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10 Tips to Stage a Spa Treatment at Home
 Today's hectic lifestyles often
prevent even a quick trip to a day spa. Hence the increasing popularity of the
home spa, where you can bubble, steam, and soak yourself -- privately and at
your own convenience.
The following tips will help
you set the stage for a top-notch spa treatment in the comforts of home:
 Spa Thermal Unit:
Use a miniature cooler to store hot towels.
Simply immerse the towels in steaming hot water, wring them out, and then
store them in the cooler where they'll remain hot for 10 to 15 minutes. You
can also microwave wrung-out towels for a minute or less and then place them
in the cooler.
 Spa Bowls:
A quart-sized plastic or glass bowl on hand to hold
water, body baths, salts, algae and other spa ingredients.
 Wrapping Sheets:
Use a sheet to help the process of purifying
herbs, creams or oils as well as to protect furniture and other surfaces
in your home. The best choices are natural muslin or pure, unbleached
cotton sheets.
 Insulating Sheets/Blankets:
To stay warm while cocooned in rich
seaweed or while absorbing pure essential oils, use warming wraps. The
best choice for blankets is, of course, wool, but other fabrics will
insulate sufficiently as well.
 Skin Brush or Loofah:
Exfoliation is a key word in the home spa
experience. To exfoliate the skin, a dry skin brush or a loofah is a
must.
Avocado Moisture Scrub
Avocado, high in fat and oil, is very therapeutic for
dry skin.
You'll need:
2-3 fresh avocado pits
1 cup (250 ml) milk, water, or yogurt
Yield: 1 treatment
To make:
Let the avocado pits dry for a few days, but not to the point of becoming
rock hard (or they will break your spice mill). Using a spice mill or
coffee grinder, grind the dried avocado pits to create a grainy, mealy
powder. Add the water, milk, or yogurt to the powder and mix to form a
paste.
To use:
Sitting or standing in the bathtub or shower, pat avocado paste all over
your body using a circular motion. Start from the tips of the extremities
and work toward the torso. Don’t forget to apply this mixture to your
face, too. Leave on for 10 minutes, then shower, first with warm water,
then cooler water. Pat dry.
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 Towels:
Towels, towels and more towels. Spa treatments can be towel
intensive and it may be best to invest in a set just for home spa use.
Many of the treatments may require two or three towels and it is
important to keep one towel on reserve as your designated "spa towel" to
wipe up any mess and clean away excess oil during
massage.
 Robes:
A robe and slippers are suggested dress-attire at most
professional day spas. It's also a good idea to have a robe hanging on a
nearby hook when you are pampering yourself at home. This is one area to
splurge on as nothing feels quite the same as a high-quality bathrobe.
 Cotton Pads and Cotton Swabs:
For application and removal of just
about any product, especially around the face, large circular pads are
the best.
 Scrubs/Masks:
You can make your own natural masks and lotions!
There is something for everyone. If you have
oily skin,
problem skin, or even
normal skin, these treatments will deepen your glow. To make the rosewater or
orange water that are listed in some of the ingredients for these spa
treatments, simply simmer rose petals or orange petals in steaming water for
approximately ten minutes. Use a 2-quart saucepan of water and add a handful
of petals. To preserve the orange or rose water, add alcohol. Use 3 pints of
rose or orange water to 1 pint of alcohol. * Place in a bottle and store for
up to a month. For longer storage, freeze mixture.
Any number of fruits, grains, herbs, minerals, and vegetables can be
used alone or in combinations to make scrubs. Most substances that are
safe to eat are also safe to use on the skin, provided you do not have
an allergy.
Lemon mask for oily skin
You need:
1/4- 1/2 cup of Potter's Clay, 1 Lemon (equivalent lemon juice
concentrate)
For this mask you need a ball of potter's clay or any other
type of clay. Make a ball with the clay in the palm of your hand,
filling your palm. Squeeze lemon juice into the ball, and roll it
around in your hand. This is great for battling oiling skin. Place
the mask on face, and allow it to set for 15-20 minutes. Rinse it
off with warm
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 Bath salts:
 Bath Salts are an easily prepared alternative to bath
herbs, and are to be preferred to the mixtures now on the market; most of
these chemical-ridden formulas are almost guaranteed to irritate your skin.
Bath salts are used for many different purposes. The basic ingredients are
table salt, baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) & Epsom salts (magnesium
sulfate). Some herbalists also use borax.
To make mix:
3 parts Epsom salts
2 parts baking soda
1 part table salt (or borax)
Essential (scented, herbal/floral) Oils
Tip: try it with vanilla extract
Mix thoroughly using your hands to stir the ingredients.
Its wise to add colors to bath salts. Use plain food coloring for this
purpose, letting it fall drop by drop onto the salt base. Also, add the
essential oils drop by drop, one ingredient at a time, until the scent seems
right. using your hands and fingertips, mix it until all salt particles are
moistened. To use, add from 2 tablespoons to one-half cup of the bath salts to
a full tub. Mix with your hands into the water. Relax, enjoy!!
NOTE: For bath salts place in a
deep wide rimmed container, don't use a small bottle neck as the salts may
Rosemary
Lotion (oily skin):
1 oz. Rose petal or rose
water ,1 Tbsp. Egg white ,1 oz Rosemary tea
Mix all ingredients until
smooth, and apply the solution to your face. Leave it on for 20 minutes,
and rinse with cool water. This oil-free lotion is especially good for
moisturizing oily skin. *This lotion can not be stored. It must be made
fresh for each use.
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For a complete relaxation
experience, re-create a spa hydrotherapy bath at home. First, you'll need to
create your escape. Surround the tub with candles and the essentials, including
towels and a bath pillow. Add the peaceful sound of soft music. Fill the tub
with hot water; 104 degrees is the maximum. Next, add ten drops of special
essential oils such as lavender or juniper for a calming effect. Step in and
soak for twenty minutes, remembering to breathe deeply and enjoy the moment.
When finished, pat yourself dry with a towel, leaving some of the bath's
moisture to soak into skin. Now is a perfect time to slip into a comfortable
robe and do nothing for 20 minutes.
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