For some women, spending a day at the spa for a full day of beauty is out of the question. Spas are expensive and inconvenient for women with daily responsibilities. However, most women wish that they could achieve some of the beauty benefits of the spa without the price tag. For these women, spa beauty is as easy as whipping up a few homemade recipes with products you may already have or could conveniently get from a health food or grocery store.
Hair Therapy – many women struggle with dry damaged hair associated with dying, bleaching and over-styling. Split ends and unruly dry, frizzy hair can make women want to chop all their hair off. However, by using a deep conditioning treatment once a month, women will begin to see an improvement in softness and strength of their hair.
In a bowl, combine 1 tablespoon of olive oil, an egg, and a 1/4 cup of mayonnaise whip the ingredients together until evenly blended. Using your hands, massage the mixture into hair, root to tip. After hair is saturated with the mixture, wrap your hair in cellophane and relax for 30 minutes while the heat from you scalp helps the mixture set. After, rinse the mixture out, wash hair with a mild shampoo and a light conditioner, and style as usual. Hair will look and feel healthy and soft.
Facials – Facials are one of the many things women enjoy at the spa. Although it is a treat to have someone else do all the work wile you relax, women can achieve the same benefits at home. First, fill your sink with the hottest water possible from your tap. After the sink is full, turn the water off and lean over the sink, your face about six inches from the water. Drape a towel over the back of your head creating a steam-capturing hood. Let the steam moisten your skin and open your pores for about 5-10 minutes. From there, while pores are still open, apply your favorite mask or a homemade mask of ½ cup of dry oats and 3 Tablespoons of honey. Let the mask sit for about ten minutes and wash off with a warm, moist washcloth. After the mask has been washed away, use a facial scrub or make one from ¼ cup of cornmeal with 2 tablespoons of honey and gently massage the face, avoiding the eye area. Rinse this mixture and follow with your favorite moisturizer.
Body Scrubs – Body scrubs are another spa-quality indulgence that women feel they have to live without if they can’t make it to the spa. However, body scrubs are easy and fun to make and apply. If your skin is oily or prone to break outs, you can make a larger batch of the facial scrub to use on your body. However, if your skin is dry, mix 3 parts cornmeal or brown sugar with 1 part olive oil. The scrub will make your skin ultra smooth while the olive oil intensely hydrates your skin. After you apply this mixture to damp skin and rinse (do not use soap) the mixture off in the shower, slip into some cotton PJs and let the oils set in over night.
Aromatherapy – Aromatherapy is the art of using scents to achieve different moods or feelings. Many spas use aromatherapy treatments to calm and relax their clients. However, at home aromatherapy is easy and fun. Take a trip to a local health food store. Get a bottle of grape seed oil (grape seed is an unscented moisturizing oil) and then ask the clerk about their essential oils. Essential oils are concentrated oils that contain potent scents. When you find a scent that you like, mix a drop of essential oil with a palm full of grape seed oil. Use this as your daily moisturizer and experience aromatherapy all day. Try lavender for calm or tea tree oil for rejuvenation.