Hotel-Inspired Treatments For An At Home Spa Day

Victoria Franca, ESPA consultant at Acqualina Spa by ESPA, recommends this soothing scrub for dry, flaky hands.

Ingredients:
1 cup of sea salt
½ cup of coconut oil (grapeseed or olive oil also works)
5 to 7 drops of your favorite essential oil

Directions: This quick recipe alleviates dry and flaky hands caused by frequent hand-washing and cold weather by exfoliating the skin and restoring moisture. Pour 1 cup of sea salt into an empty glass container. Add ½ cup of Coconut oil (grapeseed oil or olive oil also works) over the salt. Add 5 to 7 drops of your favorite essential oil. Lavender is recommended for ultimate relaxation. For a full body exfoliation (do not use a salt scrub on your face as it is too abrasive), remember to take a proper shower first. Wash then apply the scrub on wet skin and rub in a circular pattern. Rinse off and pat your skin skin dry without rubbing.

The combination of cucumbers, lemon juice, and olive oil will have your feet feeling moisturized in no time. The cucumber is refreshing and revives tired toes, while the lemon helps exfoliate, and olive oil provides deep moisture for super soft feet.

Ingredients:
• 1 cucumber, cut in half
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 plastic bags

Directions:
Start by cutting and peeling the cucumbers. Pour the lemon juice, olive oil, and cucumbers into a blender and liquify the mixture. Next, divide the mixture into each of the plastic bags. Insert each foot into the plastic bags and massage the mixture in a circular motion and leave on for 15-20 minutes. Finally, clean your feet with lukewarm water.

Walking, running, wearing heels, wearing flats, dancing and being in closed shoes all day long, our feet get tired and need a luxury treatments as well. Spa Manager Hida Shuleta shares 10 easy steps to pampering your feet.

Ingredients:
• One basin to soak your feet, filled with with warm water and foot cleanser
• Small towels
• Pedicure set: nail file, nail clippers, cuticle stick, nail polish, nail polish remover
• Nail polish, base coat and top coat nail polish
• Foot rasp file
• Cuticle oil
• Body scrub
• A scented candle or your favorite music in the background

Directions:
Remove any pre-applied nail polish and soak your feet in the basin with warm water and foot cleanser. Take one foot out; cut and file toenails to the shape of your choice. Use the body scrub to exfoliate your feet, then give it them rinse. Use a foot rasp file to remove any callouses or dead skin. Apply cuticle oil; then put your foot back into the basin. Repeat this process on your other foot.

When both feet are done soaking, take out your first foot out and push back your cuticles using the cuticle stick. Repeat on the other side. Remove both feet from the basin, dry with a towel and apply a foot cream. Wipe away any excess oil from the nail polish remover, and apply your base nail polish on both feet. Apply two coats and finish with a top coat to seal off the nail polish (it will last longer this way). Stay seated and let polish dry for at least 15 minutes.

Spa manager, Arnaud Durrieu, shares everything you need for a relaxing hammam and exfoliating skin treatment.

Ingredients:
• Perfumed essential oil
• Grain body scrub or natural black soap
• Kassa glove
• Body milk or oil

Directions: In your bathroom, turn off the lights, and light some delicately scented candles to create soft lighting. Turn on peaceful music to recreate the experiences of a luxurious spa, ideally with a playlist inspired by the sounds of nature. Draw a warm bath, which will have the same benefits as a professional hammam and add a few drops of perfumed oil into your bath to make your skin soft and velvety. Once you’re in the bath, a few minutes in the water is enough to prepare the skin for a full body scrub to remove dead skin cells. Grain body scrubs are the most common, but you can also use natural black soap and a Kassa glove instead of a scrub. If using soap, lather on the body and let it sink in for five minutes. Then rinse and exfoliate with the Kassa glove. Once you have cleaned your skin, apply a body milk or nourishing oil to moisturize your skin. Take advantage of your time in the bath to apply an exfoliating mask to your face.

Le Sereno Spa and Valmont Cosmetics recommend this lovely at-home bathtub treatment routine to get your body completely relaxed while preparing your skin for maximum hydration.

Directions:
Soak in a hot bath for at least 15 minutes, read a book if that relaxes you, or listen to some music. Clean your face with a facial cleanser. For renewed and luminous skin you can use Valmont’s Purity Bubble Falls. Right after your cleansing step, give your face a delicate massage with a scrub and then apply your preferred toner. Now that your pores are open, hydrate your skin using a serum and a hydrating cream. For long-lasting hydration and a plumping effect, apply Moisturizing Booster by Valmont on your face, neck, and upper chest before the serum. Lastly, apply your favorite body cream for maximum hydration.

The tradition of saunas and cold baths runs deep in Nordic culture. At the very first Swedish bathhouse, founded in 1269, the women who worked there used birch twigs to whip clients’ skin to a tingling pink freshness. But by 1726, bathhouses had fallen into disrepute and were closed down, not re-opening until the 1820s. Respectability restored, the Nordic bathing ritual of today is more gentle and caring. The treatment relaxes tired muscles, detoxes and boosts circulation. The Stockholm archipelago’s proximity to the sea, the islands, and nature is the inspiration be¬hind the Nordic Spa & Fitness at the Grand Hôtel in Stockholm – a spa far from the ordinary. At the Nordic Spa & Fitness center, the Nordic Bathing Ritual is offered as a luxurious a DIY-treatment which you can easily recreate at home.

Ingredients:
• A dry body brush
• Exfoliating scrub
• Nourishing mask

Directions:
• Brush start with your toes and working your way up with the dry body brush. This helps the body to detox and strength¬ens the immune system. Take a shower, washing body and hair.
• Take a cool dip or a cold shower, alternate with a sauna if you have access to one, or hot bath / steam shower. Repeat. This has a rejuvenating effect and is good for the joints, immune system and overall resilience.
• Apply a hair mask with jojoba and olive oil for shine and nourishment. Wrap your hair in a hair towel.
• Apply a face mask containing cloudberries to soothe and moisturize.
• Return to the sauna or hot bath / steam shower and allow the hair pack and face mask to work for 10-15 minutes. Then rinse both off in the shower.
• Scrub again. This time with a cranberry body scrub to fortify and moisturize the skin, leaving it with a healthy glow. Take a nice, warm shower and wash off the body scrub. Avoid soap and hot baths which strip the scrub’s revitalizing oils from the skin.
• Finish off with a few drops of face oil, which adds moisture and protective antioxidants. A face oil with jojoba, sea buckthorn, and melon seed extract is ideal.

Spa manager, Arlene Quiros, recommends this revitalizing coffee scrub for its all natural ingredients. “Coffee is a very important product in Costa Rica, and there are many wonderful uses for it beyond just drinking it,” she says. This natural scrub will remove dead skin cells, leaving a soft felling, and also invigorates the skin as the caffeine is absorbed.

Ingredients:
• ½ cup fresh ground coffee
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup olive or coconut oil
• 2 teaspoons of honey

Directions:
Mix the ground coffee and brown sugar, and add coconut or olive oil, and honey into the mixture. Mix until well combined. Gently rub the mixture over your body, avoiding the eye area, and leave it to soak in for several minutes. Rinse thoroughly to reveal energized skin.

Cassandra Forrest, Capella Singapore’s Auriga Spa director recommends this healing ritual for its simplicity and wonderful range of benefits. "This Himalayan salt scrub treatment boosts detoxification, balances pH levels, and exfoliates and softens the skin," she says. "A balanced pH level on your skin helps to control bacteria levels, prevents acne, premature wrinkles, and slows the sagging of the skin."

Ingredients:
• 1 cup Himalayan sea salt
• ½ cup coconut oil
• 1-2 tablespoon olive oil
• 5 drops of your preferred essential oil

Directions: Combine ingredients in a bowl. Apply to the body in circular motions while in the shower, focusing on elbows, knees, and feet as needed. Rinse with lukewarm water.

Silvia Gámez, a facialist and therapist at Marbella Club’s Thalasso Spa shares her corporal exfoliation mask, inspired by one of the most commonly found fruits in the Marbella Club gardens, the lemon, and the many olive trees found throughout the resort.

Olive oil has long been used for its beautifying benefits. Naturally conserving antioxidants, vitamins, and fatty acids that contribute towards better hydration and elasticity, it also favors proper conservation of cellular membranes and protects the dermis from free radicals. Lemons are rich in vitamin C, but also acts as a natural and powerful antioxidant and regenerator.

Ingredients:
• 4 teaspoons of sugar
• ½ teaspoon of lemon zest
• 5 drops of lemon juice
• 4 teaspoons of olive oil (or 1 teaspoon for every one of sugar you use)

Directions:
Mix the lemon zest with the sugar. This will allow the sugar to completely absorb the essential lemon oils. Add the lemon juice and the olive oil. Mix until completely blended. Take a hot shower to prepare your skin for the exfoliation. Apply the mixture throughout your body, gently massaging using circular motions and focusing on the driest areas of the body, like the elbows and knees. Let the mask soak in for 5 minutes. Rinse with a warm cloth and dry with a towel. Your skin should feel soft.

For an effective skin exfoliation, the secret is in the massage.

Judith Gerls, manager of Vila Vita’s Sisley Paris spa, recommends making a mid-shower body scrub part of your daily routine. This practice will make the skin smoother, more nourished, and most importantly even its texture. “Exfoliation stimulates cell renewal and improves the appearance of marks and spots,” she says.

Ingredients:
• 75ml body oil
• Salt
• Sugar

Directions:
For the scrub: Fill a cup with body oil. Add salt and sugar, in equal amounts, so the mixture is well soaked and below the oil line. Mix well.

Moisten the entire body in the shower, and being your scrub from the bottom, starting with your feet, and work your way up to the arms and torso. Apply the scrub in gentle circular movements, slowly and with light pressure. Leave the scrub on your body for a few minutes to let it sink into the skin. Then rinse off with warm water. Dry the skin and follow the scrub with a moisturizing cream appropriate for your skin type.

This mask revitalizes skin with three key ingredients. Oatmeal helps to draw moisture to the skin, while calming and soothing irritation. Honey and apple cider vinegar both work to maintain your skin’s pH, which helps to protect against damage and bacteria.

Ingredients:
• 1 tablespoon oatmeal (ground oats)
• 1 teaspoon honey
• ½ teaspoon unfiltered apple cider vinegar
• ½ teaspoon water (as necessary)

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. Apply to clean skin in a thin layer and let dry for about 10 minutes. Rinse with warm water, and moisturize skin as desired.

Spa manager Tanya Lopes suggests taking advantage of more time at home to tend to your skin, particularly when you're feeling stressed, and during the changing seasons.

• Additional stress may affect your hormone levels and cause you to have unusual break outs. The best thing to do in these situations is to manage your stress, drink plenty of water, and ensure you follow a good skin care regimen, taking care to manage your skin hydration levels.
• During the transition from summer to autumn, your skin will adapt to the cooler weather, with higher chances of dry lips and general dehydration. Doing a mini facial on yourself weekly will help your skin retain its elasticity and keep your hydration levels up, which is essential to anti-aging.
• Your daily skincare routine should involve cleansing, toning, followed by the application of eye cream, day serum and finally your day cream.
• It is recommended that you don’t use the same skin care brand for more than six months. Try to find at least two brands you prefer and alternate them every 6 months. You will probably find that if you use the same brand for years you stop getting the same effect you did at the beginning. This is because your skin develops an immunity to the active ingredients and stops producing the same results.

Abadia Retuerta LeDomaine’s spa sommelier suggests this Vitamin C Cocktail to recover skin firmness, improve luminosity, fight dark spots, and increase elasticity. When you visit in the future enjoy Vitamin C sun screen provided by the resort while sitting by the pool or strolling through the vineyards.

Ingredients:
• Natura Bissé C+C Vitamin Micellar Cleansing Water
• Natura Bissé C+C Vitamin Body Scrub
• Natura Bissé C+C Vitamin Splash
• Oil-Free Macro-Antioxidant Sun Protection or C+C Vitamin Sheer Fluid SPF25 C+C Oil-Free Macro-Antioxidant Sun Protection or C+C Vitamin Sheer Fluid SPF25

Directions:
Clean the skin in one step with a Vitamin C Micellar Water which is a revitalizing cleanser and make up remover. Exfoliate the skin with a micro granulated citric scrub that works gently on the skin to renew and brighten. Energize and hydrate the skin with a vitamin C boost, that restores energy and vitality to the skin. Finish with the a colour-enhancing firming moisturizer or with a macro-antioxidant sun protection.

Owner and developer of Amazing Space Spa at d’Angleterre Copenhagen, Laura Bonné, shares recipes using fruits and veggies you likely have at home for smoothies, facials, and more.

Cosmofusion Smoothie recipe to energize your skin with vitamins and nutrients
Directions:
Mix one kiwi, one mango and some pineapple pieces in a blender. Add freshly squeezed orange juice and ice cubes. Add 2 tablespoons of Oil Infusion from Amazing Space as an extra nutritional delicacy for the skin – choose from apricot, avocado or grape seed.

Power diet blend for a burst of energy
Directions:
Blend 3 organic carrots, 2 tomatoes, 1 bunch of watercress, 100g of tofu with half a cup of soy or rice milk. Enjoy as a cold soup or warmed up, serve with a couple of rice cakes on the side.

Papaya-based facial peel
Directions:
Fresh papaya can be used as an alternative to hard grain or kernel exfoliators which can sometimes irritate the skin.
Mash or blend the fruit, then apply to the skin and leave for 10-15 mins. Papaya contains enzymes that relieve the skin of dead skin cells.

Mandara Spa manager, Yana Silaeva, suggests aromatherapy treatments that can boost your health, your mood, and even your appearance. "Certain oils may relieve tension and stress, cure depression, fatigue, and migraines," she says. "And mixed with a carrier oil aromatherapy treatments can leave your skin looking younger, visibly lifted, toned and hydrated."

Ingredients: Aroma lamp and your oil of choice:
• For anti-stress treatment: lemon verbena, chamomile, tangerine, or grapefruit
• To combat insomnia: sage, lemon balm, or lavender
• To fight depression, fatigue, migraine, or melancholy: cinnamon, bitter orange, geranium, rose, bergamot, ginger, ylang-ylang, patchouli, eucalyptus, lavender, peppermint, lemon, lime, thyme, marjoram, myrrh, nutmeg, neroli, sage, grapefruit and even wormwood (despite the bitter notes, this herb is considered a strong natural antidepressant)
• For an anti-ageing skin treatment: mix lavender oil with with one egg yolk and honey.

Directions:
1) At-Home Aromatherapy: mix three drops of essential oils in an aroma lamp and enjoy the aroma and a soothing effect on your emotions.
2) Anti-ageing skin treatment: take one egg yolk, one teaspoon of honey and two to three drops of lavender oil. Mix it and apply to clean skin and let it soak in for 15 minutes. 3) Essential oil baths: Draw a bath with warm water and a few drops of oil for a beneficial effect on the skin and a pleasant aroma.