Reading: Holiday Gift Guide 2023: Embrace Wellness with These 8 De Stress Gifts

Everyone deserves a little self care for the holidays. So, we came up with a roster of the best wellness gift ideas for your friends and family that can help them unwind, stay fit, and be cozy all season long. (You deserve these de stress gifts too!) 

The Body Care Set ($88) by Palermo

At the recent NYC launch of Palermo Body’s new Hand + Body Wash, founder Jessica Morelli gifted guests with an olive branch and a bottle of orange wine from hosting wine shop Orange Glou, a purveyor of macerated orange wine, along with her new bergamot- and lavender-infused cleanser. The olive branch represented the desire for world peace and highlighted her use of olive oil as a key ingredient in her natural beauty range. What started as a collection of natural oil soaps that Morelli made in her kitchen is now a full range of natural skin care wellness products — the original soaps, along with scrubs, oils, masks, rubs, and toners for the face and body — made with natural and organic ingredients in a light industry building in Brooklyn. The collection is named after Palermo, Sicily, the hometown of her late grandmother Vincenza who imparted the importance of self care to Morelli as a child. We love the holiday gift sets, especially The Body Care Set with the best-selling two mini body oils, two body scrubs, and the new hand and body wash. All the holiday combos come in a limited-edition box hand-painted by Morelli to reflect the tiles and colors of Sicily. As an alternative, a set of three mini soaps ($21) will also delight.

Sevan Quilted Robe ($215) by Skin

Susan Beischel founded the Skin loungewear brand 20 years ago before loungewear was a thing. And she continues to introduce new pieces to her collection that embrace her desire and design aesthetic to offer soft, sensual intimates and separates. We love the new Sevan Quilted Robe in organic pima cotton jersey. It’s lightweight and cozy, and we adore the shorter knee length. Yes, yes, Saturday Night Live did a sketch in December 2020 for their Covid Holiday show making fun of moms always getting a robe for Christmas, but that was three years ago, so time for a robe refresh! 

Theragun Mini ($199) from Therabody

Everyone I know seems to own a Therabody self-massaging percussive device. Last year, the makers of the popular Theragun came out with the second iteration of its portable, more travel-friendly Mini. This handy and easy-to-use device is 20 percent smaller and 30 percent lighter than its predecessor and comes in black, desert rose, and white. The company has just introduced Theragun Sense ($299), its first FDA registered medical device, and a similarly designed but entry level model, Theragun Relief ($149). My small hands, however, still prefer the smaller size and maneuverability of the Mini.

OOcoozie Low Shoe ($119.95) by Oofos

They’re not pretty, but boy oh boy, they are comfortable! Oofos is a brand of recovery footwear, shoes designed with a lot of shock absorption and meant to be worn after a workout  — or work day — to relieve pressure on your feet, joints, and muscles. I became a follower last summer with their original Ooriginal Sandal, and now I’m falling for these OOcoozie shoes in cabernet, which are more like slippers. The vegan sherpa upper and fuzzy lining are super soft and cozy, and along with the proprietary OOfoam technology for the sole, machine washable. 

Aromatic Shower Steamer Set ($65) from Esker

Bring the home spa experience from the bathtub to the shower with these aromatherapy tablets from Esker, a body care company founded in 2018 using natural botanicals and essential oils by former trend forecaster Shannon Davenport. While there’s much to choose from, we like this seasonal gift set in a limited edition box that comes with two calendula palo santo tablets and two lavender eucalyptus tablets as well as a carrara marble holder. The handy and simply designed marble base keeps the tablets in place, rather than floating around in the water at the bottom of your shower. The tablets are activated by water and steam and each tablet lasts for about 2–3 showers. 

Full Spectrum of Possibilities Pearlescent CBD Bath Soak ($14) from Homebody

Maybe your giftee is a bath addict after all. In that case, offer a healing bath bomb from Homebody World, a company from sisters Rebecca Grammar-Ybarra and Christy Grammar, the entrepreneurs behind wildly successful Suite 106 Cupcakery and two-time Cupcake Wars winners, making them the first black contestants to win a TV dessert competition. Rapid growth, however, followed by a crash in cupcake demand, baked the sisters into exhaustion and they shuttered the business in 2017. The bath bomb company emerged from Grammar-Ybarra’s decision to help herself heal from this business trauma — and from a car accident — by using plant-based remedies (which she learned about after consulting with a holistic doctor). The variety of formulations, which come in a powder rather than a typically shaped bath bomb,  are meant for everything from alleviating burnout and stress to encouraging sleep thanks to the use of essential oils, plant extracts, adaptogens, and minerals blended with either 50 mg or 300 mg of CBD. We like these bath soaks complete with a natural glitter. 

Braless Candle ($65) by Sidia

There are scented candles, and then there is this one. The candle comes in a pretty smoked-amber container and exudes deep, sensual notes from top to bottom, including clove, amber, cedar, patchouli, cashmere musks, and leather. The company says this candle “invites you to strip back the layers of the day, in surrender to the ultimate unwind.” Sign me up!!! There’s also a fun mini candle gift set ($88) featuring Sidia’s three candles: Braless, Wired, Soaked. Sidia is a beauty and wellness brand that was founded in 2020 by Erin Kleinberg, the CEO of creative agency Métier Creative and co-founder of Coveter. Her late grandmother, who routinely took care of her body, and not just her face, is the inspiration for the range. 

High Output Sports Bra ($68) + High Waist Essential Legging ($98) by Greatness Wins

Leave it to GOAT Misty Copeland, Principal Dancer at the American Ballet Theatre, to come up with some of the best women’s athleticwear around! She developed the new women’s collection from Greatness Wins, an activewear company that she co-founded alongside other GOATS, baseball hall of famer Derek Jeter, star hockey player Wayne Gretzky, and fashion entrepreneur Chris Riccobono (who founded the shirt company UNTUCKit). The women’s range features leggings, shorts, sports bras, tops, jackets, and more in terrific performance moisture-wicking, antimicrobial fabrics that feel wonderful to the touch. I am a huge fan of the items, particularly the sports bras and leggings, in a snug double-face interlock fabric that is thicker than other fabrics out there, providing full-coverage and support, all while feeling lightweight on the skin. Make a gift duo — this sports bra with wide adjustable cross-back straps and these leggings — and your favorite GOAT will be thrilled.