BY JOANNA C. VALENTE
Now that the holiday season is underway and we’re ending a year spent in large amounts of isolation away from our loves ones, and having experienced immense tragedy, it can be difficult to find ways to be kind to ourselves and also celebrate the people around us.
For me, a way to combat this is finding little joys in the everyday, for me and ones I can share. I’m in the midst of ordering gifts for my family and friends to deliver to them (as I likely won’t see the majority of them) as a way to remind them that our love is no different.
That being said, it can also be difficult finding gifts for people who may have different interests, seem to have everything they need, etc. I also personally hate giving “useless” gifts, or gifts I like that I know will sit on a shelf collecting dust.
Recently, I was in the market for a new soap. Admittedly, I love finding new ones; for me, there’s something about the textures and scents that I can’t get enough of. While most of my skincare routine is fairly utilitarian, I’ll occasionally give myself a treat - and it occurred to me recently why people do actually gift each other high quality soaps, lotions, and skincare products: Because they make you feel good. It’s a treat, and we all deserve to indulge sometimes.
I discovered Guna’s Clean Beauty line, started by Sugandh, which she describes as “a love story to my Greek heritage,” and also as “a way to promote harmony and our choices (whether food or fashion) don’t embody any form of cruelty towards people or animals.” The line consists of three natural soaps, EARTH PARADISE, BLACK DIAMOND and BERGAMOT.
The soaps are vegan and cruelty-free (like her other products), and hand-cut and poured; I have the Black Diamond and Earth Paradise bars, and the soaps are surprisingly creamy and beautifully scented - which makes my bath experience a lot more delightful. They are the perfect treat for a long day followed by a hot bath or shower.
You can learn more here.
