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Spa day

Follow our top tips to create your own spa day in the comfort of your home!

A day at a spa is a wonderful luxury, but can often come with a hefty price tag. If you’re in need of some rest and relaxation, why not try creating your own home spa? It’s quite simple to do and will leave you feeling very pampered indeed!

Set the scene

Start off by setting the scene. Make sure you have plenty of fresh, fluffy towels to hand and a nice big, comfy bathrobe. Place a few tealights around the bathroom – scented ones are ideal – to create a spa-like atmosphere. If you can find some soothing music to play in the background, even better! Start off your home spa experience by soaking in a warm bath for a few minutes to soften your skin and help you to relax. You might want to add some aromatherapy oils to enhance the experience. Joannah Metcalfe, consultant aromatherapist at Base Formula (www.baseformula.com) suggests the following combination for a relaxing and uplifting bath oil: combine 15ml of fragrance-free bath oil with five drops of geranium essential oil, five of bergamot, two of neroli and two of rose.

Add to the bath once the water has run and swirl around to disperse.

Scrub away your cares

After enjoying a relaxing soak, get out of the bath and give your skin a good scrub to remove any dead skin cells and improve your circulation. You could buy a natural body scrub, but there’s always the option of making your own beforehand. “Simple foodie ingredients work well for face and body masks and scrubs,” says natural beauty expert Janey Lee Grace (www.janeyleegrace.com).

“A handful of fine oatmeal and water makes a simple exfoliator and if you add a little sea salt or honey you have a facial scrub. Experiment with your favourite textures and remember to make small quantities as without preservatives these concoctions will only stay fresh for a few days.” To make your own Dead Sea salt body scrub, Janey recommends mixing together two tablespoons of Dead Sea salt, two tablespoons of almond oil and one teaspoon of lemon juice. Then apply to your skin in circular movements, beginning at your feet and working upwards towards your heart. Don’t apply this scrub to your face as it is too harsh. You should feel quite invigorated afterwards as the scrubbing action will have helped the circulation of blood and lymph, and should result in an improved skin tone. Finish by showering off the residue and patting yourself dry with one of those fluffy towels.

Get glowing

Your newly scrubbed and glowing skin will need some moisturising. Again, you could use a natural body lotion or oil, but it’s simple and easy to make your own. Joannah Metcalfe suggests blending together 50ml of jojoba oil, 50ml of coconut oil, 20 drops of mandarin essential oil, 10 drops of sandalwood, 10 drops of geranium, 2 drops of ginger and two drops of neroli.

Massage into your skin for a nourishing gleam and exquisite aroma. Your skin will feel amazing after this!

Nail it!

Finish off your home spa experience with a manicure and pedicure, to get your talons looking fantastic. Start off by trimming your nails to the same length and then file them into the shape you want.

Remember to work from the outside edge of the nail inwards, so you are only filing half your nail at a time. Soak your hands in warm water with an organic bath oil to soften the cuticles and hydrate the nails. Pat your hands dry with a towel and clean under your nails with a cotton bud. Gently push back your cuticles with an orange stick then apply an oil blend to the cuticles and around the nail.

A few drops of sweet almond oil in a tablespoon of melted coconut oil will help to nourish your nails. Finally, buff your nails to smooth away any ridges and bring out a natural shine. Finish by applying a non-toxic coloured or clear nail polish. If you’re going for a colour, finish with a top coat of clear polish.

DIY face and body masks

“Almost any foodie bits will work as a mask,” says Janey Lee Grace. “It’s just a case of combining ingredients and experimenting with what feels nice. Just increase the quantities for a body mask.”

Honey, jojoba and yoghurt soothing mask
You will need:

Apply to your face and leave on till the yoghurt dries, then wash off with warm water.

Chocolate face mask
You will need:

Blend together the ingredients, apply and leave on for 20 minutes. If you would prefer the mask to be moisturising but not exfoliating, then leave out the oatmeal. This one works well for the body – increase quantities and add coconut oil for a full body wrap. It’s a fantastic way of having all the benefits and indulgence of chocolate without any of the guilt!

Fruity cooling mask
You will need:

This one is particularly good if the ingredients are mixed together in a blender.

Adapted and extracted from Look Great Naturally... Without Ditching the Lipstick by Janey Lee Grace (£8.99, Hay House)

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