Close your eyes and picture it: You’re sitting in a plush bathrobe, your feet are soaking in warm soapy water, and you’re sipping on refreshing fruit-infused water.
Sounds amazing, right?
Spa days are wonderful…until you have to pay for it.
Your final bill for a day at the spa will vary depending on what spa you go to and what services you purchase. On average, a spa pedicure will cost you between $45 and $55 and a spa manicure will cost $35. Facials and one-hour massages have a similar price range from $80 to $130. Most spas offer packages that combine multiple services for one price. These usually start at about $150.
This doesn’t even include the tip!
I don’t know about you, but I can’t afford to spend that much money to be pampered for a day. Thankfully, there are tons of ways to enjoy the rewards of a day spa in the comfort of your own home by having a DIY spa day.
Benefits of Do-It-Yourself
Do-it-yourself, or DIY, projects have oodles of benefits for those who participate in them. Learning new skills and using your hands keeps your brain in tip-top shape. Your mental health and physical health also see a boost when you DIY.
Most people turn to DIY as a way to save money. By doing a project yourself, you could potentially cut your project cost in half. Your DIY project could even turn into a moneymaking side hustle.
Imagine this: you love having nicely painted toes with cute designs on them but hate paying the salon price. You watch countless YouTube tutorials, research different techniques, and practice until they look perfect. You’re wearing sandals one day to show off your masterpiece when a friend notices them.
Your friend asks you to do a pedicure on their toes and even pay you. They brag on you to their friends who also want you to work your magic on their toes. Before you know it, you’re making an extra $100 a month doing pedicures on the side.
Why You Need to Pamper Yourself
Two words: self-care.
If you’re like me, you’re so busy taking care of everyone else; you can’t remember the last time you did something special for yourself. The daily grind of trying to balance your work, family, and social life leaves you feeling like a frazzled mess.
The old saying “you can’t pour from an empty cup” should be taken to heart!
You can’t do your best for the ones you love if you’re running yourself into the ground.
You need to take care of yourself so you, and the ones who depend on you, can be happier.
How to Make It Happen
The first step to indulging in a DIY spa day is to dedicate some time to be alone. You can take a day off work or have your spouse take the kids to do something fun for the day. However you work it out, you need to be free of distractions and responsibilities.
Creating a Spa Atmosphere
Half of the spa experience is the atmosphere.
You could be getting the best facial of your life but the experience would not be enjoyable if the atmosphere was not relaxing.
Little touches like fragrant candles, gentle music, and soft lighting help you feel relaxed before you even get pampered. Creating a genuine spa atmosphere is easy and inexpensive to do.
Tell Alexa to play a relaxing play list, dim the lights, and light your favorite candle and enjoy the ambiance.
Not sure what kind of candle to get?
Lavender, lemon, and jasmine are known for their calming qualities.
DIY Fruit-infused Water
We all know water is good for you.
We also know that sometimes it can be a bit boring and tedious to get the recommended daily amount. Infusing your water with fruit is a refreshing way to get your much-needed daily H20. Not only do they taste ah-mazing, they also have loads of health benefits.
Feeling a little bloated? (Who doesn’t sometimes?)
Mild bloating can be tamed by adding citrus and mint to your water.
Have a little breakout on your chin?
Add in some cucumber, lemon, and mint.
Need a little metabolism booster? (Uh, yes please!)
Burn more calories by adding cinnamon and apple to your water.
Get creative with your fruit-infusions. There is literally no wrong way to do it. Take your favorite fruits and try them out. Mix and match and try new combinations. You may just come up with your new favorite drink!
Try sparkling water for that extra special ‘spa’ touch.
Here are some simple recipes to try on your next spa day:
Citrus and Mint Beat the Bloat
- 2 lemons sliced
- 10 mint leaves
- ½ cucumber sliced
- 2 tsp. chopped ginger
- Place all ingredients in 3-quart pitcher of water. Cover and leave overnight.
- Serve hot or cold
Cucumber, Lemon, and Mint Skin Detox
- 1 lemon, slice thin
- 1 cucumber, peeled and sliced
- 12 Mint leaves
- 2 liters of water
- Put all ingredients in pitcher and leave overnight.
- Serve with fresh lemon and cucumber for a refreshing boost.
Minty Watermelon Muscle Booster
- ½ Cup seedless watermelon, cubed
- 1 Tbsp. fresh mint, chopped
- 20 oz. bottle of water
- Combine ingredients and refrigerate overnight.
DIY Facial Steam
Materials needed:
- Facial steamer ~or~
- Large heat-proof bowl
- Large Towel
- Boiling hot water
Your face is the first thing people see and it tells the world a lot about you.
This is why you have to include a facial in your DIY spa day.
Nothing says refreshed and renewed like soft, glowing skin.
A vital first step in your facial routine is to steam your face.
Steaming your face opens up your pores and helps loosen any dirt trapped there. This makes it easier to remove dirt and oil later. A great facial steamer can be found at your local drugstore and makes facial steaming a breeze.
If you want a more DIY approach, you can still achieve a great facial steam with a large bowl, a towel, and steaming hot water.
Start with a freshly washed face. This way you are starting with a clean slate. Carefully fill a large heatproof bowl with boiling water. Hold your face over the bowl of hot water and drape the large towel over your head so it creates a type of canopy over the bowl of water.
Mixing essential oils into your water not only smells heavenly, but can also have some benefits for your skin. For example, tea tree and rosemary are great for trouble with acne, and lavender is beneficial for sensitive skin.
While I generally like my tea sweet and in a glass of ice, adding tea bags to your water is also nourishing for your face. Whatever you decide to put in your water to steam your face, don’t steam for more than ten minutes.
DIY Face Mask
After prepping your pores, now it’s time to treat your skin with a homemade face mask. The beauty of DIY face masks is that you can tailor them to your specific skin needs. A super simple mask I have found and love is a chocolate mask. I’ll admit, I love any and all things chocolate so this one definitely stuck out to me. What else stuck out to me was how simple it is to make.
Using just three simple ingredients you can easily find in your kitchen, you get a sweet, skin tightening, and moisturizing treat for your face.
And did I mention it’s made from chocolate??? As if chocolate needed another thing to make it amazing.
Just combine ¼ cup of unsweetened cocoa powder, ¼ cup of honey, and ¼ cup of any flavored yogurt. Once it forms into a paste,smooth it on your face. Keep on for no more than fifteen minutes and rinse off.
And don’t worry; if you get a little hungry during those fifteen minutes you can just snack on your mask because it’s completely edible!
Mani/Pedi
Materials needed:
- Nail clippers
- Foot soak
- Foot file
- Your favorite nail polish
- Polish remover
- Cotton balls
- Softening cream for cuticles
- Cuticle pusher
- Cuticle clippers
- Lotion
- Buffer block
A spa day would not be complete without a luxurious manicure and pedicure. The list of materials you need may seem long, but the results will be well worth it. The process is basically the same for both manicure and pedicure.
Your first step is to remove any old polish so you can start with a clean slate.
Next, soak your feet in warm, soapy water. While soaking, just grab your glass of fruit infused water, close your eyes, and imagine you are in one of those massaging chairs at the salon.
Once your nails are adequately soaked, you should clip your nails to a desired length and file them so they are smooth.
This next step is vital to that salon-perfect mani/pedi. You must apply cuticle softener on your nails and scrape the nail from the tip of your nail to the base. This will help remove any gunk (ewww) built up on your nail. Using the cuticle clippers, trim away any excess cuticles.
What else?
Now, use the foot file to smooth away the rough edges of your feet.
This part always takes longer for me. I am on my feet all day so they look rough! It takes a while, but it’s always so worth it for smooth feet!
Be sure and massage those freshly buffed feet with lotion to keep those puppies smooth.
Buffing your nails comes next. Then, prepping your nails to be painted. Do not skip this step. This is what will make your nails look professional.
Clean the nail by rubbing polish remover on it to remove any oils or residue that might keep your polish from lasting. Now it’s time for the fun part: painting your nails a pretty color!
Start with a clear base coat. Then, apply an even layer of your favorite colored nail polish on your nail, followed by a clear topcoat. Get creative with your polish and make a fun design on your toes.
The possibilities are endless!
Enjoy and make the best of your DIY spa day!
