Home Spa Guide

Too lazy to step out or simply too broke for a professional pamper-me session? You will be amazed by what little extras in your regular beauty routine can do for you. But before you start your home spa session, make sure you are relaxed. Turn off your mobile, close the bathroom door, play some music, light a scented candle, and breathe!

Steam

Fill the sink or basin with hot water and add a few drops of peppermint or lavender essential oil (depending on how you want to feel: rejuvenated or relaxed). Bend over the sink and cover your head and sink with a towel and let the steam penetrate your skin for a few minutes.

De-puff eyes

Soak two chamomile tea bags in cold water, blot with a paper towel, and apply to eyes for a few minutes. A metal kitchen spoon that’s been stuck in the freezer also helps reduce swelling, as does a chilled cucumber slice (do a sensitive-test by applying it on the jaw). The coolness causes skin to contract.

Facial massage

Before you start, fill the sink with warm water and sprinkle a few drops of a relaxing essential oil like lavender. Immerse your hands or a muslin cloth in the water. Press your palms to your face and breathe in for 30 seconds. With your moisturizer (a cream instead of a fluid gel will be preferred for this purpose), apply light pressure points under the eyes, brow bones, temples, along the forehead, sides of the mouth and nose, and along the jawline. This will help to relax you and release any facial tension. Then perform several upward sweeping movements by alternating hands on your cheeks before going down to your neck (to prevent sagging skin).

Hands and feet

It’s about time you give your hands and feet a good moisture treat. To begin, soak your feet in a basin of lukewarm water for five minutes. Fill it with sea salt for anti-bacterial action or your favorite bath salts. Apply hand and foot cream or a deluxe body lotion then wear a pair of gloves and socks to sleep. This will help to trap moisture, leaving your hands and feet so soft and supple when you wake up.

Hair and scalp treatment

Milk protein smooths hair. Fill a refillable spray bottle with milk and spritz onto damp, washed hair. Let sit for 15 to 20 minutes, then rinse with cool water (warm water can sour the milk). Combine sea salt with conditioner to exfoliate the scalp. Mix the two in a separate container or pour salt right into the conditioner bottle and massage onto wet scalp. Then rinse thoroughly.

Home spa Tips

• Rose petals are instant mood enhancers
• Chilled metal spoons help reduce puffiness
• Milk that is good for the bones is also good for your tresses.
• Camomile tea bags make a great cuppa and also double up to de-puff tired eyes.
• Lavender essential oil is a wonderful relaxant.
• Sea salt works as well in the kitchen as it does in the bathroom as an exfoliator. Best of all, it’s both cheap and easily available.
• Oatmeal makes a healthy and effective scrub.
• Gloves and socks act as warmers and moisture sealants for your hands and feet.