Creating a Mindful Home Spa Experience
It’s time to reset and refresh this spring! Self-care is a powerful tool to ease stress, enhance your wellness, and nurture your body. While it can come in many forms, self-care with regular home spa days is affordable and oh-so-effective. There’s no need to splurge on a spa pass, plus you can tailor the products and atmosphere exactly to your liking.
Read on for a complete guide to creating your home spa experience, along with tips and tricks to boost your well-being.
Let’s Talk Body-care.
It can be easy to get caught up in facial skincare and leave the rest of your skin to its own devices. While the skin on your body doesn’t tend to be as sensitive as your facial skin, it still deserves some love. A home spa day is a wonderful time to refocus on body care, leaving your skin buffed, smooth, and hydrated for the week ahead.
To Scrub or Not to Scrub
Scrubs are a staple in many body care rosters. But, should they get a spot in your home spa lineup?
The truth is, it depends on the body scrub and how often you plan to use it. Some scrubs contain harsh or even toxic ingredients that can harm your skin. Additionally, if you use a body scrub more than once or twice a week, it could create micro-tears in your skin, leading to irritation.
Check the ingredient list before purchasing body scrubs to ensure they’re free of:
- Phthalates, including DBP, DEP, and DEHP
- Sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium laureth sulfate
- Parabens, including propylparabens, ethylparabens, butylparabens, and methylparabens
- Synthetic fragrances, including “parfum” or “fragrance”
- Propylene glycol
- Polyethylene glycol, or PEG
You can also opt for a DIY body scrub to skip the ingredient list hunt altogether. By making your own scrub, you can be sure to include only clean, high-quality ingredients, like:
- Organic brown sugar
- Organic oils, such as coconut, grapeseed, olive, or almond oil
- Pure essential oils
- Ground coffee
- Honey
- Green tea
Body Butters and Lotions
After indulging in a warm bubble bath or an everything shower, lock moisture back into your skin with a body butter or lotion. Warm water can remove natural oils from your skin, making moisturizer an essential step in any DIY spa routine.
A thick, luxurious lotion or body butter can hydrate your skin beautifully after a bath. Here are some of our favorite clean ingredients to look for in your lotion of choice:
- Organic shea butter
- Avocado oil
- Glycerin
- Ceramides
- Hyaluronic acid
In general, the more recognizable the ingredient list, the better!
Safe Hair Removal
If you prefer at-home hair removal, rather than an in-office treatment, your home spa day is a chance to nourish those follicles.
For those who shave, using a body scrub will slough away dead skin cells, helping to prevent pesky ingrowns. To further prevent irritation, try these EWG-verified shaving creams and gels, then follow up your shave by holding a cool, wet cloth against your skin.
Setting the Scene for Self-Care
You can achieve the spa aesthetic from home, no matter how little space you’re working with. Start by decluttering your bathroom and bedroom, as clutter and mental health are intrinsically connected. Consider adding a few plants to your space (plants are proven to alleviate stress!) and switch out any cool light bulbs for warm bulbs.
Next up, candles: a home spa mainstay. The soft, warm light creates a calming atmosphere, and you can choose an aroma you adore. But, for a worry-free burn, select a candle that’s crafted entirely from a clean wax, such as:
- Soy wax
- Rapeseed wax
- Coconut wax
- Beeswax
Additionally, look for candles scented with essential oils or high-quality, formaldehyde-free fragrance oils.
How Do I Do a Spa at Home?
A home spa can be highly individualized, but here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Light a few candles and draw up a warm bath. We love these clean bath salts and soaks from Credo Beauty (or check out this list of EWG-rated bubble baths).
- Turn on your favorite album or podcast while turning off your notifications. If possible, keep your phone and laptop in a drawer to curb any digital temptation.
- Gently cleanse your skin, then apply a nourishing face mask (we love a DIY face mask containing mashed avocado, banana, or pumpkin with manuka honey). Don’t hesitate to break out a hair mask if your locks could use a little TLC, too!
- Break out the body scrub while you relax in the bath.
- After washing away your face mask and patting your skin dry with a clean microfiber towel, massage your face with a jade roller (we love keeping our roller in the fridge for a rejuvenating boost).
- Hop into some ultra-soft loungewear and relax the night away. Our organic cotton wellnesswear is the ultimate compliment to a DIY spa day, with a silky-soft feel against your just-moisturized skin.