Winter Spa Ideas

Nothing beats the cold in the winter like warmth and relaxation.  Instead of paying for an expensive spa experience, why not create your own?  Here are a few ways to create your own retreat:

First off: 
~ Play soothing music.  Doing this will help to calm your busy thoughts.  Try nature sounds or soft classical music.

~ Make your own steam. Make sure you wash your face with a cleanser first before doing the steam and mask.
 
  Mint:  Refreshing.
  4 cups warm tap water, 4 mint tea bags (use herbal tea only) or a handful of fresh mint, slightly crushed.

Lavender: Soothing and restful.
 4 cups tap water, 8-10 drops of lavender essential oil.    

 Citrus: Fresh and clean.
 4 cups warm tap water, 1 lemon, cut into 1/4 in. slices, 2 drops tangerine essential oil.

- Choose a recipe and assemble the ingredients.  Pour them into a medium-sized bowl.  The steam should be warm enough that you can feel the heat rise off of it.  Anything over 140 degrees is too hot and could burn you.  Pull your hair out of the way.  Drape a towel over your head and the bowl to catch the steam.  Relax and enjoy your steam for about 10 minutes.  Afterwards, apply a mask (see below).


~ Create facial masks.

     Oatmeal: This mask works well on all skin types.  If your skin is dry, use whole milk or cream, otherwise stick to low fat or nonfat milk.  The oatmeal will leave your skin feeling soft and toned.
     - 3 Tbsp. regular, uncooked oatmeal, ground to a fine flour.
     - 2 Tbsp. milk or cream.

Combine the ingredients in a small bowl.  Pull your hair off your face. Apply the mask all over your face and neck (if you like), avoiding your eye area.  Let the mask work for 10-15 minutes.  Use your washcloth to gently wipe the mask off your face, shaking the bits of mask into the trash (a trick to avoid clogged drains).  Once it's almost all off, rinse your face in warm water. 
     Yogurt: A good choice if you have sensitive skin.  The yogurt and cucumber combine to leave your skin feeling soft and gently toned.  Choose whole milk yogurt if your skin is dry, otherwise nonfat or low fat will work the best otherwise.
     - 1/4 cup yogurt
     - 1/4 cucumber, peeled.

Place the yogurt and cucumber in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.  Pour it into a bowl and use a cotton pad to pat the mask all over your face.  It will be a little runny.  Let the mask work for about 10 minutes before rinsing off.


After you're all done:
~ Drink herbal tea.   Try chamomile to help you relax even more or ginger and lemon to invigorate you!

Sweet dreams <3

Rachel


*All recipes taken from "The Natural Beauty Book: Create Your Own Natural Spa Experience" by Anne Akers Johnson.

*Images copyright of GoogleImages.*