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Get a Head Start on Your New Year’s Resolutions with These Black-Owned Brands

The holidays should be an occasion for self care. However, for most of us, we end up stressed to the max.

With concerns over the new variant ratcheting up, the holiday season may seem even more stressful and filled with uncertainty. In the interest of sanity, let’s take this time as a chance to slow back down.


For some, that means spending these moments with our family while staying cautious and safe. For others, that means time alone — or even in quarantine. No matter how you’ll spend your holidays, you deserve some time for yourself.

And maybe get a jump on your New Years’ resolutions. Resting and recharging should be part of your routine, both now and throughout the new year. Take this time to solidify good habits, rather than ossifying your old ones.

In a GQ article, celebrity trainer Joe Holder gives us his take on New Year wellness, saying: “I'm not a huge fan of New Year’s resolutions. The end of the year often provides a stretch of time where work slows down, and many of us can take some time to take care of ourselves. We can eat right, exercise more, and sleep better. But, because of resolutions, many of us just put that off until the new year, when we vow to get around to being better. And I get why! We're overworked in America. So leisure becomes a narcotic. We use this period to retreat and indulge. The problem? When the new year hits, we’re trying to balance our self-care with all of the other bullshit the new year throws at us—and then we're even more overworked and stressed out.”

Don’t fall into that trap this year. Instead of self-soothing and overindulging, reorient your definition of self-care to integrate it into your life long-term.

It’s also a reminder to stay true to your values. So, here are some of the products we’re shopping to upgrade our lifestyles with self-care in mind:

Buttah Skin Body Trio

The golden rule of skincare is . . . Always. Be. Moisturized. That shouldn’t stop at your face. Buttah Skin is a product line formulated to never strip your skin of its natural moisture. Rather, it helps your skin heal and provides your whole body exactly what it needs.

The trio contains an Egyptian CocoShea Body Wash, Black Gold Polishing Bar, and Buttah’s signature Whipped Body Butter. This deeply cleansing body wash totally transforms your daily cleansing into a luxurious spa experience. This charcoal and vitamin-rich bar re-moistures while polishing your skin. And the whipped body butter is a light, overall moisturizer that’s easy to apply without leaving a greasy texture.

Brooklyn Botany Brown Sugar Body Scrub

Often, your physical self reflects your emotional state. So, jumpstart a change with this invigorating body scrub. Go ahead, pamper yourself, scrub yourself clean. Then emerge feeling brand new — ready to take on the new year with renewed vigor. This multi-action scrub works its exfoliating magic on your entire body, helps combat acne scars, stretch marks, fine lines, and wrinkles. What a wonderful way to repair and restore your current and future self.

​The Whistling Thorn Sleep Well Drops

The Whistling Thorn makes products which put your hands first. Their oils can be used on your whole body, they focus on hand care and wellness to give an underserved part of your body some extra love. Formulated with aromatherapeutic properties, their Destress Oil acts as a pick-me-up in the middle of the day; and the Sleep Well Drops usher you into a better, deeper sleep. Made with city dwellers in mind, this is the perfect addition to your fall ritual to keep you centered and your skin nourished on the go all fall.

SOUL Premium Lavender, Verbena & Sandalwood Scented Candles

Elevate your days with SOUL Scented Candles. Toss out those sub-par, smelly candles that burn with toxins and carcinogens that do more harm than good. Not to mention, that cheap stink they leave behind. Instead, invest in this 100% soy candle made with essential oils for high-quality diffusion and an elegant, long-lasting fragrance. Even when unlit, the room is softly scented. When burning, the top note, the heart note, and base note blend with each note giving a distinct feeling.

Self-Care Journal For Black Women: Mental, Physical and Emotional Health Planner, Tracker Notebook Record Book

The key to self care — and establishing any new routine — is self reflection. To figure out how to move forward, you have to understand your current habits, routines, and thought patterns. You also need encouragement to keep moving forward. This journal offers both. Its combination of affirmations and introspective questions helps you track your health in a holistic way that will foster growth well into the new year.

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