DIY Spa Day - Tips for Serious Self Pampering

Today, we're going to pamper ourselves silly!

Recently, I was interviewed by a lovely lady named April for the American publication, Natural Awakenings. She asked me to share some of my best tips for DIY spa treatments that could be enjoyed at home with simple-yet-effective, easy to source ingredients.

How could I possibly say no to that? The interview inspired me to gather all the tips into this post - just for you!

Many of these are covered in more detail in separate blog posts – there are links to each post.

Skin Brushing - a Long Lost Art

A perfect way to start your spa day (and every day) is by dry-brushing it with an exfoliating glove. The one above is my fave of the moment (made with sisal), but these are also available in hemp. You could also choose a loofah or even a special skin-brushing brush.

Skin brushing

• exfoliates
• boosts circulation
• helps battle cellulite 
• removes dead skin cells
• leaves your skin with a healthy glow

Here's a blog post that outlines the process of dry-brushing the skin in detail.

Raw Honey Cleanser and Mask

Regardless of your skin type, all you really need to cleanse your face and neck gently and effectively is raw honey. Not only that, you can leave it on as a nourishing mask for as little or long as you like.

Despite what you might imagine, honey rinses off easily, leaving your skin beautifully fresh, moisturised and feeling smooth as silk.

Honest.

Here's how to use honey as a cleanser and 2-minute mask
Here's why honey is great for skin
And here's a post about the science behind honeys amazing self-preserving properties
And here's how to repackage the raw honey for easy everyday use after you've fallen in love with how great your skin feels after trying it as a cleanser

Facial Tea

Tea for the face? Yes indeed! There are a plethora of options for facial teas - all depending on what you prefer.

Making a face tea is as truly simple as making a very large cup of tea.

To make a facial tea

• boil water
• transfer to a bowl 
• drop in a child-sized handful (or small musling bag containing) your herbs of choice 

To enjoy the tea

• Cover head with towel
• Lean over bowl (not too close!) 
• Let the herbal steam do its pore-opening magic for 5-10 minutes

Here are a few skin-friendly herbs for a Facial Tea

• lavender
• chamomile
• calendula
• elderflower
• lemon verbena

Warning: face teas are not for all skin types! If you have very sensitive skin, rosecea, or are prone to ruptured capillaries, face tea is not for you.

Beautiful Cuticles

Maintaining beautiful cuticles is a lot easier than you think. Here's how.

Body Oil - Straight From the Kitchen

So, you've dry-brushed your skin and showered and you're ready to lock in the moisture. The perfect way to finish your DIY spa treatment may very well be standing on your kitchen shelf already.

If you've never tried a body oil, there's no time like the present.

Here's a step by step on applying a body oil.

Footsie Heaven

To complete the pampering, let's treat our feet to a lavender foot scrub
Here's a step by step that will have your toes twinkling in no time.