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There’s something about the ocean that slows everything down. The rhythm of the waves, the smell of the salt air, the way time feels different when you’re near the water. For those of us lucky enough to live on the Rhode Island coast, that feeling is woven into everyday life and we have created the perfect summer self-care rituals wether you have a full day, a few hours, or just 5 minutes.
It’s also what inspires Solette everyday. Our products, our scents, our whole approach to body care — it all comes back to the coast and what it teaches us about slowing down, being present, and taking care of ourselves with intention.
We’re sharing the summer self-care rituals that keep us grounded, glowing, and genuinely restored — all inspired by the ocean we call home.
1. The Early Morning Shore Walk
Before the beach fills up, before the day gets loud — there’s a window in the early morning that belongs entirely to the coast. The light is soft, the air is cool, and the shoreline feels like it’s just for you.
Walking barefoot on the sand — a practice sometimes called grounding or earthing — has been linked to reduced stress and improved mood. But honestly, you don’t need the science to know it feels good. Leave your phone behind, let your mind wander, and let the rhythm of the waves do the work.
Make it a ritual: Pick one morning a week this summer to get to the shore before 7am. Bring a coffee, nothing else. Notice how different the rest of that day feels.
Can't make it to the coast? follow us on Instagram for our morning beach walks along some of our favorite shorelines in Tiverton, Rhode Island.
2. The Post-Beach Skin Reset
A beach day is one of summer’s greatest pleasures — but salt, sand, sun, and wind take a real toll on your skin. The post-beach skin reset is our favorite evening ritual for turning the damage around and going to bed feeling restored rather than depleted.
Here’s what we like to do:
- Rinse thoroughly: A lukewarm (not hot) shower to rinse off all the salt, sunscreen, and sand. Hot water strips your skin further, so resist the urge. *If you have access to an outdoor shower you MUST take advantage of that gem.
- Gentle exfoliation: If your skin can handle it, a light scrub helps remove dead skin cells that built up during the day and preps your skin to absorb moisture better. We recommend doing this 2-3x per week.
- Generous moisturizing: Apply body butter while your skin is still damp. Be generous — your skin is thirsty after a day in the elements. And even though it's summer, your skin still needs deep moisture consistently.
- Hydrate from the inside: A big glass of water before bed works wonders for how you feel the next morning.
3. The Sunday Soak
In coastal communities, Sunday has always been a day of rest. We take that seriously. Once a week, we carve out an hour that belongs entirely to slowing down — and it almost always involves a long, intentional bath or shower ritual.
The Sunday Soak isn’t about a complicated 12-step routine. It’s about doing a few things slowly and with full attention. Light a candle. Put on music or a podcast you love. Use your body scrub with actual care instead of rushing through it. Stay in the shower a few extra minutes.
The ritual signals to your nervous system that it’s time to decompress. By the time you step out, moisturize, and settle into the rest of your evening, you’ll feel the difference.
Ocean connection: Add a small handful of sea salt to your bath for a nod to the water we love — it’s gentle on skin and deeply relaxing.
4. The Coastal Wind-Down
Summer evenings on the coast have a magic to them — the light goes golden, the breeze picks up off the water, and everything feels a little more peaceful. We’ve built a wind-down ritual around capturing that summer nights feeling, even on evenings when we can’t make it to the shore.
The Coastal Wind-Down looks like this:
- Open the windows and let the evening air in. If you have an outdoor seating area on a patio or porch we recommend some leisure time enjoying this cooler part of the day.
- Do your evening body care routine slowly — scrub, wash, moisturize — as a transition between the day and the night.
- Choose a scent that evokes the coast — something clean, botanical, and grounding. We love White Sands + Seaspray for this.
- A reminder- the perfect summer self-care rituals don't have to always be by the coast. Although we live by the shore, we hope that our products will bring a little bit of the New England beach to your summer self-care rituals wherever you are in the world.
5. The Midweek Reset (5 Minutes, No Excuses)
Not every self-care ritual needs an hour. Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do midweek is take five intentional minutes for yourself.
Ours looks like this: step outside, feel the air, take three slow breaths, and then do one small thing that feels like care — apply hand lotion slowly, drink a full glass of water standing still, or spend two minutes on a simple stretch.
The ocean teaches us that restoration doesn’t happen in one dramatic event — it happens in the steady, reliable rhythm of small moments, repeated consistently. Your self-care practice works the same way.
The Coast as a Way of Life
Living near the ocean changes how you move through the world. It teaches you to pay attention to the weather, to respect things larger than yourself, to find beauty in repetition and rhythm. These rituals are our attempt to carry that spirit into the everyday — not just on beach days, but all summer long.
We hope they inspire a little more slowness, a little more intention, and a lot more glowing skin in your summer too.
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Build your own coastal ritual with Solette’s vegan body scrubs, washes, and butters — made on the Rhode Island coast, for skin that loves the water.
Grapefruit + Amber Blossom Body Scrub
$24.00
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