Do I need a vacation? Yes.

Can I go on a vacation? Technically, no.

All of our travel plans have gone down the drain this year thanks to the pandemic. Has this lull in travel allowed me to relax more in my own home? Not really. Because of the pandemic and stress, I need to find a way to unwind and imagine that I’m at a spa in some tropical getaway far away from the hustle and bustle of city life. This is where NARD’s Travel Kit comes in. 

I look to this kit for an at-home spa experience and a test run  for what to pack when I’m able to travel again, hopefully next year.

What is NARD? NARD is a Korean brand that specializes in body, hair and skin care products. The brand is named after the herb nard, which is also known as nardostachys jatamansi, spikenard, nardin and muskroot. The resilient plant grows even in harsh environments like the Himalayas. Nard has antifungal effects and is said to ease anxiety, stress and insomnia.

Shampoo

Main Ingredients: This shampoo is enriched with naturally derived coconut oil and babassu tree extracts to gently exfoliate the scalp and moisturize tresses. To nourish and add shine to hair, it’s also formulated with hydrolyzed protein and eleven types of amino acids. 

The shampoo has a lightweight texture and pours out easily. The clear formula has a subtle greenish yellow shade. Its strong floral fragrance lasts a long time, which is a great start to a long shower as it soothes the senses right away. When paired with a scalp brush, it helped ease the tension in my scalp after a long day.

Treatment

Main Ingredients: The treatment is enriched with five types of naturally derived plant oils that protect the scalp and hair with a moisture barrier and enhance hair elasticity. Also formulated with six types of proteins and eleven types of amino acids to nourish and add shine to locks. 

The treatment surprisingly did not have the same scent as the shampoo even though they share similar ingredients. In fact, it didn’t have any fragrance at all. The treatment provided my dry, curly tresses just enough moisture to give them a light sheen that grew more apparent after every use – and I used it daily. My only quibble is that it’s hard to dispense the formula from the bottle as it has a very thick, white creamy consistency. 

Body Wash

Main Ingredients: This body wash is formulated with coconut oil to provide skin with rich moisture and to remove impurities from the body. The formula is also infused with centella asiatica, lavender, tea tree, purslane, white water lily and spikenard extracts to soothe skin. 

The body wash has a strong herbal scent with floral undertones. Using the body wash during my scalding hot shower made its fragrance permeate my entire bathroom and calmed me after a long day. After rinsing off, it didn’t leave my skin feeling taut and I could feel a slight moisturizing layer over my skin, which was probably from the coconut oil in its formulation.  

Body Lotion

Main Ingredients: A body lotion rich in shea butter to nourish and improve skin elasticity. NARD’s lotion is infused with the same five plant extracts as the body wash to soothe irritated skin.

This lotion has a very similar creamy consistency to the hair treatment, but it pours easily out of the bottle. It absorbed quickly into my skin, leaving it feeling refreshed, moisturized and not sticky. Although the lotion contains the same plant extracts as the body wash, it has a more subtle fragrance. 

Final Verdict

This set is a must for me when I can finally travel again! I love how all four products fit in a waterproof zip-up pouch, which comes in a convenient, travel-friendly size and can be reused for other purposes. 

All the items can be bought separately. I’m adding the shampoo and body wash to my shopping cart as I adored the soothing fragrances of both formulas that momentarily transported me to a calming spa.