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A Guide to Pampering Yourself at Home Like a Goop Goddess

Goop's senior beauty editor Megan O'Neill shares totally doable ways to de-stress and tend to your mind, body and skin from the comfort and safety of home

By Natalie Finn, Amanda Williams Apr 19, 2020 4:00 PMTags

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You've probably been hearing the term "self-care" come up even more than usual lately.

But that's because the concept is more important than ever right now, now that our worlds are primarily contained within the confines of our homes and broadened only by the strength of our WiFi.

All that is temporary, but the need to tend to our well-being, inside and out, is not. Luckily, paying attention to one more often than not helps with the other, making even the simplest of steps a mighty multitasker.

And whether you already have an at-home routine or are in dire need of some tips for de-stressing, you've come to the right place.  

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Perhaps you are a person who never misses a workout, meditates daily, books all of your grooming appointments well in advance and keeps a trove of wellness products at the ready.

Or, maybe you're like most other people and you try to do what you can, when you remember.

Either way, we're all in the same boat now in terms of needing to come up with ways to take care of ourselves at home, and Goop Senior Beauty Editor Megan O'Neill has shared some ways you can pamper your skin, body and mind that feel indulgent but are comfortingly doable:

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Touch Your Face (Obviously With Very Clean Hands)

"Give yourself a face massage with any face oil or lotion you already have—or nothing at all! I do think things like face massage are really soothing and have an effect. You are supporting lymphatic drainage and de-puffing. The result is a brighter smoother face. You don't need product for that. Anything at all, it doesn't have to be a fancy face oil or fancy lotion. Just doing that motion is very soothing and very effective.

"Same with a scalp massage. Great if you have a conditioner but you don't even need one. You don't even need to do it while washing your hair, you could just take a break from work and sit somewhere quiet and give yourself a scalp massage. We have this video on Goop that sort of walks you through it so it's really easy and takes a few minutes. It is a nice break or a nice wind-down ritual—or morning ritual!"

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Roll It Out—and We Don't Just Mean Bread Dough

"Foam roll if you have one," Megan recommends. "If not there are other ways to work out your fascia, like an online session with Bendable Body—a stretching/fascia-working studio that offers online courses. I love the sessions from Alo Yoga online, or do a free online meditation session to help incorporate relaxation into your day."

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Chill Out

"Take a 2-minute cold shower to help manage stress. The shock of the cold water helps train your body to better handle stressors and anxiety throughout the day, and taking cold showers and/or ice baths helps support your immune system, which is so insanely valuable right now. On our Netflix show The goop Lab, we devoted a whole episode to cold therapy—and also talk about the breathing method that goes with it. We have an expert named Win Hoff and one of the things he says is, if you take a cold 2-minute shower every day, you are basically going to live forever. It helps you manage stress, and it helps boost immunity and works because it is a small stressor and is training your body to better handle stress throughout the day and the week.

"Win says 2 minutes is the optimal amount of time. Start with 30 seconds and work your way up. So maybe do that in the morning and then the bath is at night. The cold shower is also invigorating and a great way to start your work-from-home-day."

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Feel Free to Inhale

If you want to make your bathroom feel more spa-like, Megan says, "a steamy bath is really great right now. If you have essential oils you could use those and put a few drops into your bath. Or, if you can find eucalyptus leaves, it's so pretty to hang that off your shower so when the steam fills the bathroom, the whole bathroom smells of eucalyptus."

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Multitask in the Tub

"Warm baths are something we love for relaxing and getting away from our phones. We suggest lighting a candle and sitting with a DIY face mask on."

Megan's favorite at-home options include, "from Dr. Amy Wechsler, a yogurt or whole milk mask (both are sources of exfoliating lactic acid) mixed with honey (antibacterial, blemish-soothing properties) or one of facialist Joanna Vargas' at-home recipes for a glow mask. The milk and honey mask is great for a mask and spot treatment. If you have blemishes, spot treat with that and go to sleep with it. Also, using aspirin if you have it, crush it up and mix with warm water to use as salicylic acid to spot treat blemishes."

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Go On, Raid That Pantry

"For a hydrating mask, just mash up an avocado and use that as a mushy paste and dampen it over your skin and leave it on for a bit. Avocado is very rich and creamy and has conditioning properties. Rub it onto your scalp, hair and face. That is a great moisturizing mask. Olive oil is also a great body moisturizer filled with antioxidants, similar to coconut oil, and is also very hydrating.

"For products that people have at home in their medicine cabinet or fridges, coconut oil has antibacterial benefits and it's also moisturizing so you could use a little bit of coconut oil. You don't need a lot, so a little goes a long way to sooth into your skin. You could use that to do the facial massage or just use it as a moisturizer."

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Eye-Openers

"To de-puff or soothe your eyes: go into your freezer and grab any frozen bags of veggies or fruits and put that bag on your eyes. Use the old-fashioned way and cut up a cucumber and put the slices on your eyes, or even use a frozen spoon over your eyes to help soothe."

Do Some Sole-Searching

Last but not least, don't forget about your feet. Megan reminds us, "It's also a really great time to give yourself a foot massage. Whether you are alone or with significant others during this time, it's a great way to have that soothing touch. It's a really beautiful thing to do that is soothing or comforting. You can use nothing at all, as the action is amazing, or use a dab of coconut oil from your kitchen, or any lotion you have that is sitting around."

Need some extra pampering? Score the items below to get you home spa day started...

Herbivore Botanicals Lapis Face Oil

Made of precious Blue Tansy oil, this luxurious treatment includes Azulene, which aids in soothing dry irritated skin, reducing the appearance of redness and giving your face a bit of balance.

TriggerPoint Core Multi-Density Solid Foam Roller

This TriggerPoint foam roller's unique multi-density grid pattern provides targeted compression ideal for self-massage, relieving pain and improving flexibility. It also includes free online instructional videos.

Alo Yoga App

Shop the latest Alo Yoga activewear drops and take your practice anywhere with free yoga videos from your favorite Alo yogis.

Vitruvi Essential Oil Blend

If you have a diffuser at home, these essential oil blends will be a godsend. They come in four distinct scents, with Boost offering a revitalizing citrus, lavender-infused Dusk for a restful sleep, Pacific to help you reminisce about salty air and beach bonfires, and Quiet, a floral scent that recharges a tired mind. Don't have a diffuser? Rub between your palms and inhale before meditation, or use some in a steamy shower.

Before you finish reading, check out these eight things to help rest your eyes. Then relaaaaax.