It’s time for a day for YOU! What we have below is a step-by-step at-home spa. I have divided this up into three sections, the first being this article. It walks you through all the steps before your shower and/or bath. You can find a lot of home spa suggestions online, however, this one outlined below is one that I have carefully put this one together myself to combine all the steps into one routine.
Manicure & Pedicure
- We are going to start with our nails, both finger and toe. Some of your manicure and pedicure steps are best done on dry nails to minimize peeling, splitting, and/or tearing.
- If necessary, remove any old polish from your toenails. Trim them gently and remove any sharp corners. I try to keep mine just below the tip of my toes. Sometimes I will buff my nails with a medium-grit file, if there appears to be a lot of staining from dark polishes.
- Remove any old polish from your fingernails. Trim and shape them as desired, remembering not to saw back and forth. This will weaken and tear the nail.
- A beautiful buff is easier than you would think. There are lots of 4-way nail buffers available, so take your pick. Side 1 is usually for shaping and filing. Side 2 is usually for removing ridges. Side 3 usually smoothes the nail. Side 4 buffs the nail to a high gloss shine.
Facial
- If you like, before cleansing is a good time to exfoliate your lips as you can remove the bits and oils and sloughed skin with your cleanser.
- Prepare your skin by gently massaging your favorite cleanser over your face and neck. This is a great time to exfoliate your skin if you are going to use a facial brush or washcloth.
- If you prefer to use a separate facial scrub or peel, your freshly clean skin is ready. With damp fingertips, gently apply the scrub or peel in small circles. After the allotted time, rinse gently with warm water.
- Your clean, smooth skin is now ready for a mask. Choose one for your skin type – moisturizing, cleansing, nourishing, etc. – and smooth it over your face and neck with your fingertips. I wouldn’t recommend an exfoliating mask, unless you want to combine this step with the previous step. Two separate exfoliation steps might be a little aggressive. I recommend laying somewhere quiet while the mask does the hard work. After the allotted time, rinse gently with warm water. If you are getting straight into the shower, you can wait to rinse until you get in.
Pedicure
- Before you enter the shower or tub, let’s revisit our feet. This is an excellent time to put that foot file to use. Buff the rough areas of your feet – the heels, the balls, the joint of the big toe, etc. – until they feel smooth to the touch. The more often you perform this step, the less you will need to buff each time.
- Note: If you would prefer to dry brush versus using an actual body scrub, now is the time to do that.
- At this point, turn your shower on to your preferred temperature. Keep in mind, especially during the winter months, that hot water can actually dry out your skin. A nice warm temperature is gentler on your skin.
- We have cared for our face and our feet. How about our hands? There are countless products out there, even within the cuticle and hand scrub specialty area. Before you head into the shower, massage your choice into your hands, paying special attention to the cuticle area. Get into the shower with this still on.
- The shower will serve as the soaking step for both your manicure and your pedicure.
A few gentle reminders…
• With all your skincare, don’t forget your neck! It likes the same TLC as your face.
• Please make sure to follow the instructions for your particular products. The above guidelines are simply a starting place for your at-home spa luxury.
Make sure to check out the other two posts regarding your at-home spa, During and After. This is only the first part!
I look forward to any additions or suggestions you might have!
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