Rituals of the Body: The art of getting to know oneself through beauty - part 2

continued from Part 1...

In this ‘modern life’ the ritual of the body extends beyond cleansing oils, of course, but remains embedded in something that goes deep beyond vanity-oriented concepts. Companies such as Decleor, Apvita and Gatineau are experienced players in this courtship dance, both through their diverse product content (largely and temptingly based on oils, aromatics and rich textures) and the way they package and promote them. Australia’s Li’tya weaves a potent spell that couples deluxe skincare with Indigenous medicinal and spiritual tenets, while Jurlique has long promoted an organic spirituality – accompanied by a mouth-wateringly melodious name.

Aesop’s A Rose by Any Other Name Body Oil takes it further by referencing one of the most sensuous, life-affirming and romantic tales in literature – William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet – in this particular product name. The heady rose and pepper scent and emollient texture ensures this oil lives up to its name, while instilling a little extra romance into the person applying it.

If the ritual of the body represents the art of getting to know oneself through a slow and pleasurable courtship, then the visual packaging is akin to the placing of divine gifts at the altar – or at the very least a glorious bouquet of full-bloom red roses presented at a date. We women are visual creatures as well as sensual, and the joy that arises from seeing in your bathroom a scented candle in heavy glass by niche Australian perfumer Renee, or the elegant black bows tied just so around her white perfume cartons should not be overlooked.

Beyond skincare, the ritual of the body is carried out in the clothes we wear (think of the secret joy of wearing beautiful lace lingerie under your work clothes or the sensuality of silk on bare skin); or the makeup we apply (ah, the sense of elegance one feels when opening a gold compact by Guerlain or applying a richly textured Chanel Rouge Allure lipstick). Even the application of an ‘ordinary’ hand cream while sitting in a bed made with freshly washed cotton sheets denotes a ritual of the body that enables us to feel pampered and delightfully human (I for one am hooked on the feminine perfume of good old Nivea crème and the wonderful royal blue of its screw-top jar).

It can seem as though external and internal pressures to look or act a certain way are stronger than ever – smaller pores, straighter teeth, shinier hair – you know how the machine works. But by fully engaging in the ritual of the body we are able to see beyond the superficial and recognize that the timeless love of beauty and bathing encapsulates something so much more important and meaningful. It allows us to explore our identity; who we are, what we feel. It enables us a rare and honest intimacy with our own bodies that gives way to a deeper affirmation of the pleasures of life and of living.

After all, without our bodies and our skin, we would not be able to experience many things in life – it is what connects us to our world, our soul and to others. A little something to think about as you massage in your cleansing oil tonight, oui?