🕯️ Get Smelly 👃

Candles are basically therapy you can light on fire (not recommended for your actual therapists). The soft candle glow tells your nervous system, “Hey there lil' buddy, we’re not being chased by a saber-toothed tiger anymore.” Aromatherapy has been used for thousands of years, from ancient Egypt (where oils and scents were used in religious rituals) to traditional practices in India and China. Fun fact: lavender has been shown to reduce stress and help with sleep, while citrus scents can boost mood. So yes, lighting a candle is a form of healing, even if you can't pay for it with your FSA (yet?). Pro-tip: Pick Soy or Coconut Wax candles for less smoke!

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We have a huge selection of candles at Ava’s: clean-burning, natural, and smelling way better than that random waxy one you got as a gift three years ago from your well-meaning Auntie. Earthy, floral, citrusy, “this smells like a cabin, but not a murder cabin.” Come sniff around. We'll allow it. This is Castro St., not a mall kiosk. 🔥

🛀 Get Clean 🧽

Bathing doesn’t have to just be the required way to wash off the disgusting filth of being a human animal. It can be a ritual. Historically, baths were a big deal: Roman bathhouses were basically the ancient version of social clubs, minus the phones and plus a lot more marble. Across cultures, salt baths have been used to relax muscles, soothe skin, and reset your brain after dealing with, say, your uncle’s opinions. Fun fact: Many bath salts contain magnesium (like Epsom salt), which can be absorbed through the skin to relax muscles and at least try to calm your constantly-frazzled nervous system.

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At Ava’s, we’ve got salt scrubs, scented soaps, and bath salts that turn your tub into a temporary escape from reality. Natural, organic, and fancy enough to make you feel like someone who “has it together,” even if your actual laundry situation says otherwise. You got through 2025, so you deserve one nice thing. This can be it. (Just one though… we know what you did last summer.) 🧂🫧

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🛀 Get Smooth 🧴

After your bath, it’s time to make your skin feel a couple years younger instead of the usual "173 years old". Lotion has been around forever… ancient civilizations used oils and creams to protect skin from harsh climates, and honestly, they were onto something. Unlike your increasing inability to understand new music genres, dry skin isn’t an inevitability of aging. It’s a solvable problem.

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Fun fact: The best time to use lotion is right after a bath or shower, when your skin is still slightly damp. It locks in moisture instead of just sliding around like Bambi on a frozen pond. Common mistakes include only using a pea-sized amount for your entire body, or only moisturizing when someone else quietly points it out (which, by the way, we are doing to you right now).

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We’ve got hand creams and body lotions that are all-natural, deeply moisturizing, and free from microplastics or those mysterious chemical soups you find in big-box stores. Apply generously and enjoy briefly believing you could compete with even the most beautiful of C-list celebrities slightly past their prime. Self-care isn’t about stopping time. It’s about feeling good while time continues to do whatever it wants. Come grab some lotion. Your elbows are begging.

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🎄 Last Chance for Holiday Treats! 🍫

This is it. Last call for international Christmas goodies before they vanish back across the ocean like festive little cultural exchange students. Panettone, chocolates, cookies, tins, boxes, wafers, creams, things wrapped in gold foil for absolutely no reason… they’re all here right now, and then suddenly it’s January and you’re staring at a protein bar wondering where joy went. (Though, let's be honest, our Quest bars slap.)