Relaxing at Home in your DIY Day Spa

Relaxing at Home in your DIY Day Spa

Need a day at the spa to really unwind? Why not turn your home into your own DIY Day Spa to unwind and feel better without having to worry about spending money? There are things that you can do at home that will free up your mind and help you feel more balanced as you move through your day.

There are plenty of free tools that can help you to really achieve peace that will help you to move forward in a positive direction and feel really good about your life.

Take Off Your Shoes

Studies have shown that walking barefoot through wet sand or dewy grass is a great way to relax so take your shoes off and head outside for a stroll around the back yard BEFORE you get ready to set the stage for your few hours of spa time at home.

Aromatherapy

Set the stage of DIY Day Spa at Home with some deliciously fragrant aromatherapy infusions around the house. Aromatherapy can instantly have some amazing effects on your awareness. Certain scents like lavender are relaxing, citrus scents will get you moving. Rosemary can stimulate concentration while peppermint will provide invigoration.

Using essential oils, candles and aromatherapy oil diffusers can help you to create a wonderfully relaxing spa effect at home. Essential oils are also great for adding to your bath for some wonderfully relaxing me time. Just add 6-10 drops of your favorite essential oil to warm water, add a cup or two of Epsom Salts, sit back and relax.

Yoga & Pilates

Practicing Yoga or Pilates is one of the best things you can do for your body and the perfect way to complement your beauty therapies during your DIY Day Spa at Home.

The gentle stretching of Yoga can easily loosen up your muscles and tone them.  It is also a great stress reliever. Grab your mat, get on some comfy clothing and take a look at this video to get yourself going:

This is the first in a series called 30 days of yoga to get you started.

a great way to start your 30 minutes of Pilates!

Meditation, Creative Visualization, Mindfulness

A key to a more fulfilling existence is to actively seek the peace that you can tap into within. Meditation can help to clear your mind so that you can get rid of all the things that are blocking your path to inner peace and tranquility. Using creative visualization can help to set up your thoughts so that your perception changes of your life. You DIY Day Spa at Home is the perfect time to practice these techniques.

Mindfulness will ground you and help you to really live in the moment and attract those good things to your life that we all desire and deserve. Training your brain to think differently takes work but the rewards are tremendous. A quick trip over to YouTube can help you to gather material that will help you succeed. You do not need your own personal guru to lead you when you have the internet!

Try these links to help you get started:

These are great relaxation tools to help complement the beauty treatments that you treat yourself during your DIY Day Spa at Home. See our previous articles on DIY beauty treatments or head to our Face Body and Hair pages from some great DIY Day Spa at Home recipes and ideas.

DIY Hot Oil Hair Treatment Recipes

DIY Hot Oil Hair Treatment Recipes

Hair oiling is part of traditional Ayurvedic care as it conditions the hair and scalp, and promotes relaxation. A hot oil treatment retains moisture, treats a dry and itchy scalp, adds body and shine, and softens your hair. It also assists in the prevention of frizz, breakage and hair loss, which is perfect if you want to grow your hair long or after hair loss due to a physical ailment.  If your hair is thin or fine, it might be best to add the oils to a conditioner as oils can be difficult to remove from your hair. Hair oiling works best on medium to thick hair:

There’s no denying that olive oil has many benefits for your body inside and out. Not only is it a fantastic conditioner and moisturizer for hair as it penetrates hair better than other oils, it contains anti-inflammatory properties that promote scalp health and prevent dandruff. Plus, since it’s natural it’s not likely to cause an allergic reaction which make it ideal for sensitive skin and hair. Extra virgin olive oil is rich in mono-unsaturated fatty acids and vitamin E, an antioxidant important for hair growth.

It’s been said that natural coconut oil works better than any over-the-counter treatments because it’s free of silicone, alcohol and other chemicals that can aggravate sensitive skin and hair. It works well for repairing processed, damaged hair and for bringing moisture back to dry hair. Its antifungal properties also makes it a terrific anti-dandruff treatment.

Jojoba oil can be found in many conditioners and moisturizers as its natural properties from the desert plant called Simmondsia Chinensis are superior for skin and hair (it’s known to help acne and reduce scars). Jojoba oil moisturizers and conditions your scalp; is said to help create new hair cell growth; is non-greasy and odorless; non-irritating; antibacterial; deep cleanses follicles, and prevents hair from being brittle and dull.

Items you’ll need:

  • At least three (3) tablespoons of a carrier oil such as jojoba, coconut oil or olive.
  • Four (4) drops of your favorite essential oil, such as rosemary for stimulating and soothing the scalp, or lavender for relaxation.
  • Combine your choice of carrier and essential oils in a small glass jar that can be resealed.
  • Place the jar in a bowl of very hot water until the oil is warm. (If you’re using coconut oil, it may take a little while for it to melt.)

Hot Oil Treatment:

  • Using your fingertips, gently but firmly massage the mixture into your hair and scalp for several minutes. Make sure to apply a little of the blend all the way down the length of your hair to the ends.
  • Wrap your hair with a plastic shower cap or plastic film, then cover it with a warm towel to set the oils.
  • Replace with another warm towel once the first one has cooled. Leave the blend on for at least 30 to 50 minutes as you want the oils to really sink into the hair shaft. You can leave it on overnight, but you should remove the plastic wrap and sleep with a dry towel on your pillow to absorb the oil.
  • When time is up, apply shampoo and thoroughly lather your hair. Rinse the shampoo out, then shampoo a second time to get all the oil out.
  • Rinse well with warm water, then follow with a final rinse of cool water as this cools the scalp and prevents hair breakage.
  • Follow with a light conditioner.

Coconut Oil

  • Warm one-half (1/2) cup coconut until it turns to a liquid consistency.
  • Add two (2) tablespoons rose water, and two (2) drops each of patchouli and ylang ylang essential oils. Mix well.
  • Gently massage about four (4) tablespoons of the oil into your hair and scalp.
  • Wrap your hair in a towel and allow the oils to penetrate for a minimum of 30 minutes.
  • Shampoo twice and rinse as usual then condition with a light conditioner.
  • You can even leave it in overnight to allow your hair to drink up the oil.

Jojoba Oil

  • Warm the bottle of jojoba oil in hot water for 10 to 20 minutes.
  • Pour about one (1) teaspoon of oil in your palms, and massage evenly through your hair and down to your scalp.
  • Massage your scalp gently until you feel relaxed.
  • Wrap hair in warm towel for 30 to 50 minutes, then shampoo twice and rinse well with warm water.
  • Follow with a light conditioner.

Olive Oil

  • Add olive oil and a drop of your favorite essential oil to your regular hair conditioner for a deeply hydrating hair mask.
  • Or massage olive oil into your hair all the way to the ends.
  • Wrap hair in a warm towel for about 30 to 50 minutes; then shampoo. Some people like to leave the olive oil on overnight and then shampoo in the morning.
  • Use a light conditioner after your oil treatment.

For fabulously silky soft hair, continue using a hot oil treatment for your hair and scalp once a week as a part of your regular routine.

 

DIY Body Butter Recipes: How to make your own body butter

DIY Body Butter Recipes: How to make your own body butter

If you want beautiful baby-soft skin all over,  moisturizers like body butters are an indulgent way to hydrate your skin. By adding a few drops of your favorite essential oil, they become the perfect vehicle to scent your body with delectable fragrances while making your skin oh-so-touchable. So we have included instructions on how to make your own DIY body butter with two wonderful recipes.

How to Make Home-made Body Butter

  • Place carrier oils, vegetable oils, beeswax, and Shea or cocoa butter in a heatproof glass mixing bowl inside a saucepan.
  • Keeping stirring the ingredients over medium heat until they’ve melted and blended well. (It takes a little while for the beeswax to completely dissolve, so be patient.)
  • Remove mixture from heat and stir in vitamin E oil, essential oils, or vanilla extract.
  • Whip with an electric handheld mixer for a few minutes until a butter-like consistency is attained, or the mixture forms peaks.
  • Fill a clean glass jar (not plastic as body butter can pick up smells) with the butter, and allow to come to room temperature.

Geranium and Ylang Ylang Body Butter

1/2 Tblsp. cocoa butter
1/2 Tblsp. beeswax, either grated or in pellets
4 drops vitamin E oil
2 Tblsp. coconut oil
2 Tblsp. almond oil
1/4 tsp. glycerin
25 drops geranium essential oil
12 drops ylang ylang essential oil

Vanilla Body Butter

1/4 cup sweet almond oil
2 Tblsp. coconut oil
1 oz. beeswax, either grated or in pellets
2 tsp. Shea butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Home-made body butters will keep for about three months at room temperature. However, those that contain coconut oil may soften in the summer, so if this happens just put the butter in the refrigerator. You’ll have plenty left over to continue using. And the fragrance will remind you of the relaxing benefits you’ve treated yourself to throughout the day. For more info on how to make you own body butter, watch the video below:

Or for more tips on how to treat your body head to our Body page.

TIP: Apply your body butter to your skin while it is still wet after stepping out of the bath or shower. You will only need a very small amount as body butter will glide over your skin. What’s more your skin absorbs moisturizing products better when its wet.

5 Great DIY Gift Ideas for Mother’s Day

5 Great DIY Gift Ideas for Mother’s Day

Coming up with the perfect gift idea for Mother’s Day is never easy and it is especially challenging if you have a tight budget that you need to stick to. If having been looking for the perfect way to show your Mom how much she means to you, but also come up with a thoughtful gift that will not drain your bank account, it might be time to consider the DIY approach to Mother’s Day.

There are some great gifts that you can make on your own that your Mom will adore just because it was made by you. You can also ensure that your Mom feels extra special by making all natural beauty treatments that allow her to pamper her skin. They are super easy to make so you still have time to spoil your Mom with a wonderful gift that’s extra special as its made with love.

Here are the 5 top DIY Mother’s Day gifts that you can try out to pamper Mom this year:

All Natural Body Scrub

If you are looking for a Mother’s Day gift that will treat your Mom, it’s a great idea to make a body scrub. Body scrubs can be really easy to make on your own and only require a few ingredients.

A very popular all natural body scrub that you can make yourself consists of ingredients that you probably have in your home such as coffee grounds, baking soda, sea salt, or sugar. Each one of these ingredients provides the right amount of exfoliation while also not being too abrasive for the skin. You would then mix one of these ingredients with your favorite moisturizing oil such as jojoba, argan, or almond.

Here’s a very simple recipe with ingredients you may already have in the kitchen:

You will need:

  • 1/2 cup brown sugar,
  • 1 tablespoon orange oil or the juice of half an orange
  • The content of one vitamin E capsule

Mix all the ingredients together in oil a bowl until well combined. Transfer the scrub to a mason jar and decorate with ribbons, string or stickers.

Fragrant Whipped Body Butter

You can also make your Mom a home-made body butter that she will love to make her skin feel smooth. Instead of buying an expensive body butter, you can make one from home using minimal ingredients. The vanilla body butter is a favorite for many.

All you need is cocoa butter, coconut oil, an essential oil such as lavender, rose geranium or ylang ylang and vanilla bean. You will need to start whipping the coconut oil, and then add a essential oils to make the body butter extra moisturizing and fragrant. Then add a few drops of as vitamin E oil for extra antioxidant action which also acts as a natural preservative.

The secret to making this body butter rich and smooth is by whipping the mixture thoroughly by using an electric mixer. This recipe creates the most luxurious body butter that is also completely natural and inexpensive!

Decorate the home-made body butter in a glass jar with string, ribbons, flowers or stickers.

Watch this great video for more for detailed instructions and more ideas.

Anti-Aging Facial Serum

It is also possible for you to make a high quality facial serum for your Mom on mother’s day that will help to lessen the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Serums for your face can be ideal and a bit better than creams or lotions if your Mom happens to have dry skin. An anti-aging facial serum is perfect for the Mom that deeply nourish her skin and prevent the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. If you can’t find all the oils mention below, just add lavender. The best part about a lavender facial serum is that lavender oil is easy to get your hands on (make sure you choose a quality lavender oil).

You will need:

  • 1 oz apricot kernel, avocado or almond oil
  • 5 drops lavender oil
  • 5 drops geranium oil
  • 2 drops sandalwood oil

Mix all the ingredients in a glass amber bottle and decorate. Affix a label  with instructions to shake well before use. he oil blends will keep for a number of weeks. In summer it is best to keep them in the refrigerator.

You can find more great facial serum recipes at our Face page.

Scented Bath Soak 

Bath time is the perfect time to relax and unwind. Allow your Mom to escape to her own personal Day Spa at Home where she can let all her tensions and cares melt away. This gift idea is perfect accompanied by a deliciously scented candle. Mom can play some relaxing music, light a candle and enjoy a nice glass of wine.

  • Take 1 cup sea salt, or Epsom salts or a combination of the two.
  • 10 drops essential oil such as lavender, rose geranium, ylang ylang or a combination
  • 1 teaspoon avocado oil.

Mix all ingredients well and store in mason jar or a decorative glass bottle. You can add some natural food coloring to brighten the color. Just add a drop, mix thoroughly and add a drop more at a time to get the color intensity you want.

For those who have a bit more time to spend, bath bombs are a wonderful treat. Watch this great video for a wonderful recipe and instructions on how to make:

Scented Reed Diffuser

You can transport your Mom’s senses to a Day Spa at Home with beautifully aromatic Reed Diffuser which will be all the more special because you made it yourself. Choose her favorite essential oil to uplift and delight setting the mood many special moments in the months to come.

You can buy reeds at most craft shops and cut them to fit in a small decorative jar that you have filled with your favorite essential oil and some alcohol. Use 12 drops of essential oil and 2 tablespoons of alcohol place the reeds in the container let them soak for about 1 hour then flip the reeds over.

For more great ideas for DIY home fragrance head to our Fragrance page.

Thankfully, there’s still enough time to make some all natural DIY Mother’s Day gifts without any chemicals, additives, or other harmful ingredients, which your Mom will just love!

Guilt-Free Raw Cacao Smoothie Recipe

I just love smoothies. They are so easy to make and you can add so many health and beauty boosting ingredients all in the one recipe. You can spice them up as well with ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg or your favorite herbs such as peppermint, spearmint or lemongrass.

This guilt-free raw cacao smoothie is just loaded with health and beauty boosting goodness from these delicious ingredients.

You will need

  • 1 medium sized banana
  • 1 small avocado
  • 2 tablespoons raw cacao powder
  • 1 tablespoon maca powder
  • 1 teaspoon maple syrup (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon natural vanilla essence
  • ½ cup coconut milk
  • Sprinkling of cinnamon or nutmeg
  • Ice cubes

How to make

Cut the banana in slices and use some of the slices to line a mason jar. Scoop out the avocado flesh and place in a blender with the remaining banana and other ingredients into a blender. Pour into the jar and garnish with chopped nuts (only if you are not allergic) or you could garnish with blueberries, mint or shavings of coconut flesh. Delish!

6 Simple Tips to Help You to Fit More Into Your Life

6 Simple Tips to Help You to Fit More Into Your Life

I hear so often from my friends, colleagues as well as clients, that they are feeling totally overwhelmed and exhausted due to all the demands and stresses of modern life.  Many say they feel like they are on auto-pilot and not as motivated as they used to be.  For some, their work has lost its purpose everything has become such an exhausting effort.  And then there are those who spend more time looking after everybody else first, not having the time to think even about the desires and needs of their own.

Do you find that you are always so busy, tired, stressed out and are you frustrated, feeling like you need some time out all to yourself? There is so much to do, so many obligations and so little time to do it in. Well, you are not alone.

Let me let you in on a little secret that has helped me fit so much more into my life. It was a piece of advice that I was given once when I was very overwhelmed myself. It’s so simple, but it is SO effective.

Are you ready for it?

You’ve got to slow down to speed up!

So, what does that mean?

When you are stressed and busy, you can’t think clearly. When you are calm, poised, serene and connected to yourself, it’s like you’ve got more hours in the day. When you are calm, you develop the capacity to do more, be more and experience more in your day.

So here are my simple six tips to help you to calm down to speed up to enable you to fit more into your life!

1. Create a morning ritual

I used to answer about ten emails or messages and check all my social media apps before even getting out of bed in the morning. But starting the day off like this often sets a negative tone for the day, and I now know that most issues can wait. I’m learning that I’m much happier when I take 45 minutes to wake up slowly, spend time in my garden and shower before checking email.

Create a morning ritual to help set your “vibe” for the day. So many of us are living on auto-pilot and just reacting to whatever happens to us throughout the day. If you watch the morning shows you’ve already been subjected so much bad news before your day has even started. This puts you into a negative “vibe” with a negative filter. Your brain will start to seek out negativity.

Why does this happen? Have you ever decided that you want to buy a car and the moment you decide on a make and model, you begin to see that car everywhere? You may not have noticed that they were everywhere before, but now that you’ve set your “intention” to buy the car, similar cars just seem to pop up.  This is because the part of the brain known as the Reticular Activating System automatically seeks out the information that you placed your “intention” on and brings it to your attention. Find out more about the Reticular Activating System here.

Write a list of the 10 things that you are grateful for. I do this as part of my morning ritual. Make sure you think of 10 different things every day. When you are in a grateful mindset you, increase your contentment and life satisfaction. Having an “attitude of gratitude”  improves mood by boosting your feelings of optimism, enthusiasm, and happiness in your life.

2. Incorporate a meditation practice every day.

I start every morning with a short 10-minute meditation using an app called OmHarmonics. The meditation helps me visualize the things I’m most grateful for and allows me to reduce negativity and design my perfect day. I find that early morning meditation increases my self-awareness and helps me put into perspective what really matters. This practice helps me start the day more positive, energetic and happy.

Meditation helps us counteract the stress we all face on a daily basis. By detoxing the mind and letting go of thoughts and feelings that don’t serve us, meditation helps us reduce stress and all of its negative effects, allowing us to have the capacity to fit more into our day.

You can start off by just doing this for five minutes every day and build up to 20 minutes of meditation on mindfulness every day. Try to do this at the same time every day and make it a ritual. I usually do this as part of both my morning and evening rituals.

3. Do something relaxing that you love regularly

Do something you love, something that you really love and savor every moment you are doing it. You can be something as simple as taking a bath, or listening to beautiful music or indulging a hobby such as gardening, painting or taking in the sights of a beautiful view. If you have a pet, spend some time playing with or cuddling them. Or if you have children spend some quality time or play time with them.

Write a list of all the relaxing things that you would love to do. All those things that you’ve meant to do but haven’t gotten around to yet. After you have done this schedule them into your calendar and set reminders. Keep your list of things that you would love to do somewhere where you see it often. This will remind you of the things you love to do so that when you are busy you can easily refer to this list.

Try to do one thing each day no matter how small, just because it makes you happy. You’ll be flooding your body with “feel good” endorphins and feeling great.

4. Disconnect the devices and Re-connect with nature

We spend far too many hours in front of a screen or hunched over our phones these days. Switch everything to air-plane mode and disconnect from the constant social media and email alerts for about one hour a day and re-connect with nature. You can sit under a tree at lunchtime and read a book or walk barefoot on the grass or wet sand. Go for a swim in the sea or lay down and simply watch the clouds in the sky.

Our bodies respond to touch, whether from other human beings or the earth. The texture of sand, earth, or the grass underneath our feet or back or the protective canopy of a huge tree above our heads helps us to ground ourselves and reconnect with the natural environment that surrounds us. Be in the moment paying attention to all the sights, sounds, smells, and sensations that you experience. This is such simple a thing to do that can be invigorating we so often overlooked in our busy digital worlds.

5. Keep a journal

Keeping a journal is a wonderful tool for self-examination, goal setting and celebrating your successes. You can use it to track your progress, encourage yourself and especially when you are trying to encourage better self-talk. It is a great outlet for dealing with challenges and a place where you can process your thoughts. It really helps to get some feelings that you have bottled up inside out and on paper. I have found I have gotten to know myself better by keeping a journal and by writing down my thoughts have more understanding about how I feel about things.

6. Schedule in some more “me time”.

Think of some ways you could schedule in more “me time” and the practice self-acceptance and self-love. It could be having a massage, relaxing at a beach or giving yourself at home beauty treatments. Having a Day Spa at Home at home is an excellent way to do this so schedule in some “me time” regularly for relax, restore and rejuvenate.

I hope you have enjoyed hearing the simple ways you can slow down to speed up and if you got something out of this feel free to share, like or comment. I’d love to hear your thoughts and your stories.

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