Celebrating self-care with a Valentine's Day at-home

Start with your nails 

“If my mani or pedi is chipped, I’m in a bad mood - regardless of what day it is. For me, feeling good always starts with doing my nails,” says van den Berg. Her top tip for the perfect home mani that lasts is to never forgo a good base coat and topcoat.

“It can be tempting to skip both, especially when you’ve got a need for speed, but if you do it properly once, you want to have to do it again two days later when it chips. The base coat doesn’t just prevent your colour from staining, it provides long-lasting “grip”, while the topcoat literally seals the deal and adds professional-looking shine.” Her favourite top coat? Sally Hansen Insta-Dri. “It dries really fast and wears like iron!” 

Just a word about your cuticles – if you’ve always thought a lick off cuticle oil was a spa-style indulgence, think again. “I’ve been washing and sanitising my hands more than ever and this really dries them out, so I’ve switched to a heavy-duty hand cream – Eucerin Urea Repair Plus – and while that’s really helped, investing in a cuticle oil has been a game-changer.”

Show your skin a little love

“One of my favourite ways to enjoy a little mindful me-time is to indulge in a face mask and wear it while doing something purposely relaxing, like watching Netflix or lying down and listening to a podcast.” Sheet masks, clay masks, hydrating gels...she loves them all and would encourage anyone to build a little mask wardrobe. “As I have an oily-T panel, but have dry skin elsewhere, I like to mix things up a little by using a purifying mask on my forehead and something that promises to hydrate on my cheeks.”  

When choosing a mask, van den Berg suggests you pay attention to its ingredients. “If you’ve got dry skin, you want something that contains hyaluronic acid. Despite its name, it’s not acidic at all, it’s actually a magnificent, ultra-hydrating skin plumper.” If you’re spot-prone or congested, she suggests you pick out a clay mask containing kaolin or bentonite that’ll absorb excess oil and impurities. “Alternatively, you can just pick out something cute like Skin Republic’s new spot clearing tiger design mask - because sometimes snapping a cute selfie is half the fun!

Pamper your hair 

Nails – tick. Face – tick. Now don’t neglect your hair. “I give mine a bit of a beating thanks to highlights and regular blow drying so I like to show it a bit of TLC with deeply hydrating treatments. But first, start with a clarifying shampoo!” It sounds counterintuitive, says van den Berg, but using a clarifying shampoo will rid your hair of anything that’s built-up on it or clogging your scalp – including silicones and waxes from styling products and other heavy conditioners. Once you’ve got a clean slate, your hydrating product will be able to better penetrate your hair. “I’ve really enjoyed using The Body Shop’s Shea Butter hair mask and John Frieda’s Miracle Drops over recent months.” 

IMAGE CREDIT: 123rf.com