While a trip to the spa is a wonderful way to pamper yourself, your daily routines are also an important way to care for yourself in between, and can even help to make the professional visits more effective. Here we discuss some of our favorite at-home spa treatments that can help you relax, rejuvenate, and thrive. From elaborate at-home spa treatments to small rituals that take only a moment, taking good care of yourself in between more involved treatments can be a beautiful way to show yourself love and bring your energy back to center.
Relaxing Bath
While baths may seem self-evident, so many of us could use the reminder to just fill the tub with warm water, add aromatic bath salts or essential oils, and slip into the sacred waters of self-care. Adding (preferably organic) dried flowers, such as lavender or rose petals, and some beeswax candles around the tub is a touch of luxury that takes the experience to another level altogether. A bath not only soothes the body, but calms the mind and helps to slip us into a more relaxed and receptive state.
Exfoliation
Exfoliation is a crucial step in maintaining healthy and glowing skin as it helps remove dead skin cells, unclog pores, and promote cell turnover. At home, you can exfoliate using gentle scrubs or chemical exfoliants. Look for products with ingredients like alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) or beta hydroxy acids (BHAs) to suit your skin type. Gently massage the exfoliant onto your skin in circular motions and rinse off to reveal smoother and more radiant skin. Alternatively, you can use a dry-brush before bathing for a product-free exfoliation. Just remember to be gentle on the skin; don’t press too hard or go in too aggressively: less is more with dry brushing. Again, move the brush in circular motions, moving from your extremities towards the center of the body.
DIY Body Scrubs
Treating your body to a homemade scrub is a wonderful way to exfoliate and hydrate your skin from head to toe, and is a great prelude to a bath. Mix a scrub ingredient like sugar, salt, or even used coffee grounds with moisturizing oils such as coconut oil or olive oil and add a few drops of essential oils for a customized aroma. Gently massage the scrub onto damp skin in circular motions and rinse off. Your skin will be left feeling incredibly soft and smooth.
Facial Masks
A facial mask is a lovely way to address specific skin concerns. There are various types of masks available, such as hydrating masks, clay masks for deep cleansing, or sheet masks for targeted treatments. Choose a mask that suits your skin type and concerns and apply it to cleansed skin, leave it on for the recommended time, and then rinse off or gently remove the sheet mask. Your skin will feel refreshed, nourished, and rejuvenated. A word on almost any mask, especially clay masks: rinse it off before it dries. Allowing the mask to dry on the skin can create irritation and may actually dry out your skin more than is good for it. Although the tightening feeling of a dried clay mask may give the impression that it is really ‘working,’ it’s best to rinse it off before it turns into a cracked, dry dirt layer.
Ritualizing your Skincare Routine
Perhaps the most important DIY treatment lies hidden in your already-established routines. Our self-talk and the way we treat our skin reflects how we treat ourselves in life at large. Your daily skincare routine is the perfect opportunity to tune in, pay attention to the thoughts and feelings that are arising, and to apply any products lovingly, with kind words to yourself and to your skin. It’s okay if this takes time or if it’s difficult to access that kindness to yourself sometimes. With time and practice of this mindfulness, you may notice that these moments of self-care really add up and make a difference in your day to day experience.