that are on their last legs into this pouch to increase its longevity and prevent it from taking a deep dive down the drain.
You can also use the organic sisal hemp soap pouch to exfoliate your skin whilst you wash your body. Pop either the rose Marseilles soap or rose geranium Friendly soap into the pouch and use it to lather up your soap much like a shower pouf does, but this one isn’t made of those pesky plastics.
One of the best spa treatments I’ve ever experienced was a full body exfoliation in a hammam in Marrakech so I highly recommend some kind of exfoliation for your at-home spa day this Valentine’s Day as it will make you feel rejuvenated and not to mention silky smooth!
Cost
£3.00
Using toner draws out dirt from pores and the witch hazel in this Flawless rose and lavender hydrating face toner encourages them to reduce in size which will lessen the chances of breakouts. The anti-inflammatory qualities of the rose will help to reduce redness whilst the antibacterial qualities of the lavender will help to fight off breakouts.
Use it as part of your at-home spa day facial for the ultimate pore treatment.
Flawless’ rose and lavender hydrating face toner is vegan and comes in a glass bottle which can be refilled in store at Coconut & Cotton in Shaftesbury.
Cost
£6.00
Facial oil or how it’s otherwise known in the beauty industry: serum, has many benefits. They help to tighten, brighten, plump, moisturise and even act as anti-ageing treatments. If a facial oil hasn’t made its way into your skincare routine then receiving the Luxury Rose Pamper gift box will fix that!
Applying this organic rose geranium facial oil will be the final step to your at-home facial during your Valentine’s spa day that will leave you feeling like you’ve actually spent the day at a spa. It’s the luxury you deserve.
I highly recommend using facial oil particularly in winter as it will be the extra hydration skin needs during the harsh, colder months. Use it after moisturiser to help lock in the moisture you’ve just applied. Oils can penetrate moisturiser but not the other way around so make sure you use it after applying your moisturiser.
Cost
£11.00
No spa treatment is complete without a glass of fruit infused water or a serving of aromatic herbal tea, but why are we served boujee water post massage? Hydrating straight after your treatment helps to sooth your muscles that have just been worked on, flush out the toxins that your massage released and it also helps to reduce any soreness you may encounter the following day because not all of our partners give sensual massages; some have you preferring the pain of a stiff neck because it’s a less painful ordeal than one of their massages. I speak from experience and it’s why I recommend the round bamboo massage brush from Coconut & Cotton below.
Back to the tea, now that we know why we are encouraged to rehydrate after a massage, why leave this part out of our at-home spa day? Included in Coconut & Cotton’s Luxury Rose Pamper gift box – perfect for Valentine’s Day – is their rose earl grey loose tea. This black tea infused with bergamot and rose not only makes for a rather romantic cup of tea on Valentine’s Day but the rose petals are high in Vitamin C so they’re good for your immune system too (not a bad benefit during a worldwide pandemic).
FH Top Tip: Once you’ve enjoyed your pretty cuppa, save the loose rose petals and add them to your bath along with the organic cedarwood, lavender and juniper berry body oil recommended a little further down.
Coconut & Cotton have a large selection of loose teas that will tickle any fancy from English Breakfast for the first cuppa of the day to calming chamomile for your last one at night.
Cost
£4.60
Need help infusing that loose tea? No worries, also included in Coconut & Cotton’s Luxury Rose Pamper gift box is a ball loose tea infuser. Half of the UK’s leading tea brands use a single-use plastic skeleton in their tea bags which means millions of our beloved cuppas will be contributing to the world’s plastic pollution crisis. To ensure that your brew doesn’t make matters worse, opt for loose tea. I switched to loose tea on Christmas Day 2019 and not only have I saved myself from using hundreds of tea bags but it also brews a far superior cup of tea.
Spoon a couple of teaspoons of the rose earl grey loose tea into your tea infuser and leave it brewing in boiled water for 2-5 minutes (depending on how strong you like your tea). Perfect for your Valentine’s Day breakfast or for rehydrating after your self-care spa day.
Cost
£3.50
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You may also be interested in “Why travellers should switch to reusable bamboo pads from Tayvada”.
Read on for more Valentine’s Day gift recommendations for creating the perfect at-home spa day that don’t come in the Luxury Rose Pamper gift box.
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A spa day without a massage is not a spa day I’m interested in. What’s that you say, you don’t have a professional masseuse at home for your self-care spa day? Bummer! Good job Coconut & Cotton have a round bamboo massage brush then.
Their round bamboo massage brush means that you don’t have to rely on your partner’s tricky hands, instead they can use the brush in a circular motion across your body and you can do likewise for them. Don’t have a partner? Then you can still use the brush over the parts of your body you can reach, much like dry brushing it increases blood circulation and encourages lymph flow/drainage but to make it a little more luxurious for your at-home spa day, use the organic cedarwood, lavender and juniper berry body oil (see below).
Cost
£9.50
Use this organic cedarwood, lavender and juniper berry body oil along with the aforementioned round bamboo massage brush for the ultimate at-home massage whether you have a partner to give it to you or you’re practising self-love and doing it yourself.
Above I explained why using a facial oil such as the organic rose geranium facial oil after moisturising will rehydrate skin and it’s the same concept for a body oil. Using the organic cedarwood, lavender and juniper berry body oil after applying lotion, such as Soul & Soap massage lotion bars in either coffee Bean or strawberry, will lock in moisture keeping skin soft and supple for longer.
As well as using the organic cedarwood, lavender and juniper berry body oil to give skin the maximum moisture it deserves, use it in a bath in place of bubble bath. Sure, bubbles are fun, I mean who doesn’t love a bubble bath, but if a luxurious spa-esque soak is what you desire for your self-care Valentine’s Day, then oil is where it’s at. Oil penetrates the outer layer of skin and ultimately traps moisture leaving skin hydrated and feeling silky soft. Combined with the warm water the oil will infuse the steam produced which will open your pores and let the beneficial qualities of the botanicals in the oil get to work.
Cost
£11
A facial absolutely must include a face mask and Coconut & Cotton has the perfect one for your Valentine’s Day spa day! Their Ancient pink clay powder face mask is made from 100% kaolin clay which is a natural cleanser that draws out impurities from the pores and lifts dry skin cells away leaving skin feeling soft.
To use it add 2 teaspoons of the Ancient pink clay powder face mask to water in a small bowl and combine until it becomes a paste. Using either a brush or your fingers to smooth it over your face, let it do its work for at least 15mins before washing off with warm water.
Cost
£6.50
Use a Soul & Soap massage lotion bar either after a sumptuous soak in the tub to moisturise your body or in place of the organic cedarwood, lavender and juniper berry body oil for your massage. Simply massage the bar across the body in a circular motion.
Coconut & Cotton have two options: Coffee Bean and strawberry and in the shape of a heart, they make a very sweet Valentine’s Day gift.
Cost
£7.00
As I mentioned above, Marseille soap is the loveliest of all the soaps. These ones sold by Coconut & Cotton have been made by the same family for over 90 years. This passion fruit scent is one of the most divine of the collection, when I opened my package from Coconut & Cotton it was the first thing I smelt and it had me so eager to jump into the shower with it. Given the choice between a bouquet of roses or a few bars of Marseille floral scented soaps, I know which I’d prefer.
Since Coconut & Cotton started stocking the Marseille soap on a rope I’ve had one hanging in my shower. Not only does it look good but it eliminates the need for a soap dish in the shower and lasts twice as long as the usual bars. My favourite part of having soap on a rope though is that I don’t drop it nearly as much because I keep the rope around my wrist whilst I wash. If you’ve switched to using bars of soap to eliminate single-use packaging then you know exactly how slippery those suckers are in the shower and can appreciate this perk.
Marseille soaps make for such pretty gifts too, they just make me yearn for rustic French bathrooms somewhere deep in the countryside of Provence.
Coconut & Cotton stocks the following soaps on a rope:
Cost
£6.00
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Your at-home spa day guide
Here is an idea of how your at-home spa day can look with these luxurious and environmentally conscious skincare products from Coconut & Cotton on Valentine’s Day.
Massage
Take a deep and calming inhale of the organic cedarwood, lavender and juniper berry body oil then smooth across the body and gently massage into the skin using the round bamboo massage brush in circular motions, of course if you live with your partner you can do this to each other.
After your massage, brew a cup of rose earl grey tea with the ball loose tea infuser to rehydrate those muscles.
Facial
Apply the Ancient pink clay powder face mask to clean skin and lay back for 15mins with a couple slices of cucumber fresh out of the fridge over your eyes to reduce any puffiness, plus it looks legit. Gently remove the clay face mask with warm water and apply the Flawless rose and lavender hydrating face toner to draw out any lingering dirt that may be clogging your pores and follow with the organic rose geranium facial oil to rehydrate your skin better than most moisturisers. To finish off either use a face roller or gua sha to make sure your products deeply penetrate (it’s Valentine’s Day after all) your skin. Alternatively you can use your fingers to massage the oil into your skin.
I recommend applying your face mask before getting into the bath and applying the toner and oil once you’re out.
Bath
Draw a bath using the organic cedarwood, lavender and juniper berry body oil and as I mentioned above, drop in a few rose petals from your rose earl grey tea. Let the scent of lavender soothe your mind whilst the oils soothe your skin.
Take your exfoliation to the next level after your massage and pop either the Passion fruit Marseille soap, Rose Marseilles soap or rose geranium Friendly soap into the organic sisal hemp soap pouch to wash.
Once dry, take one of the Soul & Soap massage lotion bars in either coffee Bean or strawberry and just like you or your partner did with the massage brush, massage it into your skin in circular motions. This nourishing lotion works best after a warm shower or bath as it will melt right into your skin leaving you soft and heavenly scented. Just as I recommend using the organic rose geranium facial oil to lock in your moisturiser, use the organic cedarwood, lavender and juniper berry body oil to lock in the moisture you applied using one of the Soul & Soap massage lotion bars.
Then cosy up under a blanket on the sofa with another cup of rose earl grey and pop on a rom-com classic.
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Coconut & Cotton is an Earth-conscious, female owned shop located in Shaftesbury, south-west England. Both their store and online shop sells sustainably sourced and plastic free household products that encourage less waste and are very affordable. Sustainability is their focus and each one of their products will encourage you to live your best environmentally-conscious life. Better yet, each one of their packages sent out are plastic free and in reusable packaging.
I highly recommend you follow them on Instagram too – @coconut.and.cotton – as Lucy, the founder of Coconut & Cotton provides some very entertaining and relatable content on her daily Instagram Stories. She also shares product reviews, new products, tips for living a low-waste lifestyle and she does frequent shop tours which is a very fun way to shop during the pandemic.
For more with Coconut & Cotton check out Sustainable stocking fillers for travellers with Coconut & Cotton.
You may also be interest in “10 easy ways everyone can be a sustainable traveller”.
Happy Valentine’s Day, Gabriella
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This article is a paid piece for Coconut & Cotton. I was originally and still remain a Coconut & Cotton customer. I highly recommend purchasing your low-waste household supplies from Coconut & Cotton as their products are high quality and the customer service is exceptional.
