Spa Treatments You Can Try At Home While Isolating

With the current changing world situation, many of us find us self isolating and working from home.

This can be the perfect time for DIY at home spa treatments to help set you on the path to wellness. You can practice one of these rituals a day - or mix and match - to enhance your overall health and well-being:

1. Fruit-Infused Water & Herbal Tea

There’s a reason your favourite spa serves fruit-infused water and herbal tea. Both beverages encourage you to slow down and savour the moment. Plus, their ingredients boast plenty of benefits for mind and body health. Sip them morning and night to experience a taste of the spa from the comfort of your own home.

Spa Water

Spa water - or “detox” water - is water that has been infused with fresh fruits, vegetables or herbs, usually overnight. While it won’t necessarily detoxify your system, it will provide the hydration your body needs to function at its best (plus, it’s delicious). Here are a few of our favourite fruit-infused water combinations:

• Cucumber + Mint
• Strawberry + Basil
• Grapefruit + Rosemary
• Berry + Green Tea

Herbal Tea

Herbal tea, on the other hand, is well-known for its lengthy list of health benefits. These brews, which have been used in traditional medicine for centuries, are brimming with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Herbal teas have the potential to relieve stress, calm your mind and body, support brain health and boost your immune system. Here are two of our favorite blends:

• Chamomile + Lavender - soothes and relaxes the mind and body
• Peppermint + Lemon - promotes focus and boosts mental performance
• Turmeric + Ginger - purification and anti-inflammatory

We recommend:

2. Hand Massage

No time for a full body massage? No worries. An easy way to unwind is to give yourself a five-minute hand massage. This type of massage not only releases tension after a day spent typing and texting but also calms the nervous system and enhances circulation. Here’s how to perform one at home:

1. Warm a few drops of your favourite body oil or lotion between your palms. Our pick: Stone Crop Body Oil, which is infused with stone crop and arnica and is ideal for massage treatments.
2. Begin with your palm facing up and firmly press the tip of each finger.
3. Use the thumb of the opposite hand to rub the muscles surrounding your palm with gentle, circular motions. Pay particular attention to the fleshy area between your thumb and wrist as well as at the base of your fingers.
4. Slowly knead the centre of your palm.
5. Slide your thumb down your palm in long, straight strokes. Focus on the space between each tendon, starting at the base of your fingers and ending at your wrist.
6. Flip your hand over and repeat step four along the back of your hand.
7. Palm up, rub each individual finger using small, counter-clockwise motions and moving from the base of the finger to the tip.
8. Switch hands.

We recommend:

3. Aromatherapy Shower

Bring the spa home by adding an aromatherapy element to your daily shower:

1. Spray your favourite essential oil blend onto a washcloth
2. Tuck it into a corner of your shower
3. Let the water run for 5-10 minutes
4. Step into the oil-infused steam
5. Take a deep breath and relax into the present moment

Not sure which essential oil to choose? Try these selections for a relaxing, stimulating or balancing soak:

• Relaxing: neroli, jasmine, ylang ylang
• Stimulating: citrus oils, rosemary, eucalyptus
• Balancing: lavender, clary sage, bergamot

4. Body Scrub

Elevate your at-home spa treatment with a body scrub. These are physical exfoliants that use salt and/or sugar to mechanically slough away dead skin cells, draw out impurities and smooth rough, dry skin.

Applying a body scrub has plenty of benefits for the skin:

• Promotes efficient circulation and skin cell turnover
• Removes dead cells from the skin’s surface
• Smooths and softens rough, dry skin
• Draws out impurities and clears congestion
• Frees ingrown hairs and smooths razor bumps

We recommend:

5. Mask & Milk Bath

If a bath is more your style, follow Cleopatra’s lead and sink into a soothing milk bath. Adding milk to your bath water has plenty of benefits. Milk is packed with healthy fats, proteins, lactic acid, vitamins and minerals which help to soften and soothe dry, itchy skin.

To make a milk bath:

1. Add 1-2 cups of milk to a full tub of warm water
2. Mix in your favourite body oil
3. Add extras like rose petals, herbs, honey and/or oats
4. Let ingredients soak for 15 minutes
5. Step in, sit back and relax

To truly indulge, apply your favourite face mask. Apply a thin layer with your fingertips and leave on while you soak into your milk bath.  Afterward, remove the mask with a damp cloth to reveal a radiant-looking complexion.

We recommend:

6. Dry Brushing

Another body treatment to try at home is dry brushing. This ancient technique has gained popularity over the years for its ability to boost circulation, detoxify the skin and reduce the appearance of cellulite. And, it’s incredibly easy to do at home! Here’s how:

1. Step into the shower (but don’t turn on the water)
2. Reach for a body brush with stiff, natural bristles
3. Brush your body using long, sweeping motions
4. Begin at your feet and move upward, toward the direction of your heart
5. Brush each area several times; overlap as you go
6. Rinse away dead skin and debris

Follow your dry brush with a toning body cream that will continue to target areas of concern. Massage it into cleansed skin, focusing on problem areas, and leave on. 

We recommend:

7. Meditation

It’s no secret that meditation is incredibly beneficial for mind and body health. For thousands of years, it has been celebrated for its ability to train the mind to focus, stay in the present moment and gain a deeper awareness of self and surroundings. With regular practice, meditation has been shown to impart the following benefits:

• Relaxes the mind and body
• Lowers cortisol levels and relieves stress
• Increases feelings of positivity and happiness
• Enhances communication and decision-making
• Improves memory and focus

Try adding five minutes of mindful breathing to your daily routine:

1. Sit comfortably
2. Close your eyes and relax your body
3. Slowly inhale through your nose and out your mouth
4. Breathe deeply, filling your lungs and expanding your diaphragm
5. Focus on the sensation of breath entering and leaving your body
6. Follow your breath in and out for five minutes
7. When your mind wanders, return to your breath

We recommend:

For more information and guidance on best skincare for your skin type, please feel free to email hello@absoluteskin.com.au or call us on 1300 334 683.  

Source: Eminence Organics . Flowers photo created by freepik