Not all of us have the time or money to hit the spa on a bi-weekly basis. With that said, that doesn’t mean you can pamper yourself in the comfort of your own home. Here, we’ve devised a special full-body spa treatment, along with homemade products you can make without spending a bomb!
The De-Stressing Body Bath
There’s nothing more relaxing than having a soak in a tub. Creating foamy bubbles can be fun, but they don’t really do much to relax you and all that soap can wrinkle your skin even faster. Soak away the stress by making a tub of your own aromatic bath salts!
Combine a cup of sea salt, half a cup of Epsom salt, and a quarter cup of baking soda. The salt will help soothe your muscles while the baking soda helps alleviate skin irritation. Then add a few sprigs of your favorite flowers, herbs and a few drops of essential oils. Lemon, lavender and bergamot are the most soothing scents out there! Grab a spatula and mix it up! Pour the mixture into warm bath water, let it dissolve in the water, and then take a dip. If you have leftover, store it in an airtight jar.
Soak in the tub up to 30 minutes, and play some soothing music on your iPod.
Moisturizing Body Scrub
After a long, relaxing soak, it’s time to buff and polish your body! Exfoliate your skin with either a sponge, or make yourself a luxurious and moisturizing body scrub with a few ingredients you can grab from your kitchen!
In a bowl, combine a cup of coarse brown sugar and two tablespoons of sea salt. Pour in half a cup of olive oil and mix it with a spatula. You may pour in more oil to get a pasty texture. Once it’s complete, just apply it on your skin,and massage in gentle circular motion. Focus on the dry spots of your skin. If you have cellulite, combine your scrub with some coffee grinds and crushed walnut shell to help firm the skin! After application, just rinse with lukewarm water. The oil should still remain on your skin, so it’ll be optional to apply body moisturizer on your skin.
Anti-bacterial Foot Soak
With all that running around for work and house chores, we often neglect our feet. The skin around our feet are often times dry, and let’s not forget those horrible cracked heels! Bacteria can often harbor in our feet, so it’s important to give it a lot of attention whenever you can.
Grab a round, flat bucket and fill it up with 70°C water. Then throw in a few bags of black tea. Black tea has anti-bacterial properties and it can cleanse your feet while eliminating foot odor too! Earl Grey tea is perfect as the scent of bergamot is truly soothing. Let the tea steep in the water for a few minutes. Feel free to combine some herbs like lemongrass and lemon slices to further create a more relaxing sensation for your feet. Soak your feet in for about 10 to 20 minutes and wipe dry.
Oatmeal Facial Scrub
Now that you have your body taken care of, it’s time to care for your skin and neck! A lot of the beauty chemicals we use on our skin contain harsh chemicals that strips the skin off its natural moisture. Furthermore, going out and about often leaves your pores clogged up with oil and sebum. Get rid of them with nourishing facial scrub made of gentle ingredients like oatmeal!
In a bowl, combine three tablespoons of rolled oats and about half a cup of warm milk. Let the oatmeal soak up the milk until it turns into a warm, sticky paste. Add in a tablespoon of honey and mix well. You can also put in a few drops of lemon juice to brighten up your skin too. Mix well and then apply all over your face and massage gently. Grab a bunch of the oatmeal and scrub them over problem spots like your nose, cheeks and forehead. Once that’s done, get rid of the oatmeal off your face, but leave the film of oat and milk protein on your face. It acts like collagen on your skin, fueling it with moisture while keeping it soft and supple. Leave it on for about 10 minutes and then rinse with warm water. It’s optional to wash with facial soap, but if you do, use a gentle cleanser.
You’ll hardly have to spend a fortune for a 4-step pamper session at home. Just practice these rituals every week or so and you can be assured that your well-being has been taken care of!
