Spa day at home

This isn't to say you need to turn your bathroom into an elaborate wellness retreat, though. A spa day at home can be as simple as popping on a sheet mask or investing in a muscle-soothing soak to ease tightness from sitting at your makeshift desk (read: couch) all day. Plus, if you've got the means, it's also good time to think of your neighborhood spas that have been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Right now, you can help keep them in business by purchasing vouchers or ordering some of their in-house products.

Ahead, we asked estheticians, spa owners, and other experts in the art of self-care to share their best DIY spa tips and home spa treatments for you to try. Sure, there's no comparison with the massage you'd get at five-star resort, but we'll take all the little luxuries we can get.

Do a dry-brushing session.

We often turn to Joanna Vargas, celebrity facialist and founder of Joanna Vargas Salons and Skin Care, for her trusted advice on glowy skin. Her spa treatments are guaranteed to help you unwind (while also providing beauty benefits), and you can easily re-create some of her favorite tips at home. “I love dry brushing with my Ritual Brush for a full-body exfoliation,” she says. “Dry brushing increases blood flow and stimulates collagen production, which will help to strengthen your skin. It also dramatically increases elasticity, so it's great for lifting and toning." 

She recommends starting at the tops of your feet and brushing upward toward the heart. "Don't forget to include the backs of your arms and your back,” she adds. Do it right before you step in the shower, then proceed with your usual routine.

Combine your bath and mask time.

“After my kids have all gone to sleep, I sometimes feel like I haven’t had a moment alone the whole day,” says Vargas. “Before bed, I like to wind down with a bath, and I love combining a great bath with a mask.” To make her bath more spa-like, she tosses in aromatic chamomile and rosemary, which help calm and hydrate skin. While she's soaking, she'll grab a mask from her Glow-to-Go Mask Set. “They're loaded with enough serum to treat your whole face, neck, and chest,” she says. 

Drift off with a one-minute hand massage.

“My hands have been so dry and sensitive from all the handwashing lately,” says Vargas. To soothe them, she applies the lavender and honey-scented Burt's Bees Hand Cream right before bed. “The shea butter is great for soothing and repairing overnight,” she says. You can also squeeze in a quick hand massage as you work the cream in. It's an easy way to add some self-care to your evening.

Make a DIY matcha mask.

Vargas possesses a wealth of knowledge when it comes to whipping up face masks in your kitchen. “I have a great recipe in my new book, Glow From Within, for a matcha glow mask," she says. “It strengthens your capillary walls and increases circulation, giving your skin a smooth, pillowy softness.” To DIY it, mix 1½ teaspoons water, 1 tablespoon matcha or green tea, 1½ teaspoon honey, and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Apply it for 10 minutes, then rinse off to enjoy the hydrated results.

Light a candle during your next bath.

It might seem obvious, but when was the last time you took three extra minutes to light a candle before hopping into the tub? “I've started trying to slow down during my shower time instead of racing through to be out in five minutes,” says Glamour senior beauty editor Lindsay Schallon. “One thing that helps me focus on self-care—instead of the dozens of Slack notifications coming through each morning—is lighting a candle and taking a few deep breaths in front of it.” Any candle that brings you joy will do the trick, but she particularly loves one with a sense of personality. “No matter how crappy I feel, anytime I pull out this candle from Urban Outfitters, my mood is immediately lifted. How couldn't it be?”

Indulge in a bath bomb.

Whether you want something made for Instagram or a scent that'll mentally transport you anywhere but your house, there's a bath bomb for that. “I used to think bath bombs were silly, but then I tried one of Ouai's new Chill Pills and realized the escape I'd been missing,” says Schallon. “They're made with hemp, jojoba, and safflower seed oil, so they leave your skin feeling so soft. Plus, the jasmine and rose scent truly smells like a fancy spa.” 

Soak your feet in bath salts.

“Even though I haven't been walking as much, my heels are still dry and cracked,” says Schallon. To help soothe aches and treat calluses, she loves Asutra's Therapeutic Foot Soak. “It comes in a few different scents, but my favorite is the tea tree and eucalyptus. I've started pouring them into a big bowl of warm water and letting my feet bliss out while I catch up on Netflix at night.” The best part? The soak comes with a pumice stone so you can buff away dead skin like they do at the salon.

Try a cream mask for added moisture.

If you don't have breakouts, but do have dry patches, cream masks are your new best friend. “For dry-skin types, it’s best to use a cream mask since the main benefit is to provide oil-based hydration,” says Rouleau. We love her Pure Radiance Creme Masque, which she swears by to condition and soften. Best of all, it's easy to use. After applying a thin layer, you can either wipe off the excess after 15 minutes or simply leave it on overnight. “It’s great for when you want to give a moist, bouncy look to your skin,” she says. (We always want that.)

Use one-step moisture pads.

Esthetician and founder of Peach & Lily, Alicia Yoon, once convinced me to try an 11-step routine that delivered glass-skin results. For something a lot more manageable, she also has a one-step tip you'll love just as much. “For super-busy or exhausting days, your skin-care routine might be the last thing on your mind,” she says. “The Lazy Day All-in-One Moisture Pads were formulated specifically for those days." Each presoaked round comes loaded with toner, serum, and moisturizer, so you can swipe once and be done. Alternately, you can use multiple rounds on your forehead and cheeks as a mask. “Let them soak in for 15 minutes, remove, pat in, and your super-hydrated skin will have that dewy, postfacial glow,” she says.

post-shower lymphatic body massage.

If you've had a lymphatic drainage massage before, you know how relaxing the process feels. Surprisingly, it's not that difficult to do at home. “To give this drainage a boost, gently massage your body away from extremities and up toward your collarbones,” says Yoon. “For everything above the neck, massage down toward your collarbones using a small amount of pressure.” We love her tip for streamlining the whole process: Just make it part of your shower routine. “A great way to incorporate this massage is to do these motions while applying body wash, or when applying body lotion right after your shower,” she says. Yoon prefers to make it a postshower step with the velvety Aromatica Calendula Juicy Cream.

Glow with the glass-skin massage.

Yoon taught us this quick routine for a nightly glass-skin massage, and we're hooked on the firming, circulation-boosting effects. “Once you nail these moves, all of this takes just a few minutes,” she says. Since you don't want to create drag on your skin, layer on a serum first—Yoon likes the Peach & Lily Glass Skin serum for its silky texture and luminous results. Then follow her instructions:

1. Using two fingers, stroke from the top of your eyebrows up toward your hairline, applying a bit of pressure to help smooth out your forehead lines. Do this across your whole forehead.

2. Lay four fingers flat on each side of your face. Gently glide them from the center of your face out toward your ears, and then sweep down toward your collarbones along the sides of your neck to help with lymphatic drainage. Repeat five times.

3. Place one index finger above your upper lip and the other right below your lower lip. Move them toward your ears, then back the other way. This helps tone the muscles around your lips.

4. Place two fingers on your chin right under each corner of your mouth, then make a V with your index and middle finger as you massage upward. Your cheekbones should land in between the two fingers—this helps sculpt them. (Watch how to do the movement here.) Repeat five times.

5. Using your ring fingers, gently trace your orbital bone (aka your eye socket) to help boost circulation around your eyes. Go around five times.

Create a cleanse-and-exfoliate routine.

Shani Darden, Garnier consulting esthetician and founder of Shani Darden Skin Care, has an unbelievable beauty routine we would love to emulate. (It comes with a five-figure price tag, and it clearly works wonders.) Her advice for at-home facials is much more accessible, so we'll be copying these tips instead. “The first step for any facial is to cleanse,” she says. “I love my Cleansing Serum because it removes all impurities without stripping your skin.” Combine that step with exfoliation once or twice a week, and you're well on your way to glowing. “An essential part of an at-home facial is exfoliating, and I love a chemical exfoliant like the Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Peel Pads," she says. “They remove the dead layer of skin on the surface to brighten and allow products to better penetrate.”

Pair your sheet mask with serum.

Another power combo Darden loves is the sheet mask and serum pairing. “Garnier’s SkinActive Sheet Masks are amazing because they contain half a bottle of hydrating serum to deeply hydrate your skin,” she says. “After masking, follow up with a hyaluronic acid serum—like this one from iS Clinical—to really plump up your skin.”

Give your hands extra TLC.

In addition to hand creams, Glamour beauty associate Bella Cacciatore likes to wind down with a hand mask. “When my nails have been bitten down to a stump and my cuticles are dry and picked over, I like to use this mask as the final step to an at-home mani to seal in moisture,” she says. “The formula instead the foil mittens comprises coconut oil, macadamia oil, shea butter, and rose hip oil to moisturize and soothe dry skin.” The mittens are made using the same technology as space blankets, so the foil locks in your body heat to allow the oils to really penetrate your skin. “After one use my cuticles are soothed, my hands are more presentable, and my skin is as soft as a baby's butt,” she adds.

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Upgrade your shampoo with a scalp and hair treatment.

Another way to make your shower routine feel more like a calming ritual than a normal routine is to sneak in an extra scalp treatment. Leonor Greyl CEO Caroline Greyl has this process down to a science. “Once a week, I apply a fortifying oil like Leonor Greyl Régénérescence Naturelle to my scalp and L'Huile de Leonor Greyl on my ends," she says. After leaving them on for 20 minutes, you can shampoo or rinse them off. The combination smells like summery florals and leaves your hair rejuvenated and shiny. “I don’t blow-dry my hair anymore so it can also have its own time to rest,” says Greyl. 

Upgrade your shampoo with a scalp and hair treatment.

Another way to make your shower routine feel more like a calming ritual than a normal routine is to sneak in an extra scalp treatment. Leonor Greyl CEO Caroline Greyl has this process down to a science. “Once a week, I apply a fortifying oil like Leonor Greyl Régénérescence Naturelle to my scalp and L'Huile de Leonor Greyl on my ends," she says. After leaving them on for 20 minutes, you can shampoo or rinse them off. The combination smells like summery florals and leaves your hair rejuvenated and shiny. “I don’t blow-dry my hair anymore so it can also have its own time to rest,” says Greyl. 

Scrub from head to toe.

We've covered facial exfoliants, but the rest of your body could use the same care. “I love using an exfoliation product that really feels like I'm scrubbing dead skin cells away,” says Greyl, who likes this elegant version from Clarins that's loaded with bamboo powder. After stepping out of the shower, she applies more oil to seal in hydration. “My skin has been dryer than usual, so this helps to smooth and hydrate,” she says.

Strengthen your nails.

If you've opted out of gels and manicures right now, you can easily still give your nails the spa treatment. “I removed my gel nails and just let them breathe,” says Greyl. “I apply some oil to them every day now. Personally, I use Regenéréscence Naturelle, but any good oil with fortifying properties will work.” Focus on your cuticles as you work the oil in, and your nails should be in better shape in no time.

Bathe your face in steam.

“Every Sunday night, I look forward to two things: the meatballs cooking since 10 a.m., and steaming my face,” says Glamour beauty assistant Talia Gutierrez. “The warm steam softly penetrates my face, essentially massaging and loosening my pores, which allows any congestion to make its way out.” She personally loves the Dr. Dennis Gross Pro Facial Steamer, since it's made to leave your face plump and hydrated. But she also recommends laying a warm cloth on your face for five minutes to get a similar effect. Bonus if you add a small drop of lavender oil on your temples for an extra-calming effect. 

Deck out your shower.

The easiest way to make your bathroom feel less…bathroom-y? Add plants. “I love eucalyptus in my shower, so much so I'm usually one of the first customers at my local farmers market to grab the best-priced bundle before they're gone,” says Gutierrez. “After explaining its destressing benefits to my roommates, they no longer thought I was crazy by asking to hang leaves on our shower head. I use two rubber-bands, one to wrap the eucalyptus ends together, and the other to connect to the shower head.” She recommends hanging it as high as possible so it doesn't get tangled in your hair. And if you really want to cultivate a spa vibe, look to Instagram for inspo. “Biodara and The Sill have some of the best #eucalyptusshower photos if you need ideas,” she says.

Mix up a calming beverage.

Lee says the best way to make your DIY spa session more relaxing is to add a calming drink with beauty benefits. This is best done before bed—and you can easily add a mask, bath, or face rolling session to the mix. “Falling asleep can be a struggle, so I love using Beauty Chef's Sleep Powder,” she says. “I mix it with warm almond milk, add a sprinkle of cinnamon, and it tastes like a yummy bedtime turmeric latte. Within 20 minutes, I'm drifting off.”