What do you think of when you hear the word pampering? Do you picture yourself laying in a candle lit spa somewhere exotic while a masseuse pours fabulous smelling oils on you and rubs all of your cares into a nebulous daze? Well, sure, that’s one way to be pampered!
Luckily, you don’t have to travel to far away locations, or seek out candle lit spas to pamper yourself. You don’t even have to leave your home. With a little imagination, you can pamper yourself as often as you want – and it doesn’t even have to be expensive!
Long Hot Baths
Baths are a great way to ease muscle tension and draw toxins out of your skin.
A good old fashioned bubble bath can provide a luxurious experience. Lavender is known to relieve stress and ease muscle tension. Citrus scents are revitalizing, and mints are refreshing. If you purchase an unscented liquid bubble bath soap, and some essential oils, you can create your own blend. Lavender blends well with both citrus and mint. You can also create an uplifting blend of rosemary and citrus. If you feel like you are coming down with a cold, a blend of mint and eucalyptus is excellent to help clear your congestion.
All you have to do to make a great smelling bubble bath is pour the liquid soap into a bowl, add between 20 and 30 drops of essential oils per 8 ounces of soap and mix gently. Pour the solution back into the bottle, pour some into a bath and enjoy!
Bath salts are another option for a long soak in the tub. Salts like Epsom, Dead Sea, and Spa are great for drawing toxins out of your skin. They also help ease sore muscles. You can purchase salts scented or unscented. You can also add essential oils to your bath salts and receive the aromatherapeutic benefits. To mix essential oils and salts, simply pour the salts into a zip-type plastic bag. Add 20 to 30 drops of oils per 8 ounces of salt. Zip the bag shut and knead the mixture to evenly distribute the essential oils. Three to four ounces of bath salt is plenty for one bath. Store the left over bath salts in an air tight container. The scent may fade, so be sure and use your bath salts up in about a month.
Feet Need Love Too
How often do you think about your feet? Probably not as often as they would like! It’s great to pamper your feet when they are sore. For example, after they’ve had a long day of walking, or you’ve been standing on them for a long period of time. But, your feet would probably love a spontaneous pedicure no matter how they feel. Pedicures can be simple, and don’t have to include polishing your toe nails.
Give your feet a nice long soak in some warm water. You can add some Epsom, Dead Sea, or Spa salts to your soak if you like. Soak your feet as long as you’d like. Just make sure it’s long enough to soften the skin. After your soak, you can rub your feet with a pumice stone to exfoliate any dead skin.
After exfoliation, rub on some heavy foot cream. A peppermint scented cream is great to refresh your feet. Then, put your socks on, put your feet up and relax.
Easy Manicures
Our hands do so much during the day. Between typing on the computer, getting our lunch ready, driving our car, and dialing the phone, our hands work hard. They deserve a little break – and a lot of love!
To begin your manicure, soak your hands in some lukewarm water. You can add some soap to this if you want, but plain water is fine to begin the process. Next, exfoliate your skin with a great salt or sugar scrub. These are very easy to make. Combine sugar or salt with a carrier oil like almond, olive, or even canola oil and you’ve got yourself a great scrub. For one manicure, mix a quarter of a cup of salt or sugar and a half a cup of oil. If you have some left over, you can store it in an air-tight container for about a month. Rub the scrub gently all over your hands and rinse.
Next, use some of the oil without sugar or salt to give your hands a great massage. Rub the oil all over your hands and then press your hand muscles and rub firmly in small circular motions with your thumb. Wash the oil off with soap and water. Apply your favorite moisturizer. A great way to deeply moisturize your hands is to apply a thick moisturizer and then put on a pair of manicure gloves. You can pick up an inexpensive pair of these gloves at discount department stores. Leave the gloves on for 15 to 30 minutes. Your hands will feel soft, and your skin and nails will look great!
Pampering does not have to be an extravagant expense. It also doesn’t have to be something reserved only for special occasions at far away locales. You probably have all the ingredients and tools you need right there in your own home. Now, turn off the phone, put the to-do list aside, and take a much deserved hour for yourself.
Samet Bilir writes about technology trends, digital camera reviews, and photography, such as best monitors for photography and digital camera bags. To read more articles from him visit his website at chi-photography.com.
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