Stay-at-home wellness tips from our Anantara Spa experts

Spending a lot of time at home doesn’t mean you have to give up on your health and beauty routines. We asked some of our experts from Anantara Spas around the world for their advice on how to stay healthy and happy at home. 

Overall Wellbeing

Try to stay in a routine even while working from home or if you’re not able to spend a lot of time outside. Wake up at your usual time and use any saved commute time to get into a home fitness regime. 

It’s also good to get into the habit of squeezing half a lemon into a glass of warm water and drink first thing in the morning – this helps to boost the immune system and is rich with vitamin C. Eat as much as fresh fruit and vegetables as possible. Berries are known to have a lot of antioxidants, helping you fight colds and flus. A relaxing 20-minute warm bath before bed will calm the body, soul and mind.

Galina Antoniuk, Anantara the Palm Dubai Resort, United Arab Emirates

Skincare

One of the big advantages of spending a lot of time at home is that you can go make-up free, giving your skin time to breathe. Add some skin-nourishing routines and you can enjoy a wonderful complexion, giving you natural confidence and boosting overall wellbeing.

First thing in the morning, wash your face with a face wash best suited to your skin type and apply toner. Whip up a quick mask with yoghurt and grated cucumber and apply to face and neck. Leave it on for 20 minutes and wash it off. Use this mask at least three times a week for fresh-faced results. 

Set ice cubes with a pinch of parsley or tea and use them to get rid of eye bags and fine lines around the eyes. Most of us tend to ignore eye care, while it certainly is one of the important routines in skincare.

And don’t forget to keep your hands moisturised. Using sanitisers regularly and continuously washing hands can dry out skin. For cuticles, apply a dash of olive oil to ensure they stay healthy. 

Galina Antoniuk, Anantara the Palm Dubai Resort, United Arab Emirates

Meditating

Meditation helps to calm the mind and centre your chakras. Promoting reduced blood pressure, better daily functioning, and improved focus, regular practice of mindful meditation at home can help the mind send the right messages to the body and act accordingly. It also helps to lower stress levels, which helps boost your immune system. 

We can recommend the Pranayama breathing meditation, also called breath control. Take a steady breath in through both nostrils. Inhale until you reach your lung capacity while maintaining a tall spine. Hold your breath for a second, then constrict some of the breath at the back of your throat, as if you were about to whisper a secret, and exhale slowly through both nostrils. The slow, calming rhythm brings natural rest to the mind and releases tension from the stressed-out parts of the body.

Dr. Eranga Kaushal, Anantara Kalutara Resort, Sri Lanka

Hair care

You don’t always have to rush out to the shops to get the hair care products you need. Adding tomato juice to hair adds a glossy sheen to tired, dry strands. When used as a conditioner, tomato juice can help increase the PH levels of hair to make it more balanced. Hair can go from limp and lifeless to glossy thanks to the acidic nature of a tomato.

Tomatoes are also high in levels of vitamins such as A and C which can strengthen strands. A tomato hair mask can help improve scalp circulation, while the acidic nature can help with issues such as an overabundance of fungus on the scalp which can inhibit growth.

To make your own hair mask, simply juice a tomato or use organic tomato juice already squeezed and apply a small amount to your scalp. Massage the scalp and apply tomato juice to strands. Put on a shower cap. After 3-5 minutes, rinse the juice out of hair. Make sure you don’t leave the juice on too long or it may negatively affect the pH of your hair.

Garcia Alcorta, Anantara Villa Padierna Palace Benahavis Marbella Resort, Spain

Sleeping

For a fully restorative sleep, it is best to stop eating after lunch and then break this fast with breakfast. If you can, try to keep a window of 16 or 18 hours without eating over 24 hours. This is a form of intermittent fasting. Do not eat food before going to sleep, if you are hungry take a little sip of oil.

Going to bed and falling asleep early is essential as the hours of sleep sustained before midnight count the most for reviving the whole immune system.

To wind down for sleep, establish an evening ritual before you go to bed. This can include meditating, practicing gratitude, praying, or slowing down your breath with Pranayama (breathing exercises). 

To ensure that you sleep through the night, stop drinking around 5.00 – 6.00 pm, and drink just half a glass of water before bed to avoid waking in the middle of the night to use the bathroom.

Jump start your day by planning something you enjoy for when you wake up so that you wake up with a purpose.

Dr. Serge Landrieu, Master of Wellness, Anantara Bophut Koh Samui Resort, Thailand