Imagine this – You’ve had an extremely long day at work; you just can’t wait to get home and rid your mind off the bottomless pit of unfinished tasks. You plop your limp body onto a couch and stay motionless without moving an inch. Your mind tells you this: how great would it be if I could have a relaxing spa session, right here, right now! Fret not, being an expert in the art of Japanese relaxation, I’m ready to pass to you some secret recipes to make your own mask and body scrubs. Best of all, these DIY spa recipes are using things that are readily available at your own home. How convenient is that!
Read on to find out exactly how you can indulge in a top-to-toe spa relaxation experience right at the comfort of your home!
1. Aromatic Foot Soak
Regardless of where you go, it’s those trusty pair of runners that bring you and the rest of your body from place to place. Hard-working Mr & Mrs feet are mostly grounded on the floor and exposed to dust, dirt, grime and much more than you can imagine! Not to mention some of us ladies strut our stuff in those four-inch heels (kudos to feminists!) and enduring that pressure on our poor ankles. No other reason needed, a pampering foot soak is a great way to repent for all the hardships we make our feet go through.
What you need to make foot soak:
1. A plastic bowl (salad bowl if you must, but make sure it’s not used for eating anymore)
2. Warm water to fill the bowl
3. 3 drops of your favourite essential oil (we recommend lavender for deep relaxation)
4. ¼ cup of sea/Epsom salt
5. Foot towel (or any small towel will do)
Fill the plastic bowl with warm water that is ¾ full. Put in 3 drops of your favourite essential oil and ¼ cup of sea/epsom salt.
Soak for about 10 minutes and dry your foot with the towel.
2. Brown Sugar Foot Scrub (or Gula Melaka)
Foot scrub – the sweet cherry on top after a foot soak! Did you know our feet has the thickest skin layer to protect our foot and sole! There’s a downside to having thick skin too… It is the formation of calluses. Calluses are caused by an accumulation of dead skin cells that harden and thicken over an area of the foot. Sounds super gross? Not to worry, you can now customise and make your very own Brown Sugar Foot Scrub (or Gula Melaka) scrub to solve it! Scrub your foot at least once a week to reveal a bright and glowing foot!
What you need to make foot scrub:
1. 1 small bowl (Must be big enough to fill the amount of scrub to use for not 1 leg, but 2)
2. 1 tablespoon of baking soda
3. 1 tablespoon of brown sugar (or grounded Gula Melaka)
4. 1 tablespoon of olive oil (or nice fragrant coconut oil to mix with Gula Melaka)
5. A small towel
Take 1 tablespoon each of baking soda, brown sugar and olive oil into your bowl. Mix these ingredients thoroughly just before your foot soak. Start scrubbing and rinse off with lukewarm water. Dry your foot with the small towel.
3. Citrusy Orange Body Scrub
In our tropical Singapore, we do not experience four seasons. We only experience 80% sunshine and 20% rainy storm which means we are always perspiring. Perspiring will make you all sticky and accumulate a layer of grime and dirt on your skin. Exfoliating leaves your body free of that dark and dull look you’ve been wearing all week. Use your citrusy orange body scrub to reveal a fresh, clean, and rejuvenated skin!
What you need to make body scrub:
1. 1 big bowl (Or a big plastic container from the lunch you have “dabao” earlier)
2. 2 Cups of coconut oil (or olive oil)
3. 1 Cup of White Sugar
4. 8-10 Drops of Orange Essential Oil (Or you can prepare freshly squeezed orange juice)
Fill in your bowl with 2 cups of coconut oil, 1 cup of white sugar and 8-10 drop of orange essential oil. Mix the ingredient and you will have a delicious flavourful body scrub~
4. Oatmeal, Yogurt & Honey Face Mask & Scrub
We couldn’t miss out on caring for the skin on our face! Our face is probably the body part that goes through the most trauma because it is always naked and exposed (Unlike the other areas where it is always covered with clothes). This is the reason and our solution is the plain ol’ oatmeal, yogurt and honey.
Oatmeal will not only make for a delicious and filling breakfast but also it can make your skin look and feel better. It is great for treatment of acne as it helps remove oil and dirt. It also acts as a natural moisturiser for dry skin.
What you need to make face mask & scrub:
1. A small bowl to mix the scrub
2. ½ cup of warm water
3. ⅓ cup of Oatmeal (Choose your favourite brand)
4. 2 tablespoons of Plain Yogurt
5. 2 tablespoons of Honey
Mix the oatmeal with plain yogurt and honey. Leave the mask on for about 5 to 10 minutes. Gently exfoliate and rinse off the mask with lukewarm water.
I hope that you have learnt something useful today. If you do not have the time or lazy to prepare a top-to-toe spa treatment at home, check out our Ikebana Floral Ritual to indulge in one today don’t forget to share it with your girlfriends! *wink*
What’s your favourite DIY spa recipe? Share with us a body scrub or face scrub recipe that you have 🙂
