What’s in your wellness pack?

1/ A good moisturiser

“I'm a secret skin care fanatic. I love a good moisturiser, that's one thing I can't live without and always travel with. I love the water and a good workout, which tends to leave my skin fairly dry, so I always carry something hydrating with me. At home I've recently been using EpZen's Unwind Shower Balm ($16 at epzen) which is basically an in-shower moisturiser, so no need to lather up afterwards — time save for the win.”

2/ Exercise and recovery rituals

“I actually have quite a few things I do when I'm feeling particularly anxious or stressed. I swear by running, stretching, saunas and ice baths as well as a nice hot shower, which is kind of like my personal meditation time. Running frees my head of stress and the hot/cold therapy helps me cope with anxiety.” 

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1/ Lip balm

“Oooooooooh!! It pains me to think about living without any of these products. Hands down Aquaphor Lip Balm ($8.17 at iHerb) — I literally get these shipped in from abroad, it’s that serious. Second runner up is Dermal Lip Therapy ($6 at Woolworths).” 

2/ Body care rituals

“I love EverSheen Cocoa Butter ($15 at Nature’s Hair). It’s a Ghanaian person STAPLE ITEM. Really loving Epzen’s Awaken Cleanse Body Wash ($17 at epzen), it smells delectable. [Plus], a piping hot shower every morning and an invigorating face cleanse to start and end EVERY SINGLE DAY. NO IF, BUTS OR MAYBES.” 

3/ Her day one

“Go-To Skincare’s Very Useful Face Cream ($45 at Go-To) — the first skin care item I ever fell in love with.”

4/ Expanding her mind

“I’m also big into daydreaming, reading and lucid dreaming.”

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1/ Eczema cream

“I have been pretty open about my struggles with eczema over the years and a very basic — but super important — product that I can’t live without is a thick, sorbolene-based moisturising body cream. I use one made by a brand called Kenkay. I coat myself in it day and night and it’s truly the only thing that helps me keep on top of my eczema breakouts.”

2/ Urban Jungle’s Face Oil

“I can’t live without my Urban Jungle Face Oil, Plump Fiction ($46 at Urban Jungle). [It’s] deeply nourishing, calming and suitable for all skin types… even us babes with eczema! It’s my go-to, both AM and PM.”

3/ Social media 

“I’m going to throw one out of left field here, okay!? And you might laugh at me, but I am going to say that social media is one of my wellness products! I know that social media cops such a bad rap. Whether it be reinforcing negative stereotypes, or being a haven for trolling or bullying. And trust me, I have experienced all of that and more. BUT… with all of this in mind, there’s never been a better time to turn your social media into a positive, empowering space that allows you to build your self-esteem and an inspiring community. social media is YOUR very own, personal media channel… so why not create and curate it to make you feel good about yourself. Cull any accounts that make you feel bad. Follow people and businesses that spread positivity and that you connect with. I have been doing this over the past few years and it’s gotten even easier with channels like TikTok. I now really look forward to my daily social media scrolls and I lock my phone feeling uplifted, motivated and empowered. Take back control of your social media!”

4/ Chocolate

“Chocolate is a wellness product too… right!? Guys!?”

5/ The ocean

“The ocean is truly my happy place and I really need to spend time either in it or close-by it to truly feel myself. summer, winter or any time in between, I make sure I get my fill of salt water therapy at least once or twice a week.”

6/ Exercise

“Exercise is a big part of my life. While I might not train the house down like I used to, I still do at least two personal training classes per week, and make sure to get at least a couple of beach walks in. There’s something about working out — focusing purely on your body and how its performing, or working so hard you can’t think of anything else — that brings you back to a place of peace and focus. It’s really been an essential part of why my business and personal life has functioned efficiently for years!”

7/ Lazy days

“But, let’s not be too serious… just as important as my exercise routine is making sure that there are some lazy days thrown into the mix. There’s a big part of me that loves waking up to a horrible, rainy day and knowing that I am not going to do anything other than watch Netflix with my fave snacks. Life is all about balance, right!?”

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1/ Incense

“I burn our blended essential oil incense sticks ($39 at This Is Incense) throughout the day and match the scents to moments. Using the different scents matched to how I’m feeling at the time helps me feel grounded, present and also gets me in the headspace when I need to get creative.”

2/ Shower oil 

“The shower is my time to set up my day and I love to use our Ritual Shower Oil (launching November 1st) with a body brush to hydrate my skin and have a full sensory experience.”

3/ Morning rituals 

“I try to keep them short, enjoyable and consistent. I love starting the day with mindful movement — a run, 40 minute workout and Pilates. [This is usually] followed by a quiet moment on the deck outside with a coffee, incense and matched with my Gentle Habits Sound Studio playlist before I start the hectic time of school lunches and kids drop-off.”

4/ Evening rituals

“After work I always try to have a shower to wash the day away and get into mum mode, and light incense to have a calm house after school with my two boys. Before bed I have started a Japa meditation practice, and fill-out any epic moments from my day in my positive outcomes journal.”

Image credit: Supplied by Gentle Habits / Getty

1/ Indian Sandalwood Incense

“I cannot live without our Indian Sandalwood Incense ($35 at Heartwood). When people walk into the Heartwood Spa, they always comment that they feel instantly calm, which is because when you inhale the scent of authentic Indian sandalwood, therapeutic compounds called 'sesquiterpenes' enter your bloodstream and help to relax the nervous system. Science is only just catching up with what the ancients knew long before us when they started burning sandalwood incense!”

2/ Meditation

“It may come as no surprise that the wellness ritual I swear by to help me focus, sleep and relax comes back to ssandalwood.  I light a stem of Indian Sandalwood Incense, breathe deeply and gain perspective by counting my blessings on my Sandalwood Mala (prayer beads). We sell the beads and incense to honour this ritual in our Meditate Set ($200 at Heartwood).”

Image credit: Supplied by Heartwood / Getty

1/ The Fix XBreakout

“Both of us take The Fix XBreakout ($49.95 at The Fix) daily. XBreakout balances the hormones and increases the skin health and collagen, giving our skin its best chance. It's astonishing the difference cycle health makes to your physical health.”

2/ Skin care essentials

“Once we get the inside sorted, we both have our constants. Go-To is a huge part of our repertoire. Julie also uses the Dennis Gross Peel Pads ($133 at MECCA) at least once a week. Kate has a healthy obsession with Charlotte Tilbury and has just discovered the joy of Charlotte’s ‘super radiance resurfacing facial’ ($99 at Charlotte Tilbury). For a splurge choice, Julie loves Verso No.8 Mask ($151 at MECCA) and the Sunday Riley autocorrect eye cream ($98 at MECCA) and Kate's is the C27 Essence ($157 at MECCA). Sunscreen is also a no brainer - we both adore Ultra Violette Queen Screen ($47 at Adore Beauty).”  

3/ Wellness Wednesdays

“The last Wednesday of every month is our day! It’s a dedicated technology blackout day where we shut down the noise and lose our minds in some sort of wellness activity. The day does not come without rules; no technology allowed, we can talk about work but not ‘do work’, we must book our next month's wellness experience on the day and we must reflect on our successes.”

4/ Our walking office

“It sounds simple but we walk constantly. We spend hours and hours a week walking and working. If we are not already together, often we’ll stop a conversation over the phone and say ‘let’s walk it out’. It's our healthiest mental and physical selves. We walked and worked in our previous careers, we walked through Kate’s pregnancy, we walked through COVID. We often chuckle that people in our area must see us and think, ‘what do those mad women actually do with their day!’. If only they knew.”

Image credit: @thefix_company / Getty