No Time For Spas? No Way! Here’s A DIY “Quick” Home Spa Experience
Your Zoom meeting is over, the kids are doing schoolwork. Lunch is done and dinner is in the Instant Pot. You’ve got less than half an hour before things start to get wild again. You’d love to be on vacation, maybe at a spa, but this year it’s not happening. There’s good news: it’s time for a quick DIY at-home spa experience with items you probably have in your kitchen.
Create Atmosphere:
Depending upon where you are doing your spa experience, I suggest candles or aromatherapy to help set the mood. For everyday and to help me sleep, I like the iHome Aromatherapy Dream which provides the sound as well as aromatherapy benefits (read the review).
Flameless candles, potpourri. oil diffusers and facial misters are also something to consider.
Add light, health benefits, and soothing sound without candles. I love this iHome Zenergy Himalayan Salt Lamp (srp. $60) with built-in Sound Therapy featuring 10 different sound therapy tracks including white noise and a on-to-dimmer-to-off button for the lamp. Salt absorbs moisture from the air, then evaporates moisture back into the air as it heats up creating negative ions offering air purification. There is so much more to say about this Salt Lamp (watch for a full feature on July 3rd at 9:00 AM), but you’ll be reading about it in an upcoming advicesisters.com feature. Meanwhile, you can find this spa-style salt lamp on the iHome website/
Hydrate Your Insides:
Don’t forget to hydrate (cold water is best since it is naturally refreshing), but do it in style. Glitter makes even the most mundane item, glamorous. Check out the Skinny Glitter Water Bottle from Asobu by Adnart. This water bottle is slim and small enough to put into a tote or purse and it is leakproof.
Prepare, Start Clean:
Top Tip: Make the beauty goodies before you do your quick spa (maybe the night before) to get in as much relaxation time as you can.
Lorena Balensi from Balensi Spa in Chula Vista, California suggests starting with clean skin. She says double cleansing is a great way to rid of makeup, excess oils, dirt, and sweat altogether. To achieve this you’ll want to start off with an oil-based cleanser first, then cleanse again with a water-based cleanser.
For the body I recommend Vellum Soap Company’s Clean and Eco-Friendly soaps made from Tallow with unique and beautiful fragrances. or Natura Brasil soaps made with skin-loving ingredients from the Amazon Rainforest.
Bring the Vacation, Home:
My husband and I renewed our vows at Cap Juluca in Anguilla. Just thinking about how tranquil and beautiful Anguilla is, brings my blood pressure down. However, Anguilla is known for its precious salts that ease stress and tension.
The Arawak Spa at Belmond Cap Juluca has shared a salt scrub recipe you can try to bring the vacay to you:
DIY At Home: Combine Epsom, Pink Himalayan and sea salts (1/2 cup); baking soda (1 cup); 5-10 drops of essential oils (peppermint, citrus, rosemary, ginger – anything available!); and loose tea leaves (crushed/ground). Mix it all in a bubble bath for a moment of paradise at home.
If you don’t want to make your own try one from the Vellum Soap Company (see advicesisters.com story).
It’s tempting to sit and soak for a long time, but actually, it’s better for your skin to limit it (10-15 minutes)
These are not Coronavirus Masks!
These days a “mask” means a paper or fabric thing you hide your nose and mouth with. But to me, a mask will always be a facial mask beauty product. The ones in my photo are from Nuug Beauty and the Masque Bar (read the review).
DIY At Home: While you are soaking, or post-shower, for dry skin, Lorena Balensi recommends a moisturizing mask made from oatmeal, honey, and milk mask. Mix the ingredients together and then gently apply it by massaging it onto the skin. Massaging it into your skin instead of just applying it on to get a spa facial-like experience. If you have time, leave on the mask for about 15-20 minutes. Visit nuggbeauty.com and www.masquebar
Or, try this facial mask from the Roman Spa Hot Springs in Calistoga, a town in Napa Valley known for its wellness and spa offerings suggests this lemon-centric mask. Lemons contain AHAs and BHAs, two types of hydroxy acid that remove dead skin cells and help clear up blackheads, acne and discoloration. Create a homemade facialmask by mixing the juice from one lemon with olive oil (1/4 cup) or sweet almond oil. Alternatively, mix the juice of half a lemon with a tablespoon of honey. Apply to the entire face, wait 15 minutes, and rinse off with warm water.
I also like the wide variety of sheet masks and other masks from nügg and Masque Bar. These skincare helpers make each day, a little better, brighter and more beautiful! (see our feature review)
Facial Exfoliators from the Kitchen:
DIY At Home: The White Elephant Spa by Darya in Nantucket has a tip for making a facial exfoliator with items around the kitchen: Set aside some coffee grinds from the morning’s coffee pot. Mix that with coconut oil, brown sugar, and a couple of drops of eucalyptus essential oil and lather it on the skin for a much-deserved body exfoliation with a little aromatherapy.
Moisturization Is Your Final Step:
Before you get back to reality, Soaking scrubs and masks can dry out your skin. So it’s important to hydrate both your face and your body. Use your favorites, or peruse advicesisters.com skincare reviews for more ideas.
I just got this product and it’s so perfect for this story, I’ll add it here. For luxurious body hydration try the new Enchanted Island Mist by Rahua. It’s made with Symbiotic® plant-derived nutrients hand-harvested by the indigenous people of the Amazon Rainforest. The elegant glass pump bottle dispenses an uplifting scent that is tropical and spicy-sweet. Skin-Loving key ingredients include Morete Oil; healing Aloe, antioxidant Guayusa Extract, plus Guava & Passion Fruit that is full of Vitamin C and part of that spicy-sweet scent. It is available on Rahua.com. Find more Rahua product reviews on advicesisters.com.
Optional Mani Pedi: chances are you won’t’ have time for it in this short DIY at-home spa experience, but if you have more time for a relaxing spa experience check out our feature: The 10 Best Ideas for an Awesome At Home SPA Experience
Advicesisters.com also has tons of Spa-Centric Ideas and Spa Style Product suggestions.