Create Your Own Home Spa

Working from a desk at your house can become rather tiring, so we have sourced some Spa treatments from the world leaders in luxury hotel spas for you to enjoy at home. These specially formulated treatments can be done in the comfort of your home to pampe

HECKFIELD PLACE HAMPSHIRE, ENGLAND

Here are some great DIY at-home spa treatments recommended by the Wildsmith skincare specialists at Heckfield Place, the 438-acre Georgian manor estate hotel and farm, from which many of the spa products’ ingredients are naturally sourced:

Oatmeal Sugar Glow Facial Mask & Scrub

1 tablespoon of organic oatmeal 1 tablespoon of brown sugar

1 tablespoon of honey

1 tablespoon of any essential oil available

- Grind oatmeal and brown sugar into a fine powder using a coffee grinder or blender. Add honey and any essential oil available, you can add water as well.

- Wet face with a little warm water.

- Apply a small amount of facial scrub to your skin and gently massage using small, circular motions for several minutes.

- Leave facial scrub on you face for 5-10 minutes.

- Rinse with warm water and pat dry.

INGREDIENTS BENEFITS:

Oatmeal – Oatmeal is a great all-natural exfoliator. It can help troubled skin and is naturally soothing.

Brown Sugar – Brown sugar is hydrating and exfoliating, making it a great addition to any scrub recipe.

Honey – Honey is amazing for your skin! It is gentle enough to cleanse without stripping or drying out your skin. It is ideal for all skin types. If you do suffer from breakouts, Manuka Honey is a little more powerful option to cleanse and help prevent future breakouts.

ROYAL MALEWANE - GREATER KRUGER NATIONAL PARK, SOUTH AFRICA

Royal Malewane is home to one of the most exclusive spas on the continent, providing world-class treatments. Completely surrounded by the untamed African bush, The Waters of Royal Malewane Bush Spa is a veritable oasis of calm. With internationally qualified therapists on hand to provide therapeutic massage, luxurious body treatments and hydrotherapy, this is the ultimate refuge for those seeking to refresh and restore the mind, body and spirit in harmony with nature.

Quick Facial Cleanser

This easy solution acts as both a cleanser and an anti-bacterial wipe, brightening your complexion and lightly exfoliating your face.

Dilute a little apple cider vinegar or lemon juice in warm water, use cotton pads to cleanse the skin.

Oatmeal & Honey Face Mask

This soothing natural antioxidant mask helps with irritation and moisturizes the skin.

- Cook one serving of oatmeal

- Add 2 tablespoons of honey

- Wait to cool

- Apply liberally to the face avoiding the eyes

THE SILO HOTEL - CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA

The Silo Spa, located on the fourth floor of The Silo Hotel, has five treatment rooms, two of which can be made into a couple’s room. The Silo Spa is a tranquil space in which guests can relax and indulge in the latest therapies and spa techniques. There is also a gym, sauna and a dedicated manicure and pedicure area. Enjoy signature treatments using top international products including Ling and Black Pearl. The Silo Spa is the only spa in Africa to use exclusive Ling products.

Expert therapists ensure that you receive the perfect treatment for your individual skin type and requirements through an interactive consultation process.

Moisturizing Face Mask

This easy DIY face mask/moisturizer combines sour cream (which is derived from lactic acid and helps with hydration and gives a light exfoliation), honey (which acts as a humectant to lend moisture without leaving the skin oily) and egg white (which has protein that tightens and firms the skin):

1 tablespoon of cocoa powder 1 tablespoon of sour cream 1 tablespoon of honey

1 egg white (no yolk)

- Mix this all together until you get an even consistency. The more you mix the better the consistency.

- Apply to the face. Leave on for about 1520min and then rinse with cool water.

NEMACOLIN WOODLANDS RESORT & SPA - LAUREL HIGHLANDS, PENNSYLVANIA Bath Ritual:

According to the Falling Rock Butlers, the perfect bath starts with your favorite scented bath salt. Their favorite is the Lavender bath salt from Aromaland. If you’d like to add bubbles, add a few drops of your favorite shower gel to your running bathwater. Keep the water at a comfortable temperature (between 90 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit). Be sure to use your wrist, not your hand, to test the water since your wrist is a better gauge of how the water will feel once your entire body is submerged. Play relaxing music to soothe your mood and aid in the process of relaxation. Roll a bath towel lengthwise and place it at the back of your tub to create a neck pillow. Arrange your favorite bath products (shampoo, conditioner, and bar soap) so they are easy to reach. Gather your favorite candles (regular or battery powered) and place them around the edge of your tub. Dim the lights to create a relaxing environment. If you have rose petals, scatter them around the bathtub to add a little color and romance. Slip into the fluffy bubbles with a nice glass of champagne; sit back and relax letting the stressors of the day melt away!

Katlyn Hatcher, Director of Spa’s response to staying healthy and keeping your immune system strong:

- “Eating a healthy diet, getting plenty of sleep and daily exercise is a great way to keep the immune system in peak condition. Using a cool mist humidifier, saline nasal rinse or nasal cleansing netti pot can help keep mucous membranes in the nose and throat moist. Dry membranes can be more susceptible to infection. After using a saline rinse, I like to apply a drop of Nasya Ayurvedic oil in the inside to each nostril to keep the nasal passage moisturized throughout the day.”

- “A self-massage with an immunity boosting oil like sesame oil can help calm the nervous system and reduce stress. Daily meditation practice or yoga is a great activity to add into your daily routine. Yoga inversions, anything with heart above head (down dog or forward fold) will help circulation and lymph flow, helping to keep you healthy.”

- “Establishing a daily ritual into your routine that is soothing can help to reduce anxiety and stress. Bath rituals can help not only cleanse the body but cleanse stagnant energy and bring calm to your day. Light a candle, set a positive intention, add 2-3 handfuls of Epsom, Sea or Himalayan salt, or Magnesium Bath Flakes to warm water with a few drops of pure essential oil. Lavender, chamomile for calming or citrus for uplifting.Our Favorite: Naturopathica Sweet Birch Magnesium Bath Flakes and Lavender Blossom Bath And Body Oil.”

- “Avoid dehydrating liquids that can weaken immunity and drain energy. Herbal teas can help reduce stress and anxiety and boost overall sense of well-being.

- Calming Teas include peppermint, chamomile, lavender, kava, gotu kola, lemon balm, green tea.

- Herbal Tinctures are concentrated herbal extracts made by soaking the plants or roots. Tinctures can be added into teas or injected sublingually. Our favorites are Naturopathica Stress Tea (lavender chamomile), Naturopathica Nettle Respiratory Tincture.”

- “Grounding Breathing Exercise – a simple three breath exercise that can be done several times per day to anchor yourself and bring calm. Go outside if possible, if not, indoors is fine. Stand with both feet evenly on the ground beneath you, set the intention to feel grounded. Take a deep breath in and out, putting attention on the solid ground beneath you. Put both hands on your heart. Feel your body and think about what you are grateful for in this moment.

Take a deep breath in and out. Drop both hands to your sides and stand tall. Feel the space around you. Appreciate the expansiveness of the sky and earth. Breathe deeply- in and out.”

D’ANGLETERRE - COPENHAGEN, DENMARK

Tips on at-home spa care from Laura Bonne, director of the award-winning Amazing Space spa at d’Angleterre hotel in Copenhagen, the grande dame hotel of Scandinavia.

Spa & body treatments

Here you can find recipes to create your very own private home spa.

Body scrub

Exfoliation stimulates microcirculation in the skin, oxygenates the cells and aids the body with elimination of waste. You can prepare a scrub yourself by mixing a handful of fine sea salt (not coarse), the juice from ½ of a lemon, as well as crushed herbs such as thyme, rosemary, sage and lavender.

Spa & Health baths - beautiful hot baths

Treat yourself as often as you can with delicious spa experiences. You do not need to stay in a spa hotel, you can easily create them yourself. Hot baths relax the body and mind, increase your well-being and give you extra energy. Traditions for special baths stretch back thousands of years.

Here is a recipe on how to create your own exotic spa experience in a beautiful yet simple way. If you do not have a bathtub and you cannot lend yourself to others, you can use a large tub for feet and lower legs, as well as a large soft bath sponge for the rest of the body.

Milk & honey

Anti-age care bath with added milk and honey that moisturizes, softens and beautifies the skin and removes dead skin cells using natural lactic acid (A.H.A). Mix three liters of whole milk and 6-8 tablespoons. vitamin B acacia honey (softening to the skin) and adding the mixture to the bath water.