Dreaming of a spa day? When life gets too busy, the next best thing is turning your bathroom into an at home spa.
From something as simple as lighting a candle, to having a super luxurious bubble bath, or giving an LED face mask a go, these are the things keeping us going at the moment.
We spoke to skincare expert Ez Dyer to find out her best at home spa tips, and how to do a salon-worthy facial from the comfort of your own home.
Create a peaceful space
Before you start, create a peaceful space of your own. It could be your bedroom, or I like to do mine in the bathroom, but it must be a space that is completely yours.
Wherever is it in your house, you need to be able to lock yourself away for an hour and feel completely at ease, knowing you won’t be interrupted.
Set the mood
Put some music on. You can find lots of spa playlists on Spotify, but a friend recently recommended a pianist called Alexis Ffrench to me.
His music is so calming, I’ve been playing that a lot lately. It’s really good music for when you’re in the bath, or just to have on in the background while you’re doing your treatments.
Listening to music also means you’re less likely to be on your phone, so you’re giving yourself a break from screen time and allowing yourself to fully relax.
Use calming scents
Light your favourite scented candle, and if you’re in the bathroom and are running a bath, I love to fill the room with calming smells like sandalwood, lavender and vanilla.
This could be through bath oils or bubble bath, whatever you choose to use. Personally, I like to put everything in. Altogether, it’s the perfect indulgence and it really helps to moisturise my skin.
Bath oil is my top tip for feeling fully moisturised. I love the Soothing Bath Oil by Neal’s Yard (£15).
Once you start breathing in all the essential oils, your nervous system is already calming down – and breathing itself is a rebalance of the whole body. Really make sure you are calm before starting.
Invest in an LED mask
If you’re having a bath or shower, do the treatments afterwards.
Make sure you cleanse your face first – double cleanse if it’s in the evening – and once your face is clean, I like to put on an LED face mask, which you leave on for about 10 minutes.
Using this is all about skin rejuvenation. It’s healthy ageing, not anti-ageing, and helps build the collagen and elastin back up in your skin, reduce wrinkles, increase blood flow, and produces serotonin, which makes your skin and you feel happier. It will make you glow.
You can use this every day if you want, or 3-4 times a week would be more than enough. It’s a great thing to have in between facial treatments, and with people not being able to have them in real life at the moment, it’s probably the best at home spa product you can invest in right now.
The price might seem a lot to spend upfront (£349) – but over a year it works out much less than the cost of one facial per month.
You can also take it with anywhere with you as it’s battery charged. I always do a full facial on a flight.
Liquid exfoliation
Next I would exfoliate. If you’ve got sensitive skin, try and avoid using scrubs as they can aggravate it more.
Opt for a liquid exfoliator instead, which you put on with a cotton pad and wipe over your face.
It’s quick and easy, and the product ingredients stay on your face to work over time.
Exfoliators don’t always have to be harsh products. You can buy natural exfoliators such as Skinfoliate by Jane Scrivner (£26) which I love.
Don’t be scared of face oil
One of the biggest myths about face oil is it will make your skin more oily, when in fact what it does is nourish it, and targets what is needed.
It’s also a must if you are doing any kind of facial massage. You need your hands to glide, not cause friction. You can do this with a roller, but I prefer to do it with my fingers so you can really get in everywhere.
There’s always the option to wash the oil off before you put anything else on your skin, which I prefer to do. You could also use a multi-balm or overnight mask instead of oil.
My recommendations for a face oil would be Jane Scrivner Skin Elixir Balance Nourish Face Oil (£29) or the Jane Scrivner Nourishing Cleanser (£46) which comes in the form of a balm.
Use a hydrating face mask
After a facial massage, you have the choice to put on another mask, such as a mud mask.
I always go for a hydrating mask to give my skin that extra boost of hydration and glow.
If your skin is feeling a bit congested you could also use a clay mask, which gives more targeted skincare.
Hydrogel Face Masks can be used alone or underneath your LED Mask should you wish.
Moisturise luxuriously
You should always end your facial with a luxurious moisturiser, and for me, I need it to smell nice as it always helps me sleep.
To finish the spa treatment off nicely, lather your body in a rich oil or moisturiser, to feel like you’ve really given yourself the best experience.
My recommendation for a luxurious face moisturiser is most definitely the Jane Scrivner ‘OO’ (Over Oil) Cream (£39) – it smells so good!
Ez is a skincare expert who specialises in skin confidence. Find out about the treatments she offers at ezdyer.com. You can follow her on Instagram @ez_dyer
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