Home Spa Ideas Guide

Spas are wonderful — but they are also expensive, time-consuming luxuries. Yes, you feel wonderful afterwards, but you can achieve some of the same results at home. And it’s always good to treat yourself. So here’s an Home Spa Ideas Guide

Firstly, set aside some time for you, time when you won’t be disturbed, time when the phone won’t ring because you’ve taken it off the hook or switched it off. This is pamper time, not catch-up-with-the-world time. And have plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables available; for your spa experience, concentrate on these all day. No bread, chips, chocolate, coffee or tea (though herbal tea is OK); just fresh fruit and veg. Make yourself a cup of hot water with lemon or lime.

• Have a skin-brushing session in the shower to start. Dry skin brushing is a great but inexpensive way to boost blood and lymphatic circulation and remove dead skin cells. It also helps with cellulite. Choose a natural bristle brush with a long handle. Start at your feet and brush upwards towards your heart in long, sweeping, figure-of-eight movements. For your arms and chest you are brushing down towards the heart, and don’t brush any really sensitive bits.Your
skin may feel a little tender at first, but it’s worth it because when you have your cold shower — that’s next — your skin

• Exfoliating can also be done at home just as simply. Try a salt scrub, which is great for this and can be found quite easily; check out your local health-food store’s beauty products. Choose one that doesn’t include mineral oil but has an alternative base such as jojoba or sunflower. Don’t go for the ones with heavy fragrance either — or you could improvise with a mix made from some salt crystals, a little sunflower oil and a few drops of lavender essential oil.

•Treat yourself to a long soak in the bath. Cut a square of muslin (or the foot from a clean pair of old tights) and put a couple of tablespoons of porridge oats in the middle. Then gather it up and tie it securely so the oats won’t come out. If the string is long enough you can hang it from the tap as you run your bath; if not, just pop the bag into the water as the bath fills. The water will gradually become milky (squeeze the bag gently if you wish). Oats are very soothing and moisturising, and are particularly good for anyone with dry skin or conditions such as eczema.

•Try adding Epsom salts to your bath water instead. For the real spa effect you need quite a lot — maybe 500g —but they are cheap and easily available. Soak for half an hour. The best time to do this is just before bed, to promote relaxation and deep sleep.

• Other sensations are important, too. Use candles, and you could also try using a special oil burner, one which is heated gently with a nightlight, with a soothing oil such as lavender in it (try adding a few drops of this to your oatmeal bag, as well).

• A flower-water wash is great for the face. Add flower petals to the water you wash your face with, but you don’t have to rely on roses from the garden. Try loose chamomile or elderflower tea instead — and they’re wonderful when brewed, refrigerated and used on a hot day.

Hope that these Home Spa Ideas will be useful for you.