15 Ways to Gift Relaxation and Rejuvenation this Holiday Season
Prioritizing our own health often gets cast aside during December, but this year, we're giving the gift of self-care! By sharing self-care gifts that promote relaxation—and clear skin, relaxing scents around the house, etc.—we can all do each other a favor during these busy weeks. We've rounded up our favorite sleep-inducing products, rejuvenating facial products, the best diffusers and candles, and more, to help you get rid of holiday stress while sharing the calm vibes with others. Pick up a few of these products, add one of our free printable Christmas gift tags and you'll be ready for the big gift exchange.
There’s no reason that anyone needs to spend the last month of the year in a haze of hustle! So let’s all agree to put more of these self-care gifts under the tree (or to give a self-care stocking stuffer) and let everyone take a collective deep breath. We feel better already! For more Christmas gift ideas you can feel extra good about, check out our editor's picks of gifts that give back.
Twilight Body Spray
Body sprays are a great gift, but picking the right scent is the hard part. That's why we like this Twilight Body Spray from Lush. A sleep-inducing lavender scent and skin-softening glycerin team up for a spritz that will help anyone fade off into dreamland, no matter how tough the day. You can even wear it during the day for an extra air of calm throughout the busiest days of the holiday season. If your sleep schedule needs a little extra help during the holidays, our tips for better sleep can help too.
Buy it: Twilight Body Spray, $29.95
Coco Rose Body Polish
This hydrating body scrub from Herbivore Botanicals is ideal for all skin types, whether normal, oily, combination, dry, or sensitive — which makes it a perfect gift for almost anyone on your list! It can help with winter dry skin or redness, and boasts the subtle scents of rose and coconut. It makes a great Secret Santa gift or a fun stocking stuffer idea. Share the softer skin all winter long.
Buy it: Coco Rose Body Polish, $36
3-Wick Candles
With up to 45 hours of fragrance—and spoiler alert, we love the Fresh Balsam since it smells exactly like our childhood trips to the Christmas tree farm!—this candle from Bath and Body Works delivers all through the dark days of winter. Not in the mood to share the scent of freshly cut trees? Check out their dozens of other scents including Cinnamon Caramel Swirl and Champagne Toast. This is a great gift for anyone, but candles are one of our favorite gifts for new homeowners around the holidays. We can even show you how to gift wrap a candle—it's easier than you think!
Buy it: 3-Wick Candles, $24.50
2- Color Yoga Mats
With bold (and pretty!) colors to fit any personality, this is the perfect new or replacement yoga mat to start the new year. We love that this mat from Gaiam is thick enough to make even kneeling poses comfortable, yet lightweight to carry back and forth to the studio. Plus, it’s made without harmful phthalates and latex, so you can feel all “oommmm” about sharing this mat with a friend. A quick at-home yoga class is the perfect way to squeeze in a workout during the busy holiday season.
Buy it: 2- Color Yoga Mats, $21.98
Rose & Geranium Salt Soak
This organic bath soak from Summer Salt Body combines salts, clays, oils, and vitamins for total relaxation—in modern packaging that deserves a prime spot in any bathroom. The vegan-friendly ingredients help to rejuvenate and detoxify…and it just smells wonderful, too.
Buy it: Rose & Geranium Salt Soak, $24
Atlantic Kelp Anti-Fatigue Body Wash
Brisk and dry winter weather, combined with indoor heat, can quickly take a toll on even the most beautiful skin. Which is why our beauty editors reach for this invigorating body wash from REN time and time again. It moisturizes as it protects, and includes energizing essential oils to refresh sluggish, tired skin. Who needs a New Year’s resolution when you have this?
Buy it: Atlantic Kelp Anti-Fatigue Body Wash, $27
Deep Forest Clay Mask
We all feel the urge for renewal at this time of the year—and our skin is usually ready for a little extra love. We adore gifting jars of this luscious clay mask from KYPRIS Beauty, which can help to clarify the look of tired, dry skin with the help of cleansing clay, mineral-rich salt from the ocean, soothing algae, and natural extracts. It’s a simple way to promote relaxation among loved ones!
Buy it: Deep Forest Clay, $88
Organic Peppermint Superherb Tea
Peppermint has long been known to sooth aches, pains, and tummy troubles—and this organic peppermint from The Republic of Tea is something extra-special. It’s cooling, refreshing, and relaxing and can be sipped warm or chilled. It’s a perfect drink to transition from the holiday festivities right into the blank slate of the New Year, so bookmark this for your office Secret Santa or to top off a stocking. At under $15, this is one of our favorite inexpensive Christmas gift ideas.
Buy it: Organic Peppermint Superherb Tea, $13.50 for 36 tea bags
Glow & Go Mini Oils
Share the gift of glowing skin this holiday season with a set of Beauty Counter’s best selling facial oils. The size is easy to take on the go, and we especially love the Jasmine scent to help destress and freshen up while traveling. Do-good bonus: For each set sold, the company will donate a set to a patient at the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Buy it: Glow & Go Mini Oils, $30
Rose Quartz Facial Roller
If you’re looking for the perfect way to gift a little relaxation to a loved one (or, ahem, yourself), this holiday season, a facial roller needs to be on your list. This beauty tool from Maggie Wu Studio firms and relaxes the skin with gentle massage, and can even de-puff after a too-late night of celebrating with friends. Bonus: It doubles as a really pretty decorative accent to display on the counter in the bathroom!
Buy it: Rose Quartz Facial Roller, $35
Mix Your Own Clay Masks
Want to know the next best thing to sending someone to the spa? Gifting them a clay mask that they can do in the comfort of their own home, whenever they feel the urge to relax. This natural clay mask from Fig + Yarrow can pull impurities out of the skin and can be tailored to help with specific skin issues. Oh: Did we mention that the packaging is beautiful too? (It is!)
Buy it: Clay Mask, $24
Essential Oils Gifts
Giving a home spa gift this year is even easier. You can turn any room a spa-like atmosphere with one of the best diffusers available — both in function and in design, with its modern white and wood look. Pair the doTERRA diffusers with 100% essential oils, such as the Grounding Blend that’s geared to bring balance and serenity, for a gift that will keep on giving the gift of self-care. We've created the ultimate guide to essential oils so you can research which oils are best for your needs.
Buy it: Diffuser, $93; Oils, starting at $26.67
Orange Sunflower Body Scrub
Packaged up in a petite “humble” size, this exfoliating scrub from h.honeycup uses sugar to help polish skin and orange oil, sunflower oil, and mango butter to nourish. Oh, and pomegranate oil for good measure. How they pack so much into a tiny jar, we’re not sure, but we do know that this is the stocking stuffer we all want to find waiting for us come Christmas morning!
Buy it: Orange Sunflower Body Scrub, $16
Moisture Mask
For the busy friend who you know would adore a facial, share this facial in a jar from True Botanicals. In just 5 minutes, the lactic-acid based mask helps reveal glowing skin that’s moist and smooth. And, the exfoliating elements help to minimize pores too. Busy holiday schedule, take that!
Buy it: Moisture Mask, $90
Lip Sleeping Mask
We all have those loved ones on our list who are incredibly hard to shop for—which is where this lip mask from Laneige comes in. It’s perfect for nearly anyone! The mask simply goes on the lips overnight and come morning, soft, supple lips are revealed. Gift this to your favorite lady friend, mom, or co-worker who you know deserves the gift of self-care.
Buy it: Lip Sleeping Mask, $20
Rosemary Toning Firming Mask Sheet
We love this beauty product from Iris & Orchid as a gift for anyone who might be new to masks: You simply place the sheet over your face and the mask firms and tones the skin. It’s a no-fuss, no-muss way to share an oh-so-affordable spa treatment this holiday season. We highly recommend buying more than one!
Buy it: Rosemary Toning Firming Mask Sheet, $14.99
Pop, Fizz, Bling Brush Gift
Here’s a gift we never knew that everyone needed: A portable jewelry cleaner! With makeup, lotion, hairspray, and more taking its toll on our jewelry—the fine gemstones and our fashion accents—this fun champagne bottle from Baublerella can give it all a refresh. We love the thought behind this gift and think our moms, aunts, and grandmas would get a particular kick out of the bubbly packaging.
Buy it: Pop, Fizz, Bling Brush Gift, $22
