Home spa treatments

[Lady Day]

Howdy ladies,

We have all been there, tough day at work, school, significant other , and we just need a little 'me' time, but some of us cant jump up and go for a day of beauty.

I was wondering what were your personal home spa-like treatments? Anything special you use to relax or are they chocked full of home recipes?

Im particularly interested in a good foot soak. mmmmmmm

Thanks ladies,

LD

 

[CanadaDoll]

Japanese mint oil in a foot bath.... cool and tingly and uplifting, followed by a yogurt foot mask and nice lotion topped off with cozy, soft slippers (can you tell I wear high heels to work?lol ) If you don't want mint, roses or other sweet smelling flowers floating in a tub add milk for exfoliation if desired, just have a quick rinse to get it all off after, you don't want it souring on your skin.
Red rose tea and oranges tied up in a muslin bag hung under the bath faucet to infuse your water is nice too.

 

[VanillaT]

I like to have little eye and neck pillows that I have made out of fabric scraps and filled with flax seeds coated in a few drops of lavender essential oil. I learned this trick from dance... you can put the pillow pack in the microwave or freezer for a few mins to get heat or cold and it is very relaxing, inexpensive, and aromatherapy at the same time!

PS This is also excellent to use as a heating pack for cramps.

Hmm, besides that I really like to take baths when I get the chance (unfortunately I am living in a student situation and I don't have a bath!! Arg!). I like to make baths with oatmeal or epsom salts in them. Ahhh. Now I am pining (sp?) for a bath.

 

[TaxiGirl]

Ever made an eye bag? just takes a square foot of tight-woven cotton fabric and about a cup of mixed flax seed and lavender... you can cool it, and it's nice for the end of a long day. See here. http://www.seedsofknowledge.com/eyebags.html

I also like rose petals, or chamomile, or lavender, in a muslin bag in a hot bath... and then sometimes use the bag as a washcloth. Sometimes I add hops.

And for feet, a muslin bag or cheesecloth of lavender or rosemary or both together in a bucket of warm water... nice and restful. Maybe also salt.

For me, for relaxation, though, the best recipe I've found is a bath, a cup of tea (or perhaps a cocktail) and a good book.

 

[VanillaT]

A really good foot soak that I like (but I don't know if anyone else will...) is to simply mix about 1/2 cup of white vinegar with about 2 gals of warm water and soak feet in it for until the water gets cold.

I had to do that soak every day for about two weeks after I had *TMI warning* particularly bad ingrowns taken out in order to heal my feet and keep them from getting infected. It is really good at softening up feet and deodorizing. I was suprised at how relaxing it was and how good my feet felt afterwards.

Again, I don't know how glamorous white vinegar and warm water sound so I feel like this is a tough sell... but it really does work.

 

[olive bleu]

Boy Oh Boy! This is the thread for me! I could open my own drugstore with all my lotions & potions!I live for spa night, which i usually like to do on Wednesdays( Gives me that kick to get through the next 2 days to the weekend I guess )

The parts of me that get the treatment vary from week to week.Probably the most elaborate thing I do, is for my tootsies. I have one of those " footspas" that you plug in , and soak your feet in. I have a huge basket full of assorted foot soaks, exfoliators,buffers, and intensive moisturizers that i apply, followed of course by pretty nail polish.It takes me about an hour to do it all!MY Mother , God love her, keeps me well stocked in that department. That "footspa" gets so much use, it is almost ready to be replaced( even my 11 & 12 year old boys use it )

I also use a lot of facial masks, and sometimes "steam" my face over a boiling pot of water with rosemary.And I will also sometimes give my hair a "Hot-oil treatment" with warm olive oil. I will also put it on my cuticles.I generally spend more time on my hands & feet than anything else. I have alot of hand care products too.

I am not real "high-maintenance" day to day. But when spa night rolls around, i really go to town!

 

[Rosie]

Foot soak - milk, and peppermint castille soap in water as hot as you can stand it. Lovely.

I make sugar scrubs, salt scrubs too. Just sea salt or brown sugar with honey and whatever else I feel like throwing in there.

Another great thing to do, rom one natural head to another - spray bottle with warm water, coconut oil, rosemary, and cascarilla, LOVELY!

 

[olive bleu]

p.s....Lady Day, I highly recommend investing in one of those electric footsoaks if you don't have one. I fill it up, plug it in front of my favourite chair and melt away as i watch t.v. or read

 

[Kim_B]

Ah yes those foot spas are lovely! I really must get a new one! We bought one for my MIL for Christmas as she's really into pampering herself, but I don't think she's ever used it...I wonder if I could sneak off with it?!

I am going to be keeping a close eye on this topic - I need to start pampering myself a little more!!

 

[RetroModelSari]

I love to put honey all over my face and than take a loooooong bath... I love the Cocoa-Butter body scrub by The Bodyshop and their Nut-Bodybutter! Now I´m in the mood to spa... But I have a shooting right after work so no chance....

 

[pretty faythe]

>>>
I also use a lot of facial masks, and sometimes "steam" my face over a boiling pot of water with rosemary.And I will also sometimes give my hair a "Hot-oil treatment" with warm olive oil. I will also put it on my cuticles.I generally spend more time on my hands & feet than anything else. I have alot of hand care products too. <<<

Oh my gosh, watch the temp! I did this once with the olive oil, and didn't double check the temp, scalded my poor little head.

For a nice relaxing bath, get a mixture of 1 cup rosemary
1 cups lavender 1 cup mint. Store in a containor until ready to use (an old tin or what not) and when you are ready to bath, take out 1/2 of the herbs. Boil in 2 cups of water, let seep for 15 minutes then add to your bath.

Another exremely simple soothing thing for your bath would to be taking a wash cloth, put oatmeal (not instant) in it and tie it with a rubber band so it doesnt leek out. Use this instead of soap. Very soothing for the skin.

 

[NicolettaRose]

You can make a great homemade mask out of oatmeal, honey, strawberries, Banana milk and honey all blended in a blender. There are other ingridients which are the best for your skin type, I use these because I have dry skin.

Also Queene Hellen makes a great mud mask, its very cheap, and its great.

 

[olive bleu]

I would have to lick my face for breakfast if i did that!lol Yummy!

 

[BitterEpiphany]

A honey & yogurt mask is nice - half honey, have yogurt a litte bit of vinegar -- it makes a great face mask but i actually have been known to apply it to rough elbows, etc... Just exfoliate first.

I'm also a fan of body sugaring rather than shaving or waxing, and there are some great recipes out there.

 

[Lady Day]

Oooh, thanks for the replies ladies.

I am totally gonna try some of the foot soaks this week


LD

 

[pigeon toe]

Oh goodness, my idea of a "Spa Day" is slapping on a pore strip and putting some lotion on my legs! You ladies are giving me good ideas though!

One thing I would do often when I lived at home was the facial steam thing, except with rose petals, calendula, chamomile and lavender. I would also do that all the time when I would get a cold. Steam does wonders to open up your sinuses!

 

[ShrinkingViolet]

This thread is great!
I sometimes make a facial mask out of mashed papaya or mango fruit mixed with yoghurt, honey and oatmeal. The fruit enzymes *really* brighten up my complexion. I can use it because I have rough, oily, olive-toned skin, but I wouldn't try it if i had sensitive skin. (Now where's the smiley that's wearing a homemade facial mask?! )

Does anyone make their own creams and lotions? I've made some lipbalms that turned out great and I'd like to try and make a cold cream.

 

[Lady Day]

Ive made my own scalp/hair oils before, they work out pretty well. You make your own lip balm!? SHARE SHARE!!!

LD

 

[ShrinkingViolet]

Ive made my own scalp/hair oils before, they work out pretty well. You make your own lip balm!? SHARE SHARE!!!
LD

I'd be delighted! It's really very easy and fun, you just need beeswax (or candelilla wax if vegan) and some kind of vegetable butter like shea, cocoa or coconut as a base. To that you add any combination of vegetable oils and some essential oil. I've only made one batch, I scented it with lavender and orange essential oil and it smells divine! The most difficult part was actually to get it into the containers before it started hardening.

I used this recipe in German but there are plenty of other recipes here.

I've also made body oils out of peanut oil + essential oils, I figure it's kinda similar to hair oils.

 

[olive bleu]

the only drawback to homemade stuff is that it goes rancid quickly..i hat6e using products with lots of chemicals though so there is no happy medium. i think i just have way more stuff than i can use up in a reasonable period of time