I tend to harp on about relaxation a lot. A lot. But this week I seem to have slipped into sluggish mode – I’ve hit my Christmas “wall” a few weeks early and want to do nothing more than lie under a pile of blankets and snooze. Not convenient when you are off to Paris and then immediately to Dubai and have to film seven videos and write umpteen posts and mini-features. So relaxation isn’t the name of this week’s game: it’s all about revival. I’m getting fizzed up like a Berocca and searching out all of the products that promise to give a bit of a pep up.

Top of the list: my Energy Bank and Morning Revive bath and shower oils from This Works and Aromatherapy Associates respectively. Both incredibly effective for a morning pep-up – you can slap a capful of either onto your skin and then shower off or, if you prefer the softly-softly approach to the wake-up call, you can drop a capful into a full bath. Admittedly a warm, deep bath is never going to be the fastest way to revive yourself or kickstart your day – much better to have a zingy shower with the radio blasting out hits from the eighties – but I’m one of those people who have to be eased into the day gradually. I don’t respond well to crashing cymbals and blaring siren-like alarm clocks. Give me birdsong and a Disney-esque sunrise any day.

I used to be very cynical about aromatherapy but I do think that it’s all in the quality of the oils and the cleverness of the blends. Some brands have it down to a fine art and only use the most potent and effective oils; some chuck a bit of lavender into a carrier oil and pass it off as luxury. I find that I can always rely on Aromatherapy Associates – there isn’t a single oil blend that hasn’t worked wonders for my stress and/or energy levels – and also NEOM, This Works (above) and the wonderful concoctions from ILA Spa. (Much more on ILA spa later this month!) I do think that it’s a false economy going for poor quality versions – you need only a tiny amount of the good oils to treat a whole large bath. For less expensive but quality options, take a look at Tisserand.

This Works Energy Bank Bath and Shower Oil is £37 here

Aromatherapy Associates Revive Morning Oil, £37 here

ILA Spa Bath Oil for Glowing Radiance – literally one of my most favourite ever bath products! – £50 from JohnLewis.com (Read review here and here.)

NEOM: at LookFantastic

Tisserand, from £8.50 here