Life
25 Self-Care Gift Ideas, Because We All Deserve To Unwind
That goes for everyone on your list.
It’s safe to say that the world has really put us through the wringer over the last couple years. Now, on top of the usual whirlwind of work obligations and family life, it’s time for the stress of holiday shopping, too. That all being said, self-care gifts are perfect for pretty much every single person on your shopping list this season. (And no one would blame you if you snagged a few for yourself, too.)
“Wellness gifts are for everyone,” confirms wellness expert Jacqui Kingswell, co-founder of The Pilates Class. “They keep on giving long after the holiday season is over.”
Gifts that promote self-care are especially meaningful, as Kingswell explains, because they provide the opportunity for the recipient to treat themselves with kindness and love. “You’ll know that by using the gift, they’re actively treating themselves with the love they deserve,” she says. “This not only sets them up for a healthy year ahead, but encourages them to take time for themselves after a busy year.”
From gratitude journals and puzzles to tea, candles, blankets, and beyond, these 25 self-care gifts are the perfect way to remind your loved ones that they deserve some time to relax, unwind, and regroup this holiday season.
Bustle Shop is Bustle’s shoppable guide to editor-approved buys in fashion, beauty, wellness, and lifestyle. Here, you’ll find the picks we can’t get enough of and think you’ll love, too. Best of all, you can checkout right on this page — no clicking out to multiple retailers required. We may receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.
Top Pick: Best Overall
You can’t deny the serenity a diffuser adds to a space through sound, aromatherapy, and even the sight of soft, misty wafts. This model from Vitruvi takes your traditional diffuser and makes it exponentially chic. With its clean and elegant lines, Vitruvi’s stone diffuser emits a lightly scented stream of your choice essential oil. This self-care gift is a great addition to the office, bedroom, or bathroom. If you want to go above and beyond, consider throwing a few essential oils into the gift package, too.
Why It’s Bustle-Approved: The sleek design makes this diffuser look like a bonafide art piece.
Top Pick: Best Budget
These dice add a little more pizazz to any yoga practice. The set comes with seven different dice (one for each chakra) that, once rolled, create a randomized flow consisting of seated, standing, balancing, and twisting poses. Not only are they inexpensive — even stocking-stuffer priced — but they’ll provide hours of yoga fun throughout the new year.
Why It’s Bustle-Approved: Whether your recipient’s a yoga newbie or a total pro, these yoga dice can kick their mat time up a notch.
Top Pick: Best Splurge
Weighted blankets can improve sleep quality and lower stress, and some studies say they can even help alleviate chronic pain. With 100 percent microfiber, Sunday Citizen’s Crystal Weighted Blanket has the added bonus of being filled with thousands of pieces of clear quartz, rose quartz, and amethyst, which are believed to harness natural healing energy.
Why It’s Bustle-Approved: The unique crystal filling makes this weighted blanket extra special.
An Easy-As-Can-Be Journal
The One Line a Day notebook is the perfect way for your giftee to keep track of their thoughts, ideas, and memories throughout the next five years. It makes the process of journaling feel less formal and time consuming, so they’ll be more likely to stick to the practice.
Why It’s Bustle-Approved: The petite book makes keeping a daily journal less intimidating and something to look forward to.
A Uniquely Scented Candle
Few things are as simple and therapeutic as lighting a candle. This one, from BIPOC-owned Harlem Candle Co., feels especially indulgent. With notes of palo santo, bourbon, and tobacco, the scent whisks you into another dimension — one that conjures visions of secret escapes hidden behind facades and filled with people living their best life.
Why It’s Bustle-Approved: It’s not your standard aromatherapy candle. The scent is wholly unique.
Superhero Skin-Care Products
Skin care is the self-care gift that keeps on giving. This duo from Sunday Riley contains two of the brand’s top-selling products that help exfoliate and brighten skin. Good Genes, a cult-favorite, is a gentle exfoliator made with lactic acid, and Luna is a luxurious facial oil meant to be applied in the evenings.
Why It’s Bustle-Approved: Both of these products boast good-for-your-skin ingredients, and a skin-care set makes for easy-peasy gift-giving.
A Soothing Facial Tool
These fancy cooling globes bring the spa to your giftee’s bathroom. Simply roll the globes over the face for a mini facial massage. Not only do they feel soothing, but they can help relieve facial tension, depuff skin, and deliver a glowing complexion. They can be used on clean skin or with accompanying skin-care products.
Why It’s Bustle-Approved: It enhances any beauty regimen while improving skin.
A Mood-Boosting Plant
What’s a more perfect self-care gift than a plant that adds ambiance to a room and can boost the recipient’s mood? (Plants are scientifically proven to improve our wellness, after all.) The Snake Plant is one of the most low-maintenance plants out there, so it’s appropriate for new plant parents, and this one comes in a modern ceramic pot in your choice of three colors.
Why It’s Bustle-Approved: Since this plant already comes with a modern planter, it’s one less thing for you to shop for.
A Hydrating Lip Treatment
Lips deserve a little self-care, too! This luxurious lip balm protects lips from getting dry and chapped, while imparting a soothing burst of peppermint. It's made from organic natural oils and beeswax, is infused with vitamin E, and comes in a chic glass container.
Why It’s Bustle-Approved: The combo of the soothing ingredients and seasonally-appropriate peppermint flavor makes this lip treat a total winner.
A New Meditative Routine
This thoughtful kit from Modern Sprout invites your giftee to embrace peace of mind while flexing their green thumb. It includes a lavender growing kit complete with a petite planter, a five-minute hourglass timer, and an essential oil roller.
Why It’s Bustle-Approved: It provides everything you’d need for a new (and unique) meditative wellness routine.
A Treat For Thirsty Skin
The winter months can be rather rude to our epidermis, which means it's important to call in the big dogs. This overnight S.O.S. Rescue Mask from Kinfield nourishes even the thirstiest skin, thanks to ingredients that include meadowfoam seed oil, avocado oil, and chamomile extract. It’s the perfect way for someone to treat themselves at the end of the day.
Why It’s Bustle-Approved: This cream works the night shift, so you can wake up to gorgeous skin.
A Streamlined Tea Time
This self-care gift is a safe bet for anyone who's religious about their tea time. It's made from 100 percent bamboo, features eight compartments, and provides the space to organize their tea collection all in one place. To round out the gift, add a selection of new teas to the gift package.
Why It’s Bustle-Approved: It brings those oddly satisfying home organization TikToks to life in a chic, actually useful way.
A High-Vibe Oil Blend
Bios Apothecary takes traditional fragrance and infuses it with thoughtful purpose. This blend of therapeutic-grade rosewood essential oil and jasmine extract is combined with semi-precious crystals, including stabilizing tiger’s eye and quartz crystal. The fragranced oil is applied via rollerball and is intended to promote good energy flow for work, meditation, and yoga.
Why It’s Bustle-Approved: The blend of oil and crystals sits perfectly at the intersection of wellness and luxury.
Super Soft Slippers
These comfy slippers somehow make walking around the house an act of self-care. Courtesy of Rockdove, the base is a comfortable memory foam cushion, while the faux fur lining is soft and warm. Plus, the soles are crafted with a non-slip material and you have your choice of cream or rosy pink hues.
Why It’s Bustle-Approved: The thong-style slipper are way easier to keep on than classic slides, meaning your recipient will be more likely to wear them instead of simply stare at them.
A Works-For-Everyone Mask
Masking will never go out of style, and this one is made with gentle ingredients (including French pink clay, geranium flower oil, and rosehip extract) to helps soothe skin while imparting a healthy dose of antioxidant-rich vitamin C.
Why It’s Bustle-Approved: Since this ultra-mild mask is approved for all skin types, you can rest assured your giftee will love it.
A Gradient Puzzle
Created by Bryce Wilner, this vibrant gradient puzzle is not your usual fare. It’s a bit trickier, requiring a methodical approach (and great attention to detail) in order to fit all the pieces together. The soothing colors are also visually appealing, while other puzzle designs may feel a bit more chaotic.
Why It’s Bustle-Approved: Puzzles are a proven way to help improve short-term memory and concentration, and this one is beautiful without feeling kitschy.
Clean Beauty Must-Haves
This three-piece set takes the guesswork out of skin-care routines. Tata Harper's three-step regimen features a trio of complementary products that help exfoliate, brighten, and hydrate. The Resurfacing Mask restores radiance and polishes pores, the Resurfacing Serum gently exfoliates for glowing skin, and the Water-Lock Moisturizer helps skin look plump and healthy.
Why It’s Bustle-Approved: Known for their maximalist natural formulas that don’t include chemicals, these powerhouse Tata Harper products check several of the clean-beauty boxes that skin care enthusiasts are looking for these days.
An Inspiring Gratitude Journal
Writing down gratitudes helps to ground us, and doing so can improve happiness, lower stress, foster good sleep, and even reduce the risk of physical ailments such as heart disease. This year-long gratitude journal makes the practice simpler with slots for everyday notes, as well as thoughtful prompts.
Why It’s Bustle-Approved: Aside from the beautifully striking cover art, this journal’s prompts take the guesswork out of benefiting from gratitude journaling.
A DIY Basil Kit
Encourage your friend or fam to spend a little more time with plants via this self-care gift. It has everything they need to get things growing, including a hydroponic system, organic basil seeds, a 100 percent cotton tea towel, and high-quality pruning shears. Basil is a simple plant to grow (and a delicious one at that), so there is no need to feel intimidated.
Why It’s Bustle-Approved: It’s one of those “gifts that keeps on giving” without requiring a lot of extra time or research. Simply keep it watered, and continue to enjoy the fruits of your (minimal) labor.
A Green-With-Envy Yoga Mat
It's always fun to see the mats other yogis bring to the studio, and whoever is lucky enough to receive this gorgeous mat will definitely capture a few appreciative glances when they roll it out on the studio floor. It features a luxe marbling design with shades of green and swirls of gold.
Why It’s Bustle-Approved: In addition to its vibrant, verdant visual appeal, this mat also has sustainability going for it. It’s OEKO-TEX certified and its construction released no toxic emissions released into the atmosphere.
A Minimalist Bath Accessory
Anything to encourage more bathtime is a good self-care gift idea in my book. This minimalistic bathtub caddy will ensure the most luxurious, long soaks. It's big enough to support a book, glass of wine, skin care, and snacks. Still, it fits most standard tubs, and is finished with tung oil to keep it waterproof.
Why It’s Bustle-Approved: It’s one of those trendy gifts you would never think to buy for yourself, but reveals itself to be brilliantly helpful once you put it to use. Plus, the minimalist design is sure to go with an array of bathroom styles and decor.
Out-Of-This-World Body Wash
Molton Brown’s shimmering Juniper Jazz Bath & Shower Gel might inspire dreams of escaping to another galaxy. And if the swirling contents don’t, the scent definitely will. This wintry, forest-inspired fragrance smells like juniper berries, earthy wood, sandalwood, patchouli, and a touch of mint.
Why It’s Bustle-Approved: This shower gel looks like a bottled galaxy and smells divine.
A Crystal-Enhanced Meditation Pillow
If you’re seeking a self-care gift for meditation lovers, this crystal meditation pillow from Sunday Citizen will definitely wow them. It’s filled with a combination of soft, natural buckwheat as well as pieces of amethyst and quartz for good energy flow. The exterior is also made from 100 percent microfiber for a comfortable perch.
Why It’s Bustle-Approved: Meditation feels a bit more special when you’re atop a collection of crystals.
A Travel-Inspired Candle Trio
Shopping for someone with a case of wanderlust? This trio of destination-inspired candles will definitely be a hit. The Escapist Collection includes three travel-size candles inspired by scents from Santorini, Italia, and Kyoto. Each comes in a screen-printed glass vessel, and all three are housed in a chic, white textured box. Just add a bow and you’re good to go.
Why It’s Bustle-Approved: The three destination-inspired scents are a unique spin on a travel-cum-wellness-themed gift.
A Dreamy Tea Blend
A mug of steaming, aromatic tea helps warm hands and the soul. Par Avion’s Tea Nightcap Wellness Tea contains many night-time favorites, including chamomile, lemon balm, passion flower petals, and orange. Plus, it comes in a reusable container. You can include a mug to complete the gift.
Why It’s Bustle-Approved: This luxurious tea is made with premium natural ingredients and comes in a beautifully designed container.
F.A.Q.
How do I shop on this page?
Instead of clicking out to multiple retailers, you can shop all of the products listed above here on this page. Simply click on any gift to learn more, choose your size or favorite color (if applicable), and then hit “add to cart.” When you’re done, you can purchase all your stellar selects at once. (How easy is that?) All major credit cards are accepted, as well as Apple Pay, PayPal, and Google Pay. After checking out, you’ll receive a confirmation email with all the details of your purchase. Questions about your order? Email support@tipser.com.
What are some inexpensive self-care gifts?
You don’t have to spend a ton of money on wellness or self-care gifts. Some good examples of inexpensive self-care gifts include journals or notebooks (check out the Poketo Gratitude Journal or Chronicle Books One Line a Day notebook above) and puzzle gifts, like the Areaware Blue Green Gradient Puzzle.
What are the best self-care gifts for men?
Self-care isn’t exclusive to any one end of the gender spectrum. Some of our favorite gender-neutral picks include earthy-scented candles, cozy blankets and outerwear, skincare sets, journals, and tools and accessories that can help them dive into a new yoga or meditation practice.
Bustle Shop brings you the editor-approved buys we can’t get enough of and think you’ll adore, too. Best of all, you can shop all of the products above directly on this page without visiting multiple retailers. Simply click on an item to learn more, choose your size or favorite color (if applicable), and then hit “add to cart.” When you’re done, you can click over to your cart in the top right corner of your screen to purchase all your stellar selects at once. How easy is that?
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