Self-care is virtually a birthright in Los Angeles. The pandemic freed up time for many to adopt new healthy habits and ditch old ones. But by the looks of it, the only thing that has returned to normal (for some) this year is going into the office again. That means more time spent on one of L.A.'s congested freeways and another reason to prioritize self-care and wellness. This year, gift your friends and fam (and yourself) a moment of elevated relaxation.
Our holiday self-care and wellness gift guide will take their me-time routines to the next level. And hopefully, they stay there for a while. Courtesy of some of L.A.'s coolest, most forward-thinking businesses, entrepreneurs, and visionaries, the self-care gift list ahead has something to ease the mind and/or body of every over-worked and under-nourished person in your life.
Read below for some of our favorite self-care and wellness holiday gifts by L.A. brands and check out more fashion, beauty and fitness presents in our holiday gift guide.
Alleyoop Grateful Set
Make it easier for them to practice gratitude with L.A.-based Alleyoop's gratitude journal and their new in-the-loop card game to make meaningful connections with loved ones. Short, daily entries will keep them in the right headspace without taking up too much time while the card game offers a fun way to create more bonding and "laugh-till-you-cry" moments. Shop: Alleyoop Grateful Set, $36
Harmonyum Healing System
The Harmonyum Healing System is a holistic, 45-minute, hands-on treatment that addresses mental and physical imbalances. The System aims to recalibrate the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems with light touch and specific movements directly on the spine. It addresses the invisible roots of physical, mental, and emotional disturbances to activate the self-healing ability within each and every one of us. Shop: Harmonyum Healing System, price upon request
Vejo Portable Blender
Vejo offers the world's first biodegradable pod-based blender that gets you to twist, blend, and enjoy organic smoothies, immune-boosters, and more in about 30 seconds. The company, which operates out of Santa Monica, offers loved ones who have long commutes several options on how to enjoy, including starter kits, build your own boxes, and subscription boxes that come with blends like Clean Greens or Banana Almond. Shop: Vejo Starter Kit, $190
Esquivel & andSons
Staying well requires chocolate. Period. Fashion and fine confections collide in this box of delectable handmade chocolates created by bespoke shoemaker extraordinaire George Esquivel and Beverly Hills-based andSons, a second-generation chocolatier owned and operated by the original founder's sons Phil and Mark Covitz. The box of edible artwork celebrates their shared artisan talents, California roots, and neighborly love (andSons' kitchen is next door to Esquivel's workshop in DTLA's Arts District).
Adorning the chocolate box is a signature flower motif designed by Esquivel plus a floral shoelace wrap. Upon unboxing, feast your eyes on, in addition to andSons' signature confections, two limited edition chocolates: candy cap mushrooms from Northern California with chocolate caramel ganache and gianduja with California almonds and pistachios topped with Big Sur sea salt.
But snooze and you'll lose – the next batch of boxes will be available to snag on December 13. Shop: Esquivel & andSons, $69
Den Mother
Ancient healing meets modern living at Den Mother, the wellness destination that opened its doors on Abbot Kinney in September. Healing starts the second you walk into the space, a chic craftsman bungalow that oozes laidback, luxe Venice Beach vibes. Dreamed up by herbalist and acupuncturist Elisa Angelone, music and sound designer Kenny Parmelee, and design vet and Wanderlust Design Studio founder Heather Tierny, Den Mother offers a variety of services derived from ancient healing practices from around the world to restore your inner environment to its most natural state. That includes massages, mind-body milk baths, acupuncture, herbal therapy, Ayurvedic consultations, foot soaks, cold water immersion, and herb-infused sauna sessions. All bodywork services include an individualized Dosha assessment and a cup of herbal tea to be enjoyed in the haven's outdoor lounge AKA "The Den." Book: Den Mother, services range from $70-$300
Four Sigmatic, Creativity Boost Bundle
Founded in 2012 and headquartered right here in L.A., Four Sigmatic is a Finnish-American food and beverage company that offers organic coffee made with Chaga and other powerful, immune-boosting mushrooms and superfoods that the founder's grandparents used to use to prevent jitters, sugar highs, or crashes. Other than coffee, the company also offers plant-based protein supplements and reishi relaxation mixes. The brand's Creativity Boost Bundle is perfect for the creative friends that abound in your social circle. Shop: Four Sigmatic Creativity Boost Bundle, $52
Le Feu De L'eau Fig Leaf Candle
No self-care routine would be complete without a candle. This viridian green stunner is from L.A.-based, family-owned, and female-operated candle company Le Feu De L'eau, founded by Wendy Polish, graphic designer and artist, and Jo Strettell, makeup artist and beauty lover. When translated, Le Feu De L'eau means "the fire of the water," a nod to the brand's unique candle-making process. Each candle is sculpted underwater with a high-temperature wax without a mold, the candle color is hand mixed, and the fragrances are custom blended into a soy candle filling. This month, the candlemakers are spotlighting the woody and fresh scent of fig leaf. The candle pictured above, Le Feu Vert, features notes of fig leaf, fig, and bergamot and has a burn time of about 80 hours. Shop: Le Feu De L'eau Fig Leaf Candle, $55
Theragun Elite
Also headquartered in L.A., Therabody offers a number of percussive devices that'll make your loved ones wonder how they ever survived without them. The Elite model is for deep muscle treatment that enhances recovery, releases stress, and soothes discomfort. On the other end of the spectrum, the Theragun mini balances portability with effectiveness and can fit in your pocket. And did we mention that they recently started offering topicals and ingestibles? Shop: Theragun Elite, $299
Dosist Limited Edition Live Resin Bundle
Dosist is a globally recognized wellness company that helps its patrons manage their health and happiness through dose-controlled cannabis therapy. Named by Time Magazine as "cannabis that could replace pills" and as one of Fast Company's Top 10 Most Innovative Companies in the health sector in 2018, you don't really have to wonder why it made our list. Gift one of the brand's live resin formula collaborations to help them feel bliss, increase energy, calm down, or sleep. Shop: Dosist Limited Edition Live Resin Bundle, $105
Offgrid Mindfulness, Awake Meditation Timer + Alarm Clock
Former Angeleno-turned-van-dwelling nomad L.R. Laggy invented a simple tool that your hyper-connected friends and family probably need. It's a meditation timer and gentle alarm clock that doesn't require wifi and that offers three phases of meditation so that they can remove their phones from their meditation space. It's very easy to use but has just the right amount of features to make us okay with keeping our phones and computers in the other room for a few minutes (or hours) every day. Waking up or coming out of deep meditation without an unnecessarily obnoxious alarm has been critical to our well-being since discovering this brand. Shop: Offgrid Mindfulness Awake Meditation Timer + Alarm Clock, $49
The Period Company The Reusable Pad 5 Piece Bundle
Did you know the plastic tape on disposable period pads is one of the most polluting plastics in the world and has a huge carbon footprint? That's just one of the issues celebrity stylist Karla Welch and Gangs of Kosmos creative director Sasha Markov set out to address when they launched The Period Company last September. This five-piece set of reusable pads from their line of pocket-friendly, leak-free, and inclusive underwear and boxers is free of toxins, bleach and made from soft, organic cotton. Shop: The Period Company The Reusable Pad 5 Piece Bundle, $20
House of Intuition The Moon Queen Box
Carefully curated to include nurturing spiritual tools, House of Intuition's The Moon Queen Box features The Moon Arcana Mystics Spray, Moon Matches, a signature You Are Loved Magic Candle, Organic Sage & Wildflower Bundle, Glow Scrub, and a Rose Quartz Bracelet – the ultimate stone of love – to ensure that its recipient's divine feminine energy is empowered. Shop: House of Intuition The Moon Queen Box, $110
Ouai Chill Pills
A bath fixes most things but a bougie bath works wonders. Start yours with Chill Pills, grownup bath bombs from celebrity stylist Jen Atkin's brand Ouai. This me-time must-have fizzes, fills the air with notes of jasmine rose, moisturizes skin with a blend of hemp, jojoba, and safflower seed oils, and leaves you in zen mode. Shop: Ouai Chill Pills, $30
Pacific Stone Pre-Roll Packs
Founded in 2015, Pacific Stone cultivates and processes all of its own cannabis in its coastal indoor greenhouses. Single-source, Cali-grown, and family-owned, it's everything Angelenos look for in their cannabis supplier. The brand's pre-roll packs – available in limited harvest, indica-only, sativa-only, and hybrid options – are a fun time and come in funky strains like Wedding Cake, Vanilla Frosting, Gelato, Magic Melon, Lemongrass, and more. Shop: Pacific Stone Pre-Roll Packs, $40
Supa Chagaccino Latte
Now that we've all gotten our fill of pumpkin-spiced lattes, it's time to make room for the adaptogenic coffee-boosting powder blowing up all over Los Angeles. Supa's Chagaccino includes Chaga mushroom as its main ingredient, elevating the beverage to a vegan, zero-calorie, sugarless, organic, wild-foraged, and keto-friendly treat. Add CBD and coconut oil for a more balanced and fulfilling stocking stuffer. Shop: Supa Chagaccino Latte, $6
The Now Massage
With locations in Silverlake, West Hollywood, South Bay, and more, The Now Massage offers various melt-away-the-stress massages, from Swedish-inspired to sports-inspired, in a relaxing sanctuary-like setting any of your stressed friends would appreciate. Gift them 50- or 80-minute sessions plus choose from an array of enhancements like gua sha, herbal heat therapy, a scalp renewing massage, and more. Book: The Now Massage, prices vary
Kroma 5-Day Lifestyle Reset
Founded by Beaming Organic Superfood Cafes founder Lisa Odenweller, Kroma is a new wellness company offering powder-based instant superfoods perfect for jumpstarting your 2022 goals. Its Signature 5-Day Reset comes with 50 total food and beverages (10 servings per day for five days) labeled by day and numerical order.
Think "Beauty Matcha" for brekkie, a cookie butter energy snack in the afternoon, and bone and/or veggie broth for dinner. Not just another L.A. fad diet, the Kroma cleanse can reduce cravings, improve digestion, give you more energy, balance your adrenals, and more. The cool thing about Kroma – other than the fact that it's backed by Gwyneth Paltrow and Amy Schumer – is that is also offers daily essentials to help you establish and maintain healthy habits after the reset, like teas, supplements, lattes, elixirs, and more. Shop: Kroma Signature 5-Day Reset, $365
