The holidays can be stressful. Give yourself the gift of self-care.

We hope you can take a few moments to relax and breathe in these next few weeks.

Here's some of our favorite tips for holiday self-care:

• Ensure you are getting enough sleep, exercise, and nutritious foods.
• Stay hydrated.
• It's ok to take a break from social gatherings.
• Make time for the things you enjoy.
• Connect with what is important to you about the holidays.

We believe that your home (and your self-care routine) should be free from toxins and harmful chemicals! You won't find any petroleum byproducts, stabilizers, fragrance oils, or harmful dyes in our products!

Our favorite products for holiday self-care: Soak & Renew Bath Salts

It’s no secret that there’s something instantly calming and therapeutic about lighting a non-toxic essential oil candle and sliding into a warm bath. It’s a place where your muscles can be soothed, your mind quieted, and your skin improved – and as you pour in natural bath salts, the list of health benefits increases exponentially. 

When you add just two ounces of Fontana’s 100% natural bath soak to your bath, you’re instantly elevating your self-care routine with a blend of Dead Sea mineral salt and Epsom salt. The two salts each bring their own unique properties, combining to maximize the benefits from your bath – some of which we’ve outlined below! 

For centuries, people have traveled to the Dead Sea to float in its salty waters and to repeat the benefits of its mineral-containing salt. The salt is chock full of beneficial minerals – more than 10 times that of regular sea salt – including magnesium, bromide, calcium, sodium, potassium, zinc, and more. These minerals – all naturally occurring within the body but often in need of replenishing – each help to cleanse, heal, and strengthen.

Bath salts not only act as an ideal exfoliant, removing dead skin cells and softening dry skin, they’ve been proven to improve skin conditions such as acne, eczema, and psoriasis. In fact, the National Eczema Association even recommends the use of salt in the bathtub for those suffering from an eczema flareup.  

The minerals within the salts in Fontana’s bath soaks promote youthful, glowing skin from the inside out by balancing moisture levels, purging impurities, and improving the skin’s barrier function. 

Salt baths have long been used to ease body aches and pains, as the saltwater alleviates weight on the muscles and joints and reduces inflammation, and the warm water promotes blood circulation, which in turn provides muscles with increased oxygen and nutrients. 

For those with arthritis, the Arthritis Foundation recommends an Epsom salt bath to relieve stiff and aching joints. 

Submerging yourself in a hot bath can be calming in itself but add in Fontana’s bath soak and you’re even more likely to see your stress fade away. That’s thanks largely to the magnesium found within the Epsom salts. Studies have shown that increased levels of magnesium boost the brain’s neurotransmitters responsible for reducing stress. Not only that, the magnesium is linked to increased melatonin production, allowing for sounder sleep. 

Our favorite scents for holiday self-care

The natural occurring scents of essential oils can not only be reminiscent of certain memories, they can trigger specific emotions. Want your home to smell like a place of comfort and relaxation? Give lavender scented products a try. Other essential oil and naturally occurring scents shown to trigger positive emotions include those listed below.

• Cinnamon – Smelling cinnamon not only conjures up thoughts of delicious baked goods or the holiday season, but it can also give you an emotional pick-me-up when you’re feeling down.

• Citrus – Lemon, orange, grapefruit, and other similar citrus scents might first internally transport you to a warm locale or to a freshly cleaned home, but they can also potentially help reduce your feelings of anxiety and irritability. These “liquid sunshine” essential oils evoke feelings of happiness and ease stress. 

• Lavender - Lavender is the first scent that always comes to mind when you think of relaxation! Lavender is known for its calming and balancing properties with a clean and pure aroma. A few drops of Lavender on your pillow may help you drift off to sleep.

• Peppermint – Not unlike citrus scents, peppermint conjures up its own sense of calm. It’s been shown to invigorate and sharpen the mind and leave you feeling happy and ready to tackle what comes your way.

Have a wonderful holiday season!

xoxo, The Fontana Team