Whilst writing this, I am anxiously awaiting a big holiday coming up (by the time you read this I shall have already gone and returned, hopefully, a little more relaxed and sunkissed!). I’m in the midst of packing for the Maldives and you may be surprised to hear it’s my first proper holiday since the start of the pandemic. We’ve been to the Netherlands once but drove, so does that really count?! I’m experiencing a few excitable butterflies and some nervous wobbles as I contemplate sitting on a plane for 10+ hours straight having not even so much as stepped foot inside an airport since the summer of 2019! That’ll be… interesting! 

The lead-up hasn’t been smooth sailing I might add. Last week I came down with a horrible virus that left me bed-bound for 4 days. Not great timing just before a holiday. To make matters even worse, just as I was starting to feel better, I came up in what can only be described as the worse rash I’ve ever had all over my body. A nasty post-viral rash was the diagnosis but I reckon it was a combination of that and a painful heat rash from my consecutive nights of fevers. Lovely! Just as I’m about to head off to a country that practically sits on the equator, I’ve got a burning heat rash and I’m not even on the beach yet. Help! 

My flight is tomorrow and THANKFULLY, I am pleased to report my rash has almost disappeared and it’s thanks to a few little tricks which I’ll explain below. Aside from the pre-holiday drama, here’s what I’d recommend to buy, DIY and try in wellness this month!

La Roche Posay Toleriane Sensitive Fluide Moisturiser
Jumping straight into one of my skin saviours to try and rid my face of this horrible sunburn-like heat rash, I turned to La Roche Posay. Known for being one of the best brands for sensitive skin, I knew I had to really pair back my usual skincare favourites for something more calming and minimal. I have rosacea, so La Roche Posay is a brand I’ve used on and off for years, particularly in those “flared” phases. Zero fragrance, zero alcohol, their Toleriane range gets rave reviews from dermatologists across the board so I ran to my local pharmacy and picked up the Sensitive Fluide Moisturiser. It’s a cult product and is such a basic, simple serum that even the most reactive of skins can use. It’s really helped soothe my inflamed bumpy rash and I am grateful to have this in my arsenal again. 

By Terry Brightening CC Serum in Sunny Flash
Staying on the beauty train, I finally caved and purchased the practically famous By Terry CC Serum in the shade Sunny Flash. I have been wanting to try it for ages but was often put off by its alarmingly dark pigment that I just thought wouldn’t work for paler complexions. Suffice it to say, I love it and it will be coming with me to the Maldives. I don’t intend to have my face in the sun so I knew I needed something to give my face a glow-up to match my more sun-kissed body. It does appear worryingly orange initially but I can assure you it blends into the most lovely golden glow and really evens out your skin tone. Wearing under makeup or just on its own, I can see myself getting through this pricey little bottle at a rapid rate over the summer months!

The Healing Power of Oats
Did you know oats are one of the best things you can put on your skin if you’ve got a rash or had a reaction to something? Many eczema sufferers swear by oat face masks and oat baths to soothe itchy, irritated skin. With this knowledge in mind, I decided a cool, oat-infused bath would be a great remedy for my itchy rash. You can either grab a sock and add a handful or two of oats, tie up the end and throw in the bath to let the oats infuse the water… or… you can put a couple of handfuls of oats in the blender and pour in the fine powder as the bath is running for a really creamy, milky bath. It works, trust me!

The Natural Way To Keep White Sheets Stain-Free
I love love love fresh white sheets on my bed and I’m always trying to find ways to make them whiter! Nobody wants yellow-tinged sheets, am I right? A little hack I read about is to put bicarbonate of soda (or baking powder) in with your sheets when you wash them as a natural way to whiten sheets without more chemicals and having to buy another product. I love the results and how easy it is and I think it’s made noticeable a difference to my bedding! Give it a go, just a teaspoon or two will do the trick.

Prym Health Supplements
A new brand to me this month is supplement connoisseurs, Prym Health. I think it’s pretty common knowledge by now that I am not the best at pill-taking and prefer a gummy where possible! Delighted to be introduced to Prym, I opted to try their energy gummies which contain vitamins A, D & E as well as B vitamins, folic acid, biotin and zinc. They tatse DELICIOUS. Wow. I love the mango flavour and a surprising thing I have noticed since taking them, is I am experiencing less hair fall. Could be a coincidence, time of year or the biotin and zinc are working their magic together.

Prodigy Snacks
I love me some chocolate so discovering Prodigy Snacks has been quite a delight! What can I say, there’s nothing I don’t love about this brand. They don’t use refined sugar, the chocolate is high in fibre and prebiotics thanks to chicory root fibre, their wrappers are completely plastic-free AND they have a mega B-Corps status. Seriously? What more could you ask for? Oh yea, flavour. They crush that too. It’s hard to choose, but my favourite chocolate bar is the salted caramel. It sooooooo good.

words by Molly Jennings