How You Can Create Your Own Home Spa When You Need It
Working from a desk at your house can become rather tiring, so we have sourced some Spa treatments from the world leaders in luxury hotel spas for you to enjoy at home. These specially formulated treatments can be done in the comfort of your home to pamper someone precious or treat yourself to some well-deserved me-time.
Heckfield Place – Hampshire, England
Here are some great D.I.Y. at-home spa treatments recommended by the Wildsmith skincare specialists at Heckfield Place, the 438-acre Georgian manor estate hotel and farm, from which many of the spa products’ ingredients are naturally sourced:
OATMEAL SUGAR GLOW FACIAL MASK & SCRUB
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon of organic oatmeal
1 tablespoon of brown sugar
1 tablespoon of honey
1 tablespoon of any essential oil available
Instructions:
– Grind oatmeal and brown sugar into a fine powder using a coffee grinder or blender.
– Add honey and any essential oil available; you can add water as well.
– Wet face with a little warm water.
– Apply a small amount of facial scrub to your skin and gently massage using small, circular motions for several minutes.
– Leave facial scrub on your face for 5-10 minutes.
– Rinse with warm water and pat dry.
SUPER GLOW REFINING BODY SCRUB
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons of brown sugar
1 tablespoon of sea salt
1 tablespoon of honey
2 tablespoons of rose water or add water.
Use a spoon to thoroughly combine.
What You Need To Have:
1 tablespoon
1 large glass bowl
Instructions:
Massage gently in a circular movement; once finished, please dry the skin by taping.
LAVENDER & COCONUT FACIAL SCRUB
Ingredients:
2 cups Epsom salt
1/2 cup room temperature coconut oil
2 tablespoons lavender flowers
10-20 drops lavender oil
Instructions:
Place the Epsom salt, coconut oil, and lavender flowers in a large bowl, use a spoon to thoroughly combine, then add the lavender oil, starting with 10 drops and adding more if needed.
Ingredient Benefits:
Epsom Salt – Provides Magnesium (Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the body)
Coconut Oil – Superfood, acts as an anti-aging, contains vitamin E.
Lavender – Treats skin blemishes, calming sos skin resources, and it helps with anxiety.
La Residence – Franschhoek, South Africa
La Residence has two in-house spa therapists who provide treatments in either in the tranquil, air-conditioned double treatment room or the privacy of your suite or balcony. Signature treatments include the Swedish Massage to relax muscles and stimulate circulation as well as the tension releasing Deep Tissue Massage to ease stiffness.
When the weather is good, massages and other spa treatments can also be enjoyed outside in the Tea House overlooking the dam. There is no finer indulgence to round off a day exploring the Winelands than a full body massage.
LA RESIDENCE’S LAVENDER BODY EXFOLIATION
A simple and affordable exfoliating scrub that you can easily make at home that will leave your skin feeling soft and rejuvenated.
Ingredients:
2 Cups of Epsom Salts
12 Drops of Lavender Essential Oils
12 Drops of Tea Tree Essential Oils
Mix all the ingredients with a mortar & pestle and apply generously to the body rubbing gently across the skin. Don’t use it on your face as this mixture is too rough for the face.
EDWARD MORTON’S IMMUNE BOOSTING MULTI
Muti is a South African word that describes traditional medicines. Our General Manager at La Residence, Edward Morton, is an advocate of 2 or 3 cups of this delicious drink a day. It has its roots in Hippocrates’s time and is a wonderful ally in fighting colds and flu.
Ingredients:
1 Mug of Boiling Water
1 Tablespoon of Organic Apple Cider Vinegar with The Mother
Juice of half a Lemon
A teaspoon of Raw Honey
Teaspoon of Cinnamon
Royal Malewane – Greater Kruger National Park, South Africa
Royal Malewane is home to one of the most exclusive spas on the continent, providing world-class treatments. Surrounded by the untamed African bush, The Waters of Royal Malewane Bush Spa is a veritable oasis of calm. With internationally qualified therapists on hand to provide therapeutic massage, luxurious body treatments, and hydrotherapy, this is the ultimate refuge for those seeking to refresh and restore the mind, body, and spirit in harmony with nature.
Quick Facial Cleanser
This easy solution acts as both a cleanser and an antibacterial wipe, brightening your complexion and lightly exfoliating your face.
Dilute a little apple cider vinegar or lemon juice in warm water, use cotton pads to cleanse the skin.
OATMEAL & HONEY FACE MASK
Ingredients + Direction
This soothing natural antioxidant mask helps with irritation and moisturizes the skin.
Cook one serving of oatmeal
Add 2 tablespoons of honey
Wait to cool
Apply liberally to the face avoiding the eyes
OATMEAL & HONEY BODY SCRUB
This body scrub exfoliates, moisturizes, soothes, and cleanses the skin.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup oatmeal raw
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup jojoba oil or can use coconut oil
You can also add a few drops of essential oils if you have them at home.
The Silo Hotel – Cape Town, South Africa
The Silo Spa, located on the fourth floor of The Silo Hotel, has five treatment rooms, two of which can be made into a couple’s room. The Silo Spa is a tranquil space in which guests can relax and indulge in the latest therapies and spa techniques. There is also a gym, sauna, and a dedicated manicure and pedicure area. Enjoy signature treatments using top international products, including Ling and Black Pearl. The Silo Spa is the only spa in Africa to use exclusive Ling products.
Expert therapists ensure that you receive the perfect treatment for your skin type and requirements through an interactive consultation process.
Moisturizing Face Mask
This easy D.I.Y. face mask/moisturizer combines sour cream (which is derived from lactic acid and helps with hydration and gives a light exfoliation), honey (which acts as a humectant to lend moisture without leaving the skin oily), and egg white (which has protein that tightens and firms the skin):
1 tablespoon of cocoa powder
1 tablespoon of sour cream
1 tablespoon of honey
1 egg white (no yolk)
Mix this all together until you get an even consistency. The more you mix the batter, the consistency.
Apply to the face. Leave on for about 15-20 min and then rinse with cool water.
Easy Body and Face Exfoliator
This exfoliator uses olive oil, which is both an antioxidant and antibacterial and has a moisturizing effect. While exfoliating, this does not leave the skin dry. The sugar contains glycolic acid, which encourages cell renewal for a brighter, more youthful appearance.
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups of sugar
Mix the olive oil and sugar and apply it to the body.
For a less harsh exfoliation for the face, add a little water to the mixture in your hand before applying to the face.
“It is very important to exfoliate, at least once or twice a week. This promotes skin cell renewal. Applying beauty products without exfoliation means the product sits on the skin without penetration because of the build-up of dead skin cells. After exfoliating, the active ingredients have a better chance of penetrating to the deeper layers of the skin for longer-lasting results.” Nicole Abrahams, Expert Therapist at The Silo Spa.
Nemacolin Woodlands Resort & Spa – Laurel Highlands, Pennsylvania
Bath Ritual:
According to the Falling Rock Butlers, the perfect bath starts with your favorite scented bath salt. Their favorite is the Lavender bath salt from Aromaland. If you’d like to add bubbles, add a few drops of your favorite shower gel to your running bath water. Keep the water at a comfortable temperature (between 90 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit).
Be sure to use your wrist, not your hand, to test the water since your wrist is a better gauge of how the water will feel once your entire body is submerged. Play relaxing music to soothe your mood and aid in the process of relaxation. Roll a bath towel lengthwise and place it at the back of your tub to create a neck pillow. Arrange your favorite bath products (shampoo, conditioner, and bar soap), so they are easy to reach.
< p>Gather your favorite candles (regular or battery-powered) and place them around the edge of your tub. Dim the lights to create a relaxing environment. If you have rose petals, scatter them around the bathtub to add a little color and romance. Slip into the fluffy bubbles with a nice glass of champagne; sit back and relax, letting the stressors of the day melt away!
d’Angleterre – Copenhagen, Denmark
Tips on at-home spa care from Laura Bonne, director of the award-winning Amazing Space spa at d’Angleterre hotel in Copenhagen, the grande dame hotel of Scandinavia.
SLOW BEAUTY RITUALS
Spa & body treatments
Here you can find recipes to create your very own private home spa.
Body scrub
Exfoliation stimulates microcirculation in the skin, oxygenates the cells, and aids the body with the elimination of waste. You can prepare a scrub yourself by mixing a handful of fine sea salt (not coarse), the juice from ½ of a lemon, as well as crushed herbs such as thyme, rosemary, sage, and lavender.
Spa & Health baths – beautiful hot baths
Treat yourself as often as you can with delicious spa experiences. You do not need to stay in a spa hotel; you can easily create them yourself. Hot baths relax the body and mind, increase your well-being, and give you extra energy. Traditions for special baths stretch back thousands of years.
Here are a few recipes on how to create your own exotic spa experience in a beautiful yet simple way. If you do not have a bathtub and you cannot lend yourself to others, you can use a large tub for feet and lower legs, as well as a large soft bath sponge for the rest of the body.
Milk & honey
An anti-age care bath with added milk and honey that moisturizes, softens, and beautifies the skin and removes dead skin cells using natural lactic acid (A.H.A.). Mix three liters of whole milk and 6-8 tablespoons. Vitamin B acacia honey (softening to the skin) and adding the mixture to the bathwater.
Herbal bath
Medieval antiseptic herbal bath with healing and cleansing effects, using sea salt, lemon, and herbs. Relieves sore muscles, helps to keep the common cold at bay, and strengthens your immune system. Dissolve 2-3 handfuls of sea salt, then add the juice from a freshly squeezed lemon and herbs (fresh or dried) such as rosemary, thyme, or sage. Let salt, lemon, and herbs soak for 5-7 minutes in the bathwater before settling into the tub.