Welcome to The Home Spa: Spa Day Essentials

BY SHAWN TOWNE

One of the hardest things about adjusting to the Covid crisis is not being able to go to all of our favorite places as freely as we used to. For me, one place I really miss visiting is the spa. As part of my “self-care” regimen, I’ve always enjoyed taking a spa day every couple of months or so. It feels luxurious, it gives me the opportunity to check out and recharge and I always walk away feeling pampered and reenergized. Unfortunately, these days, many people just don’t feel comfortable sitting in a facial room for an hour without a mask.

With that said, who wants to give up spa day? Well don’t despair. Just because we can’t go to the spa doesn’t mean we can’t create a home spa ourselves. Let’s look at some ways we can treat ourselves to a luxury spa experience from the comfort and safety of our own home.

Start with scheduling:

One of the most luxurious elements of spa day is the alone time we get to experience. So, choose a day or night when you know your spouse and children will be out of the house. Block out your schedule, turn off your phone, close the shades and make yourself unavailable. You’re about to have a home spa day.

Coordinate your spa services:

I love booking my spa appointment, going through the menu of services and picking out how I’d like to be pampered for the day. We can still do this. Start by planning your services ahead of time. Prepare the areas of your house that you are going to use by having your spa essentials and spa kit ready. And don’t forget to have your relaxation area setup. Here is a step by step at home spa day checklist you can follow:

The Home Spa Setup

1. One month out - With any spa service, your skincare professional will often give you recommendations on diet and supplements. The home spaexperience should be no exception. Supplements are a great way to optimize the results you get from your spa experience. We recommend starting a skin supplement like Skin Complete at least a month before your homespa day. This combination of Skin Vitamin A and Skin Antioxidant will increase skin cell turnover and cycle out old skin cells while creating new cells that are brighter, healthier and more resilient to free-radical damage. You’ll love the results and your home spa day will be the perfect unveiling of the work this supplement has done. Learn more aboutSkin Complete from jane iredale here.
2. Set the mood for relaxation – If possible, do any necessary house cleaning the night before. Decorate the house as if a special guest is coming. That guest is you! The morning of your homespa day, you can see the family off to wherever you’ve sent them away to but after that, no work is allowed. Turn on some spa music. Pandora and Apple Radio have great stations. Light scented candles in every room so you smell them wherever you are. In particular, put some around the bathtub.
3. Prepare your spa drinks and snacks – Mix freshly cut cucumbers, citrus slices and spring water in a pitcher with ice and set it out 30 minutes before your home spa appointment begins. Get out your best crystal glass and set it next to the pitcher. Make yourself a healthy salad, put it in your best china bowl and have it waiting in your refrigerator.
4. Begin the day with an aromatherapy bath – Run your favorite bubble bath and add some oatmeal, baking soda, coconut oil and any essential oils you’d like to add. I love adding chamomile and ylang ylang. Soak in your bathtub for a good 30 minutes or until the water becomes cool. Have a fresh fluffy towel waiting for dry off.
5. Put on your softest garment – Whether it be a robe and slippers or your favorite T shirt and sweats, make sure you are comfortable.

The Home Spa Facial

Now it’s time for the at home spa experience to begin!Assemble your spa kit with jane iredale and use our helpfulat home spa day checklist to get started.

1. Start by Exfoliating and Removing Makeup– Take off your makeup to start with a fresh face.The Magic Mitt from jane iredale is a knitted micro-fiber cloth glove that fits over your hand and cleanses your face easily, washing away makeup, oil and dirt with only water. The micro-fibers mimic the action of emulsification and get your skin very clean while gently exfoliating. Fill a bowl with warm water and submerge the Magic Mitt.
2. Cleanse with BeautyPrep Cleanser – The BeautyPrep Cleanser is a soothing micellar water that gently cleanses skin without upsetting PH balance or drying. Ring out your Magic Mitt and sprinkle a few drops of Beauty Prep Cleanser onto it before cleansing in small circles.
3. Refresh with BeautyPrep Toner – BeautyPrep Toner is a delicious fruit- and vegetable-infused elixir that refreshes and normalizes the skin to prepare it for treatment and moisture. Saturate a cotton pad with the toner and gently swipe all over your face. Saturate two more, set them to the side and cover them with ice.
4. Revitalize with your Hyaluronic Serum – BeautyPrep Hyaluronic Serum is a skin drenching treatment that quickly absorbs into skin leaving a silky hydrated feeling that lasts for hours. Work one pumps into hands and gently massage into your face.
5. Hydrate with BeautyPrep Moisturizer – BeautyPrep Moisturizer is a soothing lemongrass aromatherapy moisturizer that deeply hydrates with a variety of rose essential oils and extracts. It provides wonderful lightweight and powerful skin-loving nutrients.
6. Don’t forget the body– Always finish your home facial with a little attention to your hands, arms, legs and feet. HandDrink Hand Cream is an excellent way to nurture those parts. Rich in emollients and infused with refreshing lemongrass, HandDrink is the perfect ending to your spa service and protect your skin with a broad spectrum SPF 15 before walking outside.
7. Break Time – Now that your facial is done and your skin is hydrated, go to your relaxation area and bring your cotton pads soaked in BeautyPrep Toner. Lay back in a comfortable chair or lounge and apply the cotton pads to your eyes. Listen to music, relax for at least 30 minutes and then enjoy your fresh salad and infused water. I recommend having a little piece of dark chocolate to end your meal!

The Home Spa Makeup Application

Now that you’ve finished your luxurious spa treatments, you want to treat yourself to a natural-looking makeup application. No need for anything dramatic, just a fresh complexion with SPF and some soft color.

1. Prime your complexion with Smooth Affair - Smooth Affair Facial Primer and Brightener is a hydrating primer that brightens skin, smooths texture and increases makeup longevity. Created with citrus extracts and botanicals, it’s the perfect undergarment for your luxury foundation.
2. Dust on PurePressed Base – PurePressed Base Mineral Foundation is the perfect after-facial product with it’s 4-in-1 function of foundation, skincare, concealer and SPF. It goes on so easily and lasts for hours without ever looking heavy or cakey. Best to apply it with The Handi Brush.
3. Spritz with POMMISST – POMMISST Hydration Spray is one of our most popular spritzes. It sets makeup and provides powerful antioxidant protection while infusing skin with refreshing moisture. It also smells like a dream!
4. Create your glow with Peaches & Cream – Peaches & Cream Bronzer is a luminous facial finish that has four different colors that are harmonious with a variety of skin tones. Dust it around the outer parameters of the face using the Chisel Powder Brush for a beautiful glow.
5. Condition your lashes– PureLash Lash Extender & Conditioner is a powerful lash product that can be applied alone or under mascara for extra length. Enriched with Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, it strengthens lashes and conditions them with Panthenol and Carnuba Wax. One really good quality of this product is that it contains no petroleum, so lashes never get brittle.
6. Finish with LipDrink – LipDrink Lip Balm is a luxurious lip treatment that infuses your lips with hydrating essential oils and provides a broad spectrum SPF 15. It comes in 7 different shades including a colorless version called Sheer. This treatment will sooth dry cracked lips and help exfoliate dry skin. People love the way it smells!

The Perfect Home Spa Day

It’s perfectly possible to have a spa day from the comfort of your own home. Take some time to prepare a homespa for yourself and let us know how you enjoyed your experience. We hope to see you back in all your favorite locations again soon but until then, enjoy your home relaxation.