No need to book an expensive jaunt to a chic spa to enjoy the benefits of face and body treatments. You can make the perfect spa day at home with some planning and a few pantry items you probably already have on hand.

Prepare your (and your friends’) skin and hair for the coming summer months by hosting a spa day at home for the gals (guys welcome too!). This guide will help you get started.

1. Ambiance

Pick a room or outdoor area in or around the house that is peaceful and quiet. De-clutter the area and set up fresh flowers, large pillows for lounging, and open the windows for a fresh breeze and natural sunlight. Turn on some summer music in the background on low or spa-apropos serene music.

2. Snacks

Devote a corner table with light snacks, such as bite-sized fruits and veggies and dried fruit and nut mixes. Aside the snacks, place cups and a batch or two of infused water.

Infused Water

Ingredients

• 1 cup frozen strawberries
• 1 cup frozen blueberries
• 4 orange curls
• ½ cup rosemary sprigs
• ½ cup fresh mint
• 3-4 cups ice
• 3- 4 cups cold water

Directions

Add all the ingredients together and mix with a spoon. Let sit for at least 30 minutes before serving – the longer it sits, the more flavorful it will be. 

3. The Dry Brush & Shower

Hand out dry brushes and before you send friends off one by one to the shower, show them how to dry brush their skin properly. After three minutes of dry brushing in the shower on dry skin, ask friends to turn the shower on and exfoliate and cleanse with a homemade body exfoliant you have already prepared, multiplying recipe according to number of guests.

Body Exfoliant

Ingredients

• ¼ cup almond flour
• ½ cup oatmeal
• ¼ cup sugar
• Enough full-fat milk to create a thick paste

Directions

Mix all ingredients until well blended.

4. The Gear

Ask each friend to bring her own robe and slippers. When they exit the shower, direct them to undress and slip on the robe. This way they can feel the most comfortable and free.

5. The Hair Station

For each guest, mix ½ an avocado with ½ teaspoon of honey until thoroughly mashed and creamy. Multiply this recipe according to how many guests you have. Apply the avocado cream thoroughly to damp hair, brushing the mixture into each strand. Wrap hair up into a bun and put a shower cap over the hair to allow the avocado cream to sit for about 1 hour, lending its moisturizing power. Then rinse.

6. The Facial Beauty Stations

Cleansing Station

Next, make three separate homemade facial cleansers – for oily, dry, and sensitive skin, respectively – and set them next to a sink or a large bowl filled with water and fresh towels, one for each person. The exfoliation station should be nearby, because directly after cleansing, friends will exfoliate and then rinse. Be sure to replace the water after every use.

Exfoliation Station

For the exfoliation station, lay out small, empty bowls filled with ½ cup of sugar. Next to the sugar bowls, set up labeled oils and essential oils paired with spoons. Under the oils, place a card of written instructions to “Pour enough oil(s) of choice into the sugar bowls until the sugar is pasty but not overly saturated.” Guests should use a carrier or base oil as their main oil, such as jojoba, almond, argan or sesame oil. Then, they can add a few drops of essential oils for fragrance and antimicrobial power. (Suggested essential oils: lavender, sweet orange, neroli, rose, or geranium.) The exfoliation station should be set up on the other side of the sink or large bowl of water. Directly after cleansing, friends should exfoliate and rinse.

Moisturizing Station

Prepare one recipe of each of these four homemade moisturizers – for dry, irritate, oily, and normal skin, respectively. After exfoliating, friends should moisturize according to their skin type.

7. The Rest Station

After the hair masque has been prepared and the face is clean, direct friends to lie down on a soft surface, either on available beds, horizontal tanning chairs, or sleeping bags that have been set up under shade outside or in a quiet room. Provide each friend with a book, or, for the non-reader, two slices of cucumber to place over eyes. Cucumbers are full of moisture and will reduce swelling and make under-eye skin suppler.

Photo Credit: Ftzdomino

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