Carla Oates

We chat to The Beauty Chef founder about how she relaxes on a Sunday, from cooking to her favourite shows on Netflix…

Carla Oates sunday sessions shelf

The Wind Down

Sunday is my self-care day. I usually cook a baked dinner and do batch cooks with fresh produce and an organic chicken I have bought from our local market. I just really relax in my kitchen and prepare for the week ahead, then begin to properly wind down at 6pm. Sunday is the only time during the week when I’ll take a beautiful bath with essential oils, like the Aromatherapy Associates ones. I love all essential oils and use different types depending on how I feel; if I want something detoxifying I will do a lemon and orange blend or a juniper berry, or for something calming I will use rosemary and lavender. I also like using salts in my bath like the Mauli Himalayan Healing Salts or the Susanne Kaufmann Alkali Salt. While bathing, I will light candles too; I like scents with rosemary and juniper. I do love florals too – rose and neroli are my favourite.

During the week I read a book before bedtime, but Sunday night is my time to watch a Netflix series, from Peaky Blinders to Breaking Bad or anything to do with food. Or I might play Scrabble with my kids – I’m a real Scrabble fanatic.

Carla Oates sunday sessions essentials

The Routine

My Sunday night goals are to target my wellbeing as well as rejuvenating my skin health. I usually make a fresh food skin mask with my daughter in the evening, which will include some pink clay, fresh live yoghurt, and papaya mashed in with lime and rose essential oil – that really sets me up for the week and is a beautiful mask. I cleanse my skin with coconut oil (like the RMS Raw Coconut Cream) with a cloth; sometimes I might put some tea tree oil and lavender in, especially during hormonal times. I know coconut oil doesn’t work for everyone but it really suits my skin. I love Sunday Riley; Good Genes Treatment is a great product and one I will often use post-cleanse. My routine is actually really simple, although I do sometimes steam my face with hot water and lots of essential oils and herbs to help my pores. I recently bought a dermaroller, which I use once or twice a week. The jury is still out on this but I will keep using it to see if I notice any real results. I love doing facial massage with just my hands, too.

Carla Oates sunday sessions skincare

I love to dry body brush and use self-massage on my body as well as my face. I use coconut oil in the bath, which can make my husband very annoyed. Sometimes I can hear him slipping over in it the next day and shouting, “CARLA!”. Occasionally I will use a body moisturiser (either by Aesop or the Aromatherapy Associates Enrich Body Butter), but the coconut oil is often nourishing enough. A bath for me is a real luxury, but occasionally I will do a foot bath – I love mixing some oils in depending on how I am feeling. I just love oils – they are definitely my preferred texture.

On a Sunday, I like to use coconut oil as a hair mask (and wrap it in a Aquis Hair Turban) then shampoo it out with Christophe Robin products. I’ll sometimes do an apple cider vinegar rinse and massage it into my scalp – it balances the PH of the scalp and nourishes your hair. Then I will rinse it out and use a little bit of conditioner (again, by Christophe Robin). I am very low maintenance after that. My hair is really wavy naturally, so can become quite unmanageable; sometimes I run a little multi-purpose balm over it to take away any frizz. I love the RMS Lip & Skin Balm.

carla oates sunday sessions body essentials

Bedtime

The last few things I do before going to sleep are drinking some sleep tea, spraying Votary’s Pillow Spray Lavender & Chamomile on my bedding and applying a multi-purpose balm. I do meditation as much as I can as well; I like using the Headspace app for a guided mediation to try and get into a really calm, lovely zone. I keep a notebook by my bed as I am a very creative person who has a busy mind and lots of ideas, so if I think of something in the middle of the night I will write it down and only then can I go back to sleep. I am a very light sleeper but try to get 8 hours, going to sleep at 9ish and waking up around 5ish. Sleep is so important – it’s when we repair ourselves.  I never look at my computer or my phone before bedtime – it’s just too stimulating. I stop using them at least an hour before bedtime.

Monday Morning

My alarm goes off at 5am and I will go off for a coastal walk and sometimes a swim – this oxygenates my system and skin and stimulates my lymphatics. I’ll then come back and drink The Beauty Chef Glow Beauty Powder and The Beauty Chef Collagen Inner Beauty Boost mixed in with water. Once I have had these I will sit for half an hour and then look at my emails, before getting my son up and sorting the kids out. I’m not a snoozer – I really am a morning person, I’m so productive… kids make you like that really. I find it really hard to sleep in too, I get too excited about the day, thinking about creative ideas and what I’m going to have for breakfast (usually porridge or some eggs with spinach).

the beauty chef sunday sessions
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