8 Tips For Creating A Spa Day At Home

Self-care is such buzzword right now, but during the coronavirus pandemic, it's difficult to maintain the same practices you did pre-quarantine; however, it's just as important now more than ever to stay calm and healthy. The good news is that you don't necessarily have to visit a nail spa or go to your favorite workout class to get some much-needed me-time. Create an at-home spa experience with these eight tips from EAT SMARTER.

1. Practice Yoga Exercises At Home

If you’re spending a lot of time sitting, yoga is an ideal practice for releasing tension and stretching the entire body. Anyone can do yoga because the poses can be individually adapted to your own physical abilities. The key is to listen to your body and only go as far into each stretch as your body will allow. 

By doing yoga regularly, your body becomes more flexible, your posture improves, you can release tension, and you prevent pain. You can also become more relaxed and even sleep better. While a mat, towel and blocks are suggested, you won’t need any equipment to get started in your yoga practice.

2. Make An At-Home Face Exfoliant 

Want to do something good for your skin? Cleanse deep into the pores and remove old skin while stimulating blood circulation with an exfoliant. Following an exfoliant, the skin is particularly receptive to care products like a face mask or a rich cream.

Cleansing scrubs are suitable for all skin types, but should be tailored for each respective skin area. For example, the skin on the face is more sensitive than on the back, so the face exfoliant should be much finer. To make this product at home, mix white sugar with olive oil until you have a the perfect mixture that you can massage onto your face. If necessary, you can also add a few drops of essential oil like lime or lavender oil.
 

3. Follow It Up With A Face Mask

A face mask is a must when having an at-home spa day. But you don't have to go out and buy one; you can simply make it yourself using ingredients that are probably already in your kitchen. By making your own face masks, you’ll have control over the ingredients, avoiding preservatives that are often in store-bought masks.

Before applying a mask, make sure your face is cleansed. Avoid the eye area, which is particularly sensitive. Choose ingredients for the mask according to your skin type. Cucumber and tomatoes are great for young skin while avocado can help hydrate dry skin.

4. Treat Your Hair To A Hydrating Mask

Care for your hair from the roots to the ends without necessarily having to buy a ready-made conditioner. You can easily create a hair treatment yourself with coconut oil and lemon juice — the oil nourishes and the juice provides a silky shine.

Mix lemon juice with warmed coconut oil and then apply the mixture to washed and towel-dried hair. Massage the mixture into the hair and let it sit for a while. To intensify the effect, wrap your hair in a towel. You can rinse out the treatment with lukewarm water.

5. Take A Relaxing Bath

A warm bath can loosen tense muscles and open the pores of the skin, allowing products to better absorb. To perfect relaxing at home, add a salt or oil of your choice to the water that has a stimulating, relaxing effect. Use candles to create a relaxing atmosphere, read a book or listen to quiet music.

Don't have a bathtub at home? Take a long shower instead during your spa day. This will still stimulate blood circulation and strengthen the immune system. 
 

6. Pamper Your Feet

The perfect at-home beauty day can’t leave out a foot treatment. Foot baths are not just relaxing for the feet, but they also have an effect on the entire body due to the cold or warm temperature. 

You can intensify the effects by using appropriate additives in the water. But you don't necessarily have to go shopping for this, because, for example, baking soda in the water can make your skin softer or curd soap can soften calluses, which makes removing them easier afterward. A few pieces of ginger as a bath additive can stimulate blood circulation and make your feet comfortably warm. 

7. Give Yourself A Massage 

You don’t necessarily need a second person to knead your feet strongly or massage one hand first and then the other. Suffer from tension in the neck and shoulder area? Loosen your neck muscles by kneading the muscles with your thumb, index and middle finger in circular movements from the back of the head to the shoulder muscles.

Massage certain shoulder points to release tension by placing the ball of your right hand on your left collarbone and touch the painful point on the shoulder with your middle fingers. Then, massage this point for a few minutes in circular movements. Repeat this on the other side. A facial roller also loosens tension and glues the fascia.

8. Eat Beauty Promoting Foods

Supply your body with macro- and micronutrients. Healthy fats, carbohydrates and proteins are essential to prevent cell damage and thus premature skin aging. Sweet potatoes, carrots, peppers and broccoli provide the body with an abundant supply of beta-carotene, which can protect the cells from free radicals.

Buttermilk supplies the body with calcium and vitamin B12 — both important nutrients for beautiful, radiant skin. Blueberries and raspberries are also rejuviniating. The vitamin C contained in the berries boosts collagen production and cushions the skin from within. For an infused water, put some berries in a bottle of water and enjoy the drink throughout the day.

Knowledge to go

When practicing wellness at home, pamper your body from the inside to the outside. Relax with a long bath, care for your skin with exfoliants, a face mask or a footbath, and make your hair silky smooth with a treatment. You can make beauty products at home using simple ingredients you probably already own. That way, you also avoid the preservatives often inside store-bought products.

You can also nourish your body by rounding off your spa day at home with healthy food. There are beauty foods that address your skin’s needs. For example, adding berries to your water means you’ll absorb the vitamin C that gives your skin a firm appearance. 

Find the time to relax and destress during quarantine!