Do-It-Yourself Spa Day

Do you enjoy getting a mani/pedi? I love them, but it is at least $60 per visit. I love a facial, too. How much is that? A 1-hour facial is $60 and up. I recently visited one of the spas in Hot Springs, Arkansas where I enjoyed an oxygenated therapy bath for $55. The sticker shock of a full-service spa day can overcome the intended purpose of relaxation. I find it is much cheaper and just as relaxing to put your own spa day together at home in your own bed and bath.

A do-it-yourself spa day does take some planning. First, you must gather all the products that you will use for your spa day. You can find spa products at a variety of stores or online. They don’t have to be expensive either. Some of my favorite spa products are very inexpensive. Use whatever products make you feel good and fit into your budget. After all, feeling good is the whole point of a spa day. Secondly, your spa day will actually (and should) take all day or a good portion of an afternoon, so you need to plan accordingly. Make sure you have the time to spend on yourself for a whole day without any interruptions. A good idea is to announce to your family your intentions, so they know not to disturb you. It is a good day for them to learn to fend for themselves. Third, make sure you set the mood in your space. Light some candles, turn on an aromatherapy diffuser and some soothing music and find a book to read while soaking in the tub with your favorite beverage.

Everyone needs some alone time and rejuvenation occasionally to boost your inner peace. Below are some ideas and products for your own spa day at home. Relax!

The first thing I like to do is relax in my jacuzzi tub. I fill the tub with either a scented bubble bath (my favorite bubbles are from Victoria’s Secret). If I don’t have any bubbles, my next favorite addition to my bath is lavender-scented Epsom salts with a few drops of Stress Away and Lavender essential oil. Another good option that is very popular right now is a scented bath bomb. Dollar Tree keeps a variety of bath bombs in stock for only $1.

After soaking in the tub for a while, you should feel relaxed. Place a shower bomb in the shower area before you rinse off in a cool or warm shower to add some extra scent while showering. Treat your hair to a hair mask. Dollar Tree sells a Rave hair mask with keratin and coconut oil in a single-use pouch for $1. Keratin, biotin and collagen are needed for healthy hair growth and coconut oil repairs damaged hair. Leave the hair mask on in the time it takes to complete some girly maintenance of shaving your legs.

While your hair is already in a towel, work on a facial. There are so many facial products out there; some are expensive and some are not. The first task is to cleanse and wash your face. I use Clinique face wash for this. The Clinique brand of products targets specific skin types. It is free from fragrances, so it has a neutral smell that I think is refreshing. Clinique face products are my preference, but you should use whatever face wash that you normally use for cleansing your face.

Next, I apply a face mask. Sheet masks are widely available in stores. A sheet mask is a treated paper mask with holes cut for the eyes. You simply take out the sheet mask from the packaging and place it on your face for the recommended amount of time. I have used sheet masks in the past, but I prefer a spreadable mask. On this day, I used a Freeman Anti-Stress Sea Salt Mud Face Mask. Freeman products are available frequently at Dollar Tree, but I have also seen these products at Walmart. These masks are easy to use by spreading the mask on your face and allowing it to dry, which takes about 15 minutes. At the same time, I place some chilled, gel-filled rounds over my eyes while the mask hardens. I don’t remember where I got my gel rounds, but I have had them forever. Many people use cold cucumber slices instead. Whatever you use, something cold over the eyes reduces puffiness. The bonus is that you get a 15-minute power nap!

After you wash away the mask residue, apply some astringent and moisturizer. Again, I use Clinique face products for those that match my skin type. Use whatever favorite products you have as this is part of most people’s daily face regimen.

Moving on to the hands and feet, remove any nail polish first. I think that a paraffin wax treatment makes the skin on your hand and feet feel soft and smooth by removing any dead skin. If you have a paraffin wax device at home, you can do that, but if not, you can use some hand and foot treatment gloves and booties, which have the same end result as the paraffin wax treatment. I do not have the paraffin wax device at home, so I use gloves. Sometimes you can find these at Dollar Tree or Walmart, but I am sure they are widely available in many places. Take them from the wrapper and fit them on your hands and feet. It is best to sit on the edge of the tub while you have these on because they are wet. Before I put the gloves and booties on, set up your phone to watch Netflix or another show because you cannot really do anything else while waiting.

After the foot treatment, you could also use a foot scrub along with the sloughing tool that looks like a cheese grater to remove dead skin for soft and smooth feet. If you think about it, our feet are the most important part of our body on a daily basis, so it is nice to care for them.

Last but not least, apply nail polish to your toenails and fingernails. On this day, I applied some false nails in a dark fall blue with a glittery ring finger accent nail. I did not polish my toes on this day because I had just received a pedicure as a birthday gift.

No matter what the cost, pampering yourself will make you feel like a million bucks when you are done. Whether you indulge in an expensive salon or spoil yourself at home, a spa day is an uplifting treat!