My weekly spa night is something I look forward to so much! I am definitely a fan of the indoor/outdoor spas out there, however as we all know it is a little different now to just pick up and go to one depending on where you live. So I brought this ritual home with me quite effortlessly and this routine is now here to stay.
I would like to mention that this is time for myself that I look forward to each week with 0% resistance attached to it and it feels amazing. As an example, I also have a passion for movement and fitness — but, you know, sometimes you just don’t wanna do it! Or need that extra motivation…. For this spa night I do once a week, there is none of that — no resistance to confront — and I think it is especially helpful to have no resistance rituals for those who may be anxious, who may have experienced a week of depression or have gone through an excess of negative emotion, to have that easily accessible time to come back to their own peaceful, loving and feel good energy within themselves.
I also love it because it is just by you and for you; a way to rely on yourself to create some magical feelings — and that is a good resource to have in this world. I not only use this time to care for my body, but also for my mind and spirit.
For this spa night I incorporate hair care, skin care, mindfulness and working with the element of water to bring well-being to the body, mind and spirit. This routine is easy and customizable, with a lot more to add in the future… but here are some of the things I currently enjoy doing:
How to have your perfect spa night
What you need
-Bath tub (My heart goes out to the bath lovers who do not have one, I did not have one for the last 3 years which was sad for me —it is definitely my non-negotiable now).
-Epsom Salt and Bubbles
-Your favourite herbal tea — I also love using a magnesium citrate supplement that turns into a warm and relaxing fizzy drink
-Mason jar of cold water
-Oscillating fan
-Lighting — Having the perfect ambient lighting can literally transform your world. I use a small lamp in my bathroom as well as candles. Some other neat suggestions could be string lights, lantern lights, or an ocean pattern lamp that creates water patterns on your wall. The right lighting can change our moods and perspectives and relax our nervous system
-Scent — I light Sage or Palo Santo
-Hair oil — I make an infusion with rosemary, black cumin, avocado oil and lavendar
-Coffee scrub — I just use an oil base such as coconut oil and ground coffee. I love to exfoliate once a week especially with something natural, simple and affordable.
-Your favourite exfoliant/face mask
-Good book, or notebook to write in (sometimes I write on the edge of the tub — but I know those fancy tub desks exist out there too…)
The Itinerary
- Pre Spa: infuse and massage your hair with a hair oil. I like to do my whole head because my hair is pretty dry and wavy. Braid your hair and leave in over night or just let it sit in for at least an hour before…
- Get your tea/hot magnesium water ready and fill up your water jar.
- Optional — I like to have a fan on. Sometimes in the bath I can get so hot and it often cuts my time short. Having the fan on is a nice balance to keep you cool and experiment with temperatures (kind of like at a real spa that exposes you to super hot and cold) I find the sound really soothing as well.
- Start your shower and wash your hair with your favourite shampoo. Really massage your scalp for a few minutes to stimulate hair growth and create some circulation. Then rinse out
- In a clean bathtub, take a seat. Start to fill your tub with some hot water. Add bubbles, add 2 cups of epsom salt, and some essential oil or a bit of coconut oil. I love using oils in baths because you come out already moisturized!
- Condition. While the tub is filling up, I like to be aware of the cascading sounds and water pressure, I just find it really relaxing and it centres me. I then use a hair mask for my conditioner or a really rich conditioner. I massage through my hair and pin it up with a clip or elastic. I leave this mask in for the duration of my time; usually 20 minutes up to 1 hour
- This time in between is really customizable depending on what you are feeling/needing. I spend some time reading or writing and sipping on tea or water. Other times I do like to go on my phone while wearing my blue light glasses or turning down the brightness and I will usually search for something I am working on in my life that I am excited about. For example, right now I am obsessed with interior decorating, creating a vibe in my home and learning to crochet and macrame. Depending on what project I am focused on, I will use this time to search for new additions and design ideas (love Pinterest). My boundary with my phone here is to limit to projects/inspiration, not social media, and of course not to drop my phone in the water (please don’t) :) Insert whatever is on your mind related to your desires.
You can also use this time to breathe, think and feel with no distractions which is wonderful as well. - Coffee and face scrub! During the end of the bath, I take the scrubs out. I mix an oil with the coffee grinds and scrub my whole body for a few minutes. I also exfoliate my face. Immediately after this, I stand up and drain the tub and rinse out the conditioner. Lately I also have been experimenting with a rice water rinse after conditioner.
- Afterward, I wrap my hair with a hair wrap to get some moisture out, use some leave in conditioner and diffuse it with my blow dryer (optional as well). I then put in some loose french braids which creates some defined waves the next day. This also makes it super easy not to use heat in my hair and I find the french braids create more volume than regular braids as well. Make sure to moisturize your face and body after too :)
