Beauty | The Tao Rituals

One of my favorite weekend rituals is spending some extra time on pampering my skin. The constant alternation between cold winter temperatures and the warmth of the central heating inside is making my skin really dry and flaky, so I can’t really afford not to do so. A couple of things on my list are taking a long, hot relaxing bath, putting a face mask on, scrubbing and rubbing creams enough to get me mummified. It may be a little time consuming, but with the right products this can actually turn into something really enjoyable. Why spend tons of money on one expensive spa trip when you can do this at home every week?

A while ago I was sent a couple of Rituals travel size products from their Tao range. I wasn’t familiar with the range before but that didn’t stop me from falling head over heels at first sight try. The compact travel size came as a gift from above right before I went on vacation. Scrubbing was a bit difficult at the time because I got sunburnt pretty bad, but boy I was rubbing that body cream like there was no tomorrow. It wasn’t long before I headed out to my local Rituals to stock up on some more products from the range. And that really says something.

The range’s strongest point is without doubt its irresistible scent, which contains organic white lotus and yi yi ren, creating a calming zen ambience. This fragrance is used as a red thread through the entire range.

The Wai Wang exfoliating body scrub is a very soft scrub cream that contains ultra-fine grains (my personal fave) of bamboo. This makes it perfect to use multiple times per week and on more delicate areas like the cleavage and neck. Also people with sensitive skin can take a chance on this one. It doesn’t foam, but nevertheless it’s pretty easy to spread. After use my skin feels clean and soft, but also nourished, unlike other creams that might feel tightening. The tube makes it easy to carry around and also prevents bacteria from getting in (unlike jars), which is always a plus.

Wai Wang is one of the best scrubs I’ve tried and it’s one I can recommend to anyone who’s looking for a scrub. If you don’t scrub regularly you’ll probably need a scrub with bigger grains for a more intense scrubbing session though.

Wai Wang body scrub 70 ml € 5   ( full size 200 ml € 14,50 )

Remember the budget-proof body cream I was talking about in my Kenzoki Sensual Bare post? Well, this is it! The Mei Dao rich nourishing body cream (full size) is less than half the price of the Kenzoki cream, but still does an incredible job at nourishing my skin without leaving a greasy layer behind. The texture is a bit thicker (so you don’t need to use a lot of product at once), but has no trouble in mixing with the skin. After use my skin feels incredibly soft and flexible. The Tao scent lingers on my skin for quite a while, not that I mind. <3

This tube never made it back home with me though, because 1) I couldn’t get enough of this and used it every day and 2) having a nice scent around you attracts others “hey what’s that cream, I want to try it too!” Joey doesn’t share.. *snatches* …cream? (-_-,) Okay then..

Mei Dao rich nourishing body cream 70 ml € 5,50  ( full size 200 ml € 15 )

Maybe not as useful during winter is the Qi Gong deodorant. (However, more than often those fitting rooms in stores turn into freaking sauna’s during winter which may cause some hot flashes, or is it just me?). This one makes the perfect fit for your purse and this is the one I carry in my bag at all times. Yes, I’m one of those women who drags everything with them because.. you know, ‘just in case’. The Tao fragrance isn’t too present unlike many other deodorants and therefore this is the perfect deodorant to wear if you don’t want it to mix with the scent of your perfume. I spray this once in the morning and there are rarely occasions where I have to re-apply during the day. It creates a fresh and pleasant feeling all day long.

Qi Gong 24h anti-perspirant spray 50 ml € 3,50 (full size 150 ml € 8 )

The Yin calming bed & body mist is one of the products I bought when I got back from my holiday. I think I must’ve gotten the Tao virus, because I just couldn’t have enough of this scent. I wanted it to be around me at all times. By the way, why isn’t this available as a perfume yet? Yin makes up a great alternative for the time being. I keep this on my night stand and spray a couple of times on my pillows and bedsheets right before I go to sleep. Like any other night owl I have a really tough time to fall asleep so this helps me relax while I do some reading right before the lights go out. You don’t have to worry about stains, because it doesn’t contain alcohol. I never want to run out of this!

Yin calming bed & body mist 50 ml € 16,50

Did I mention I want this scent around me at all times? And that includes bath time! Bubble baths still awaken my inner child, so I was very happy to discover the Wu Wei calming cream bath. The best ideas find their origin in one of my long relaxing baths and  this is my partner-in-crime. The calming Tao scent helps me like no other to reflect on the things that happened and think about what’s to come.

If you’re looking for a bathtub full of foam, this will probably disappoint. It doesn’t foam as much as I had hoped and the foam that’s there doesn’t stay that long. The bottle says it contains enough product for 10 sessions, so maybe I’m using too little? It does help making my skin silky-smooth, which is a nice plus. I love the design of the bottle as well, but the wooden decoration sort of broke off of the cap after the third use, which is kind of a shame. You’d expect they would use better glue for a product that is supposed to be standing in a damp environment.

Wu Wei calming cream bath 500 ml € 13,50

If I’d have to pick 2, I’d say go for the scrub and cream as exfoliating and nourishing are two of the most important steps to get (and keep) healthy soft skin. And even more so when dealing with extreme temperatures.

Have I piqued your curiosity to try any of these out? Tip: Rituals is also offering a beautiful Deep Relaxation set containing a travel size version of the body cream, scrub, cream bath and shower gel for € 16,50. Perfect as a gift for the upcoming holidays!