The Ritual of Bathing | Roger & Gallet – Aura Mirabilis ritual

I have loved taking baths for as long as I can remember. When I was a child we had a beautiful porcelain basin bath with lovely claw feet that sat in the middle of the bathroom. My mother would draw me a luxurious bath scented with lavender and rosemary picked from our garden, and would sit with me as we’d chat the afternoon away. These are some of my most cherished childhood memories and where I learnt to appreciate the art of bathing as a luxurious and restorative ritual. The moment I step into the hot bath the tensions of the day fall away – it is a moment of pure pleasure.

Bathing for me is both cleansing and ritualistic. I’ve begun to really enjoy taking sunrise baths. The air is crisp, the birds have just awoken and everyone in the house is usually still asleep. It is the perfect way to start your day in solitude and collect your thoughts under the warm glow of the morning.

Bathing in early times was seen as more ritual than cleansing. When you would visit the home of someone ‘well-to-do’, you would be greeted and escorted to a bath room with a handmaiden, who would scrub and scrape your skin with an iron brush and then drench you with cold water. You would then be lathered with rich scented oils to give you a wonderful glow. Ritual bathing such as this occurred throughout history across many cultures. Inspired by these traditional rituals, I have been incorporating some new steps into my bathing routine – pampering my face as well as my body.

300 years ago, monks created a powerful natural elixr called “Aqua Mirabilis”. At the heart of this secret recipe were plants selected one by one for their special properties. This natural elixir could be drunk or applied to all parts of the body.

Roger & Gallet owns this special formula and today has taken its inspiration from Aqua Mirabilis to invent The new face care ritual which uses 18 distilled plants in each product. Here is the four step process to perfect looking skin. (Note: I did all 4 processes in the bath!)

Step 1.
EXTRA-FINE CLEANSING MASK

This first step of the beauty ritual is inspired by oil-based formulas known for their numerous virtues and it detoxifies and revives radiance.  The cleansing Mask is actually a makeup remover/cleanser but it also doubles up as a mask which I think is quite amazing.  I leave the mask on for about 5 minutes and it totally rejuvenates my skin, leaving it feel incredibly fresh.

Step 2.
BEAUTY VINEGAR

The use of cleansing vinegars made from flowers, fruits or spices appeared towards the 18th century. Expertly prepared by few Master Distillers, they became a legendary treatment for cleansing and preserving the skin’s complexion. Roger&Gallet was inspired by vinegar-based formulas, known for their refreshing and purifying properties to create a new daily face care formula. This cleansing vinegar worked best for me when I applied it with a cotton pad in circular motions on my skin.  This ensured all the residue has been removed and it immediately tightened my pores, leaving my face feeling incredibly clean and fresh.

Step 3. DOUBLE-EXTRACT

This certainly wins the prize for the most incredible packaging!  This was my favourite product from the range – it restores the skin’s barrier, infuses the skin with radiance and applying it feels like heaven. It smells wonderful and absorbed into my skin immediately after applying it. Double Extract is perfect for the upcoming winter months when my skin tends to become very dry, as it is incredibly hydrating.

Step 4:

LEGENDARY CREAM

The ultimate step of the AURA MIRABLIS ritual, the Legendary Cream concentrates all the natural powers of the 18 officinal plants combined with an extract of an immaculately white lily.  The Legendary Cream is incredibly rich and creamy, finishing off the ritual leaving me with a beautiful glow.

I have been using this 4 step process during my special restorative morning baths (see my mother’s special recipe below) and have been incredibly impressed with how wonderful my skin has felt.