It’s been a WEEK, y’all.
And we have to make sure we’re taking care of ourselves, mind, body and soul. Set aside an hour or 20 minutes from doom-scrolling or constant feed-refreshing that will relax and rejuvenate you. It’s imperative to your mental health and well-being.
Here are a few spa-worthy treatments you can do in your own bathroom with products you can find at the drugstore. Take a little break to relax and refresh. You deserve it.
Do a dry brushing session
Dry brushing all over your body increases blood flow and stimulates collagen production, which will help to strengthen your skin. It also can increase elasticity, so it’s great for helping to lift and tone. Plus, it feels invigorating. Before showering, use Ecotools Dry Bath Brush in an upward motion, starting at your legs and moving up to your midsection and arms for glowing skin. Don’t forget your feet and the backs of your arms and legs.
Honor your body with a soak and massage
Soaking in warm water for 20 minutes helps to quiet the mind and de-stress. Revitalize skin while you’re at it with Dr Teal’s Restore & Replenish Pink Himalayan Mineral Soak. Pink Himalayan salt has been known to replenish and recharge while bergamot and sweet orange essential oils carry aromatherapy and skin care properties. Pure epsom salt revitalizes tired, achy muscles. After soaking, massage a body oil such as SheaMoisture Sacha Inchi Oil Omega-3-6-9 Rescue Massage Oil into damp skin for extra softness.
Show your scalp some love
The greatest spa treatments I’ve ever had included a scalp scrub. Our scalp is our skin, too, and it needs the same care as the rest of us. On damp hair, massage in Yes To Tea Tree Gentle & Soothing Pre-Shampoo Scalp Scrub, a gentle scrub made with tea tree oil to help nourish and cleanse, sage oil to help balance, witch hazel to soothe and apple cider vinegar to help clarify and remove build up from the scalp. Applying light-to-medium-pressure in circular motions, concentrate on each section of the head for a few seconds. Rinse and shampoo as normal.
Give yourself a hair treatment
Spas always seem to have the latest beauty technology, wrapped in a luxurious delivery system. L’Oreal Paris Wonder Water is a great at-home option for your own spa-quality hair rinse. The consistency of water, it’s loaded with amino acids for strength and shine. It also contains smart lamellar technology that nourishes the damaged parts of the hair without weighing down the rest. The best part? It only needs eight seconds to get to work before it’s rinsed out. Use between shampoo and conditioner for strong, soft and healthy hair.
Treat skin to a spa-level facial
To give yourself a professional glow at home, your two steps should be smoothing and hydrating. First start with an alpha hydroxy acid treatment for gentle resurfacing. Bliss Pumpkin Powerhouse Resurfacing & Exfoliating Enzyme Mask is made with a 10% blend of natural AHAs and pumpkin enzymes that gently exfoliates, decongests pores, banishes dullness and smooths skin. Apply a thick layer to skin and leave on for 10-15 minutes. Gently massage in a circular motion and wipe off with hot, damp cloth. Now that you’ve gotten all that dead skin out of the way, use the K-beauty “7 Skin Method” to deliver hydration deep into the skin. Use a hydrating toner or watery essence such as The Creme Shop I Am….Beauty Water which is filled with hydrating and brightening properties, but no drying alcohols. (Check out CVS’s K-beauty section.) Apply up to seven layers of the toner or essence to the skin in a patting motion to front-load hydration.
Soothe tired, rough feet
The ultimate cap to a spa day is the pedicure though not everyone has 20 minutes to soak, exfoliate, massage and lotion their feet. Luckily, Arm & Hammer Heels & Feet Moisturizing Scrub is an all-in-one pedicure replacement that you can do yourself. It’s made with alpha hydroxy acids to slough off dead skin and exfoliate naturally. It also contains coconut oil for deep hydration of rough foot skin. This product also comes with a no-touch massaging brush that allows for a quick, easy and mess-free application. I prefer to apply before bed, working the massage brush into the skin for about two minutes. Then, slip on socks to wake up with soft, hydrated feet.
Gia Mazur is an award-winning staff writer and beauty obsessive who joined The Times-Tribune’s Lifestyles department in 2015. She’s a product enthusiast who can’t live without an eyelash curler. A proud Virgo, Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Pillow Talk is her go-to. Contact: gmazur@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9127; @gmazurTT
