Turns out the quest for inner-calm and tranquillity transcends colouring books and yoga. Now, modern mindfulness has met beauty and a fusion of practices that tap into ancient healing and wellness rituals are boosting the skin-mind connection while also working to alleviate stress, make you more self-aware and take care of your complexion. From sound baths, reiki and breathwork to meditation, crystals and aromatherapy, there’s a salon beauty treatment or an at-home tool to suit everyone.
Beauty expert Jocelyn Petroni has always taken a holistic approach to beauty. Her eponymous NSW salon is renowned for its innovative massage techniques and relaxation- inducing treatments, and has just launched a facial focused on reiki and the heart chakra.
“Essentially, [mindful beauty] is about checking in with yourself and consciously feeling what’s happening in your own body,” she says. “It’s important to allocate time to turn inward, see how you’re feeling and give yourself some self-care. It comes back to self-love and mindfulness — people are so outwardly focused, it’s essential to consciously take time out for yourself and how you feel to rejuvenate, relax and reset.”
Inspired by the quest to slow down, but also stemming from the natural- beauty movement, most ’mindful beauty’ treatments and products use plant-based ingredients and ancient therapies.
Sydney’s latest wellness hotspot, Onda Beauty, offers unique, mindful treatments based on the values of clean beauty. “We focus on creating an environment where you can expect your spirit to be lifted when you enter our space, believe in the work our products do and enjoy the relationship you’ll develop with your therapist all of which will leave you feeling mindful and positive,” Onda’s Nicole Manning says. “Taking a mindful approach to beauty is meaningful and fun, and creates a place for spirituality.”
By transforming your beauty routine from a practical chore to a considered and calming experience, you’ll be able to supercharge the valuable effects of ’me time’ and transform your skin in the process.
Treatments to try
More than skin-deep and guaranteed to nix your worries
Reiki face massage
Jocelyn Petroni Heart Chakra Prescribed Facial ($300, jocelynpetroni.com)
This massage-focused facial uses a combination of techniques with a large focus on reiki. “It decreases cortisol levels so the skin responds better to topical products,” Petroni explains. There’s no talking, so you can focus on being mindful. Each treatment is tailored to individual skin concerns and tends to create a sense of deep relaxation — it’s touted as being more relaxing than sleep — as well as the added skin