By now you all know how much those of us here at
A Girl's Gotta Spa! adore spa treatments, we practically live for them. But we can all agree that spa treatments are not always budget friendly, so I am always looking for ways to get the results of spa treatments without shelling out a fortune. Lately I've been experimenting with a few DIY at home (or in the sauna at the gym) spa treatments and I thought I would share two of my favorites with you. I do have to warn you that you may get strange looks from a few people...just be prepared.
I love getting weekly
deep conditioning treatments for my hair, but at about $50 per treatment and add in the cost of haircuts and coloring--and I would be devoting a good portion of my monthly income to my hair. So instead of going to the salon for deep conditioning treatments, I cart my deep conditioning treatments with me to the gym on the days I plan on using the sauna. While in the sauna I just apply whatever deep conditioning treatment I feel like my hair needs that week (a restructuring mask, hydrating treatment or nourishing oil) to my hair, wrap it in a towel and just sit there for 10-15 minutes and let the heat do its work.
Another treatment I do while in the sauna is a face mask (again either hydrating, deep cleansing or exfoliating.) I wait until about 5-10 minutes before I plan on getting out of the sauna then apply the mask. My favorite to apply while in the sauna is the
Kate Somerville Exfolikate Intensive Exfoliating Treatment because I have noticed a big difference between using this in the sauna and just using it at home. Yes, it tingles
more because the heat loosens the debris in my pores a lot more than just using it at home. My skin also looks and feels cleaner and brighter after I use this treatment in the sauna.
Whenever I use the sauna at the gym I always leave feeling a lot more relaxed and cleansed...very similar to the feeling I get when I leave the spa. So combine that feeling of relaxation with a few mini sauna beauty treatments and you've almost got yourself a bonafide spa experience...minus the plush robes, soothing music and so on, but you'll have better looking hair and skin without the spa price tag.
Just don't say I didn't warn you about the perplexed looks might receive from a few people.
To take advantage of the tropical weather in South Florida, co-founder of the Caribbean Spa Association, Florida’s Spa Superhero and Viceroy Miami’s Spa Director, Alena Stavnjak, likes to use ingredients that are indigenous to the area in her homemade sugar scrubs.
One of Alena's favorite DIY spa treatments is a citrus-infused coconut oil sugar scrub that leaves the skin feeling hydrated and soft. We adore citrus at A Girl's Gotta Spa! for its energizing fragrance that is sure to boost your mood year round. Coconut oil is high in vitamin E, penetrates the skin better than any other oil and is also good for nails and hair. Best of all, this citrus-infused coconut oil sugar body scrub is simple to make at home!
Here is the recipe:
Ingredients:
¼ c. granulated brown sugar
½ c. coconut oil
1 T. citrus fruit zest (grapefruit, lemon or orange)
Preparation:
Mix ingredients together and use about a handful to exfoliate the skin based on preference. Remove in the shower, pat dry and then moisturize skin. (Alena recommends the Mimosa Champagne oil by Eminence Organics.) This scrub will create a slippery surface in your bathtub, so use caution.
Let us know if you try it! You might also like A Girl's Gotta Spa! Energizing Citrus Salt Scrub.
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