With being quarantined and all, one of the things I miss is going to the spa. Once a month I would go for a massage and roughly every two months, I would go for the full treatment of a facial, body scrub and massage, so I decided to plan a Spa day at home. The first idea was for Darryl and I to have it on the same day but then who would pamper who and who would relax.
Then, I decided to split our days. He would have his spa day first so that I could set the example of how it should look. He is really good at following directions and taking it to the next level.
Preparation:
There are a few things you may need to purchase but most things you probably have at home. Here’s what you’ll need: waffle robes, cozy pajamas for afterwards, comfy slippers, several towels, infused socks, pumice stone, candles, essential oils (ex: lemongrass, lavender, eucalyptus), downloaded zen playlist, lemons, fresh mint leaves, water, snacks (ex: stuffed dates, apricots, chocolate covered strawberries), tea (they always offer ginger tea at my spa and I love it), routine facial products (cleanser/scrub, toner, cream, serums, moisturizer), cucumbers, massage oil, massage stone, bath bomb, bubbles, and rose petals. Don’t forget a body brush.
I found some exfoliating foot socks which I had never tried before but they work really well. I also purchased a Neutrogena face mask from the grocery store. They were inexpensive and smelled wonderful. I found a Zen playlist on Spotify and used that instead of youtube because youtube has gotten ridiculous with the amount of ads and commercials they play. Commercials would have killed the mood. We used the mint leaves and lemons for infused water. I recommend the bath bombs from Lush. The grocery store sold me two roses and chopped off the stems for me to use the petals. When Darryl went to the store for my spa day, they had rose petals in a bag already and were cheaper than buying the actual roses. So ask the store if they have a bag of rose petals you can purchase. I made my own lip scrub from coconut oil, sugar and honey, my own body scrub using coconut oil, ground coffee, sugar and cinnamon and my own foot scrub using epson salt, coconut oil and peppermint oil.
Set up:
Clean a room and set the mood. We used our guest bedroom and bathroom and put everything personal away. Ambiance is not complete without the right lighting and candles do the trick. Prepare all the material ahead of time so that everything runs smoothly. Researching how to massage your mate is crucial. This is where Youtube and Pinterest help. Light the candles all around the rooms and place the rose petals everywhere including in the bath tub. Draw a warm bath. Use an oil burner for aromatherapy. Lemongrass will have the room smelling like a real spa. Make your treats ahead of time including the snacks, infused water, and tea. Set up all the products that you will be using. Boil some water in a large pot for a face steam. After the water is boiling, turn it off and add a few drops of essential oils like eucalyptus and lavender. Heat up your massage oil and stone. Have a rolled up towel to place under your guest head or a travel pillow will also work. Have a chair for you to sit on or a pillow to kneel on depending on the height of the bed. Dress in soft, sexy material so that it feels good brushing up against your mate and you’re home so why not dress sexy. Set a time for your guest, adjust the room temperature. Turn on the music and when ready invite your guest in to the oasis.
The Experience:
As mentioned before, it is best to have the spa days on a different day so that each person has a day to actually relax and be pampered by the other. Darryl out-did me with the ambiance as he created a creature out of towels.
Begin with a dry brush to brush away dead skin and get the blood flowing. Have your mate lay on the bed and start dry brushing them from the feet up towards the heart, when you get to the neck and shoulders brush down towards the heart. Have him/her drink a glass of room temperature water.
After they’ve been thoroughly brushed, take them into the bathroom and sit them down. Cleanse and exfoliate their face and lips. Use a soft bristle tooth brush to scrub the lips. Then have them lean over the hot pot of water and oil with a towel draped over their head for a 5-10 minute face steam. Don’t have the candles too close to the steam pot, or you might burn the towel. (learn from my mistake)
Following the steam bath, have them get into the bath tub. Apply the face mask and cucumber and allow them time to relax and unwind. Check on them after 10 minutes and offer some water. Tell them to remove the cucumbers, mask and wash themselves and to inform you when they are ready for their scrub.
Now it is time for you to use your diy body scrub and scrub that body from head to toe, using your hands, a loofah or scrub gloves. Use the foot scrub and a pumice stone to scrub the feet. Have them rinse off with the shower head and wrap their body in a towel. Air drying is best.
Bring them back into the bedroom, offer water and snacks. Then have them lay down on their stomach on the bed. If they appear a little cold cover them with a weighted towel or blanket. Put the exfoliating socks on your mate if you have them. Then gently touch all over their body to get them ready. Begin the massage from the shoulders down, with warm oil, kneading over every body muscle. When you’re done, have them turn over and place a mask over their eyes or a warm cloth and massage all over on this side. Remove the socks and massage the feet too. End with a scalp and moisturizing face massage. Don’t forget the hands. A hand massage feels so, so good. When they are ready, they may dress themselves in the pj’s and/or robe and enjoy a hot glass of ginger tea. They should sleep really good tonight.
If you get a snore out of your mate, you’ve succeeded. It will be a day you both will cherish and you might even add SPA DAY at HOME into a yearly or even monthly routine.
Teaching Abroad- American Teacher Overseas 