Spa Day at Home

By Rippan Sandhu

It can seem pointless to pamper yourself when you’re working from home and have nowhere to go but the grocery store — no judgement from us, we get it! For many of us before self-isolation, taking the time every day to do our make up, bathe, and do our nightly skincare routine is valuable me-time between work and family, now it may seem slightly futile to put in the effort. In times like these, it may be a simple shake up of your routine that’s required to remind you that for many women, skincare is about more than looking after your skin, but looking after your mind.  Self-love is both the purpose and the motivation for me-time, so if you’re losing the inspiration and urge to invest those quiet ten minutes at the beginning and end of your day in yourself, we’ve put together these four simple DIY facial and body treatments to help you fall in love with your routine again. All this requires is a deep dive into your pantry/fridge, and a little mixing with your hands! If you have a daughter staying in from school, these recipes are also perfect for a little mum-and-me home spa day! 

Olive oil

Rich in Vitamin E and a mass reducer of oxidative stress on hair and skin, it’s no wonder why the Ancient Greeks and Romans used this fragrant oil for every step of their hygiene routine! If you’ve put on make up for a work conference or call (maybe you’ve also run out of make up remover!) this is the perfect oil to take off your mascara without rubbing on your lashes. One or two drops of virgin olive oil will do the trick — and hey, maybe after this you’ll never go back to make up remover again! If you want to jazz up the humble olive oil, it’s also a perfect carrier oil to thin out stronger, thicker oils such as castor, to use as a hair treatment. Simply mix equal parts olive and castor oil, apply to wet hair, and wrap tightly in a towel. Wash out after an hour or so to reveal moisturised, soft hair!

Shea butter

This anti-inflammatory emollient is something you usually see as an added ingredient in handwash, for good reason. Its moisturising qualities is widely used against dry skin, cracked skin, and even as a preventative measure against dehydrated skin. We love to use shea butter in place of thinner oils or chemical-laden softeners after a wax or shave to soothe irritated hair follicles. For an extended treatment — and if you can stand the odd feeling! — for cracked and hardened feet, try slathering your feet in shea butter and putting on a thick pair of socks before you go to sleep. You’ll come out of quarantine looking like you never walked a day in your life!   

Facial massage

Who says you have to go to a spa for a facial? Learning how to give yourself a facial massage is something that you can take with you out of this social distancing and can take your skincare to the next level by increasing blood flow to the face. While you can do this with a custom massager or a jade roller, this is something you can do just with your fingers — as long as you understand the strokes! Start with an oil of your choice to give your hands some slip — never pull on your skin! — and begin in the centre of your face, working outwards and upwards. Using the tips of your fingers on your cheeks, massage the oil into your skin, pulling upwards towards your temples. Use the knuckles of your fingers to pull up along your jawline to tighten the skin up to the ears. To improve facial contours, use your thumbs to massage upwards under your cheekbones, and to your forehead to erase fine lines. Repeat each action 6 times, and rub the remaining oil into your neck and décolletage

Yoghurt

Yoghurt is rich in lactic acid, a natural exfoliant and moisturiser, and also probiotics, which has a strong effect against acne prone skin. These two elements together in one natural ingredient makes this a perfect, indulgent weekend mask to slather on to prolong your summer glow into the cold weather. We love natural yoghurt with either another liquid — honey gets our vote! — or a brightening powder, such as turmeric or saffron. Simply mix and dilute with a little water — or light oil — until you reach the consistency of your choice, apply, and forget about it! This is a mask that benefits from some time investment — leave it on for up to an hour, and wash off for brighter, more elastic skin!