Last updated: October 2026
Good Secret Santa wellness gifts are small, useful and easy to like: a nice mug with loose-leaf tea, a hand cream, a candle, a notebook, bath salts, an eye mask or a hot water bottle. For work, stick to the agreed budget and choose unscented, alcohol-free gifts that don’t hint someone is stressed or unwell.
Below: ideas under £10, £15 and £20, picks for her, for him and for colleagues, a table to scan, and the etiquette that keeps office Secret Santa friendly.
Secret Santa gifts under £10
A £10 limit is common at work, so aim for one good small thing rather than a bag of bits.
- Hand cream or lip balm, ideally unscented, for winter hands at a desk.
- A small succulent or cactus in a plain pot. Low effort and lasts for years.
- A notebook with a decent pen, or a self-care ideas list tucked inside.
- Bath salts in a jar or pouch.
- A cotton eye mask with a pair of foam earplugs.
- Fluffy bed socks: one size fits most, which helps when you don’t know them.
More small ideas in our wellness stocking fillers.
Secret Santa gifts under £15
- A nice mug and loose-leaf tea, with a simple infuser.
- A hot water bottle with a knitted cover. Our hot water bottle safety guide says what to look for.
- A hot chocolate kit: a mug, a good cocoa and a few marshmallows, or a jar mix from our healthy hot chocolate recipe.
- A candle in a jar they can reuse, lightly scented or unscented.
- A houseplant such as a pothos or snake plant, both known for coping with low light.
Secret Santa gifts under £20
- A weighted eye mask, which adds a little gentle pressure as well as blocking light.
- An insulated travel mug for the commute or the school run.
- A mini self-care bundle: a tote bag with tea, socks and hand cream. Our self-care hamper guide shows how to build one small.
- A massage ball for tight shoulders and feet.
Going higher? See wellness gifts by budget.
Secret Santa ideas at a glance
| Budget | Gift idea | Best for | Tip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under £10 | Hand cream | Anyone | Pick unscented |
| Under £10 | Succulent | A colleague | Plain pot, no soil mess |
| Under £10 | Notebook and pen | Planners | Plain cover suits all |
| Under £15 | Mug and loose tea | Tea lovers | Add an infuser |
| Under £15 | Hot water bottle | Always cold | Check the date mark |
| Under £15 | Hot chocolate kit | Him or her | Check allergens |
| Under £20 | Weighted eye mask | Poor sleepers | Washable cover |
| Under £20 | Travel mug | Commuters | Leak-proof lid |
Secret Santa gifts by person
Secret Santa gifts for her
A hand cream and lip balm set, a candle, a pretty notebook, bath salts or a silky eye mask all work at under £10 to £20. If you know her well, add a small personal touch, such as her favourite tea. Bigger ideas are in our wellness gifts guide.
Secret Santa gifts for him
Most men on a Secret Santa list prefer useful to fluffy: a travel mug, warm wool socks, a massage ball, a heavy mug with a hot chocolate kit or a good notebook. See wellness gifts for men and hot chocolate gifts for more.
For a colleague: office-safe Secret Santa gifts
When you’ve drawn someone you barely know, go neutral: a desk plant, a notebook and pen, a mug and tea, unscented hand cream or a puzzle book. These suit anyone, any age, and don’t assume anything about their life or health.
For someone who’s always tired
Keep it cosy and practical rather than pointed: a travel mug, a soft scarf or a winter walking hat. Only make “tired” the theme for a close friend who’ll laugh; our guide to feeling tired in winter has ideas you could pass on.
For someone who can’t sleep
An eye mask (plain or weighted), earplugs, bed socks, a hot water bottle or a paperback for screen-free evenings. Our sleep gifts guide covers bigger budgets, and weighted blankets explains the full-size version.
For a tea lover
A mug and loose-leaf tea is the classic. Add an infuser and a caffeine-free blend, such as chamomile or rooibos, for evenings. Our best tea for sleep guide compares the main herbal teas.
Secret Santa etiquette: budget, allergies and what to avoid
- Stick to the budget. Debrett’s treats it as an approximate figure, not a maximum: don’t go far under or far over. Overspending is common; a 2025 Confused.com survey of 2,000 UK adults found people go over their Secret Santa budget by £14 on average.
- Think about allergies. Food gifts should be sealed and clearly labelled. UK law names 14 allergens, including milk, peanuts and tree nuts, that must be highlighted on prepacked food.
- Go easy on scent. Strong perfumes, reed diffusers and scented candles don’t suit everyone, and the NHS lists cosmetics among the triggers of allergic contact dermatitis. Unscented is the safe choice for someone you don’t know.
- Don’t make it a hint. Skip anything that implies someone is stressed, tired, overweight or unwell. A “de-stress kit” can land badly at work, especially at a hard time of year (see Christmas stress).
- Keep adults-only items out. Skip alcohol unless you know they drink, and skip CBD and supplements for someone you don’t know well: you can’t know if they’re pregnant, on medication or simply not keen.
- Add a gift receipt and a short note, such as “Have a cosy Christmas, from your Secret Santa”.
For calmer gift ideas for a friend you know well, see gifts for anxiety.
For a bigger budget or a treat for yourself
Honestly, our products sit above a typical £10 to £20 Secret Santa budget. They suit a bigger gift for someone you know well, a family Secret Santa with a higher limit, or a treat for yourself while you’re shopping for everyone else.
- To sip: our Reishi Mushroom Adaptogenic Complex is a rich hot chocolate made with reishi mushroom extract, organic cacao, maca, coconut milk powder and coconut sugar. It contains a little natural caffeine from the cacao.
- For the evening: the Magnesium Glycinate Sleep Complex is a berry-flavoured drink powder with 148mg magnesium per serving (the NHS says adults need 270mg to 300mg a day), plus glycine, L-theanine and chamomile, passionflower, hops and oat straw extracts. Magnesium contributes to a reduction of tiredness and fatigue.
- For the body: our CBD Balm is a cooling, non-greasy balm made with broad spectrum CBD, peppermint, eucalyptus and juniper.
All three are vegan and made in the UK. CBD gifts suit adults who already know they want CBD, so they’re best kept for someone close rather than the office draw.
The FSA’s 10mg a day figure is precautionary advice rather than a legal limit, set while longer-term safety research continues. At Evopure we think it is a very cautious figure, and many adults use more. If you go above it, increase slowly, and check with your GP or pharmacist first if you take any medication.
All our products are for adults (18+) only. We don’t recommend our products during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
Our Black Friday offers run from 27 to 30 November: see Black Friday at Evopure.
FAQs
What is a good Secret Santa gift under £10?
Hand cream, a small succulent, a notebook and pen, bath salts, a cotton eye mask or bed socks. Choose one good thing rather than several cheap ones, and go unscented if you don’t know them well.
What do you buy a colleague you don’t know for Secret Santa?
Something neutral and useful: a desk plant, a mug with tea, a notebook and pen, unscented hand cream or a puzzle book. Avoid alcohol, strong scents, supplements, CBD and anything that hints at stress or health.
Is a wellness gift a good Secret Santa present?
Yes, if it’s a small comfort rather than a comment. A mug and tea, a hot water bottle or an eye mask feel kind. A “stress kit” or diet book for a colleague can feel personal in the wrong way.
What is a good Secret Santa gift for him?
A travel mug, warm wool socks, a massage ball, a hot chocolate kit with a heavy mug, or a good notebook. Useful gifts tend to go down better than novelty ones.
How much should you spend on Secret Santa in the UK?
Most UK groups agree a limit somewhere between £5 and £20, and £10 is common at work. Agree the figure upfront and stick to it: going far over can feel awkward for everyone else.
Are CBD gifts OK for Secret Santa?
Only for an adult you know well who already uses CBD or has said they want to try it. For an office draw, skip CBD and supplements, as you can’t know if someone is pregnant or takes medication.
Sources
- Food Standards Agency. Food allergy and intolerance advice for consumers.
- Food Standards Agency. Cannabidiol (CBD) guidance.
- NHS. Vitamins and minerals: magnesium.
- NHS. Contact dermatitis.
- Debrett’s. The etiquette of the work Secret Santa.
- Confused.com. Secret Santa saves Brits an average of £75 on Christmas gifts (November 2025).
Evopure makes the Reishi Mushroom Adaptogenic Complex, Magnesium Glycinate Sleep Complex and CBD Balm. Our products are for adults only, and we don’t recommend them during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
