3 DIY Recipes for Self-Care on Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day, as you’re well aware, is the iconic holiday of love celebrated every February 14th. Characterized by Cupid, chocolates, and romantic candlelit dinners, this holiday is also one for sending valentines to those you admire.

In fact, sending valentines is a 600-year-old tradition, one that started when Charles, the Duke of Orleans, wrote to his wife from his prison in the Tower of London in 1415. Charles wrote a few lines of a poem and referred to his wife, Bonne of Armagnac, as his “very gentle Valentine.” Unfortunately, Charles never reunited with Bonne, who died while he was still imprisoned — but the tradition of sending loved ones valentines lives on!

Thankfully, sending valentines has taken on a cheerier approach since the Middle Ages. These days, there are tons of ways to show your love and appreciation on Valentine’s Day, whether it’s to friends, family, a partner, or yourself. And what better way than to do that than to indulge in a little DIY self-care?

Featuring natural ingredients like rose buds + petals, jojoba, and essential oils, we’ve whipped up three recipes for a milk bath, massage oil, and sugar scrub to treat yourself with on Valentine’s Day (or to send as valentines!). If you live in Austin, almost everything in these recipes is easily found in our zero-waste bulk bar, so there’s no hassle sourcing ingredients. Check out the recipes linked above and try them for yourself — we hope you love them as much as we do! 

Self-Care Recipes:

Cecilia Seiter

Cecilia is a freelance writer and contributor to Slow North. She writes largely about sustainability, especially as it applies to beauty, wellness, and the future of technology. She is a graduate of the journalism department at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and is based in Los Angeles, CA.