Spring is widely referred to as a time of re-awakening. As the flowers start to bloom and the temperatures rise, we shed those heavy winter layers (both literally and figuratively) and feel naturally lighter and more energised. So it is the perfect time of the year to Spring Clean from the inside-out and create new beginnings, as we transition into the warmer months. To make it easier, we’ve rounded up some of our on-call wellbeing experts to share their tips on aligning body, mind and spirit in time for the Spring Equinox on March 20th.
BEAUTY
These are the natural beauty essentials we can’t do without this season.
Brightening Treatments: Want glowing skin for Spring? Try some of our favourite ‘brightening’ treatments with our guide here.
Shop skincare that’s in season: Just like food, we like to shop seasonal ‘small-batch beauty’, where the key formulation ‘food-state’ ingredients come from our most loved vegetables and fruits. Pomegranate and kale are big news this Spring. You can find it in these #ContentApproved products:
- Pomegranate is rich in Omega 5 and contains the antioxidant Punicic Acid, the ultimate skin cell protector. It’s a key ingredient in the Tata Harper Resurfacing Mask – the pomegranate enzymes improve the appearance of the face by eliminating dull and blemished skin cells. You can also reap the benefits in the Kahina Antioxidant Mask, rich in pomegranate and acai extracts. Use it on your body with the Pai Pomegranate and Pumpkin Seed Organic Stretch Mark System, which helps prevent and improve the visible effects of stretching on the skin or on hair with the naturally moisturising Boucleme Curl Cleanser.
- Kale can be found in the Nourish Kale range, which is packed with kale extracts to protect skin elasticity, reduce the appearance of wrinkles and redness, whilst promoting healing and a reduction in swelling.
De Mamiel Spring Facial Oil: Although the arrival of brighter days is starting to do wonders for our mood and health, we like to take a daily boost of wellbeing in the form of this facial oil with aromatherapeutic properties. It’s formulated to shake off the stagnation of winter, encourage renewal and support the mind. The blend contains essential oils – grapefruit, juniper, geranium and calendula – which work together to balance and brighten, soothe and purify the skin; are highly antioxidant, antimicrobial and rich in essential fatty acids. We love the use of nature’s most supportive flower essences – blackberry, dandelion, luffa and tansy – to help for motivation and energy. We use it on our faces and neck, and breathe it deeply to help melt our stress away. It’s our skincare must-have for Spring!
WELLBEING
With Spring comes hay fever and a bit of summer holiday prep. So we thought we’d share our top tips for gentle Spring cleaning. Eastern medicine has shown us that each season is connected to two or three organs that will benefit from a bit of additional support. Spring truly is the season for renewal for our mind and body. Unfortunately, hay fever is a common condition at this time of year. Hence, this is the best time to enhance detoxification pathways, primarily the liver and gallbladder. This will ensure toxins are cleared effectively, reducing allergy symptoms (and promoting radiant skin).
Simple but effective remedies for Hayfever (allergic rhinitis) include:
- Vitamin C is imperative for its anti-histamine properties. Pure Radiance C capsules by The Synergy Company utilise a mix of camu camu, acerola, blueberries and rose hip to provide a 100% natural source of Vitamin C for maximum bioavailability, compared to synthetically derived vitamin C.
- Include cleansing fluids by increasing consumption of chlorophyll rich substances such as Spirulina or Chlorella. Spirulina has demonstrated the ability to significantly improve symptoms of allergic rhinitis. Try including it in a refreshing smoothie with coconut water, frozen mango and vanilla coyo.
- Try switching to a natural perfume this spring. Not only will it boost your mood but it will also help you eliminate synthetic chemicals in your current perfume that could be exacerbating your allergy symptoms.
Treating your hay fever: Does Spring time equal sneezing, swollen eyes, sore threat and drowsiness? You’re not alone! The NHS estimates that hay fever is is one of the most common allergic conditions, with more than 10 million people suffering from it in England alone.
To help you relieve your symptoms naturally, we asked Content Nutritional Therapist and Medical Herbalist Jennifer Derham to reveal her top tips. She says: “Hay fever is a type of allergy that occurs when your immune system reacts to substances that are ordinarily harmless, and can be either seasonal or year-round. Hay fever is triggered by pollen from trees, grasses or weeds, fungal or mold spores, dust mites, pet dander or cockroaches. The main symptoms include nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing and itchy eyes.
There are a number of plant medicines which have long been used to help control allergic symptoms: Elderflower has been used traditionally as a mucolytic to help reduce the production of mucous and clear nasal congestion. Nettle acts as an antihistamine due to the high amounts of histamine found in the nettle hairs, and helps reduce the amount of histamine the body produces in response to an allergen. Nettle has also been shown to inhibit several key inflammatory agents that cause the symptoms of hay fever as well as helping to reduce itching eyes and sneezing. Eyebright contains a chemical called aucubin proven to have anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activity. It has long been used to help relieve various hay fever symptoms including chronic sneezing, profuse watery nasal flow and streaming eyes.”
You can soak up the benefits of all the above with the Content Hayfever Tea, especially formulated and hand blended by Jennifer herself. This deliciously fragrant infusion is packed with anti-histaminic, anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic ingredients including nettle, elderflower, lime blossom, eyebright and lemon peel, that help support healthy mucous membranes, clear nasal congestion and upper tract respiratory tract infections. Drink it during the day to help relieve the symptoms. Other considerations:
- Strengthen your immune system. Simply limiting or eliminating sugars and grains from your diet can help greatly. Regular exercise is very important and can help prevent allergies from forming in the first place. Research has been shown that the rate of hay fever among inactive kids is more than double that of healthier, more active youngsters.
- Make sure you have plenty of omega-3 fats in your diet from fish and krill if possible as omega 3 helps reduce both allergic and the inflammatory response.
- Take a good probiotic with high levels of beneficial bacteria. Probiotics help to support the immune system generally and have been found to help raise levels of IgG, an antibody shown to play a protective role against allergic reactions.”
- Use a natural spray throughout the day to relieve allergy symptoms including stuffy nose and watery eyes. Try the homeopathic product Weleda Hayfever Relief Spray for oral use and Rhinodoron Nasal Spray to help clear a blocked, stuffy nose.
For Mind & Soul: Just as we Spring Clean and detox our body, we believe it’s equally important and beneficial to Spring Clean our minds from negative thinking and bad habits with an introspective practice. To advise us, we asked yoga and wellbeing expert Jane Kersel to share her favourite Spring time ritual. You can find it here.
Spring is also an ideal time to tackle new projects. What better way than to unleash your creativity? We asked yoga teacher Michaela Olexova to help us via yoga – get her practice information here.
KITCHEN
Need some inspiration in the kitchen? These are some of our all-time favourite recipes for Spring:
- The Detox Kitchen beetroot falafel
- Green Soup by Radiance Cleanse
- Smoked Trout and Almond Pesto Sea Spaghetti by Atlantic Kitchen
- Berry Volcano Cake by My New Roots
WORLD
Looking for fun things to do this March? Don’t miss our #ContentApproved listing of the best wellbeing events around London in our March What’s On.
Also, if you fancy giving your living space a de-clutter and refresher this Spring, get interior design tips from HausWitch founder Erica Feldmann.
Read More: – What’s On in March – Wellbeing Events in London
