A professional spa treatment is a rare delicacy. Who would say no to a pampering session right after a hard night of partying and celebrations? But sadly, not all of us can afford to spend thousands of dollars, and an entire day at the local spa, that too on Jan 1!

Skincare experts recommend getting a facial every 3 to 5 weeks. You can even increase this frequency if you wear a lot of makeup and have a generally stressful lifestyle. Once a month is good enough for a spa treatment. But all of that can be pretty impossible to work into a budget.

But hey, all’s not lost… with the right products and just a little bit of resourcefulness, you can indulge in some luxury spa time right in the comfort of your cozy room. Imagine getting a thorough facial, a treat of a face mask, and a full body glow-up, right in your home, and that too when you are on a budget. It’s possible, and we are going to tell you how! Our version isn’t your Basic Betty wash, scrub, mask routine, we are about to tell how to get spa-quality results at home.

Let’s begin!

Step 1: Cleanse the Day (or Week, or Month) Away!

This is the essential first step, where all skin care begins. First, you need to make sure that the cleanser you choose is right for your skin. It should take away all the dirt and impurities without stripping your skin of its natural oils.

This Australian Kakadu Plum Gummy Facial Cleanser by Oilixia Skincare does the job well. It has a unique jelly-like texture that works great at picking up makeup, dirt, and grime from the skin.

Start by rinsing your face and neck area with lukewarm water. Work the sticky gel on to the face and neck for a minute, then add another splash of water to make the cleanser milky and more comfortable to take off. Give it another rub for 20 seconds. Make sure that you get the forehead, chin, cheeks, and the entire neck area, back, and front. Make sure you get around the nose carefully.

Now, rinse off the face and neck. Or you could gently wipe clean with a warm washcloth. The cleanser will leave a film of nourishing oils on your skin, so you’ll see noticeably clean and supple skin right after.

But there is no rest for the beautiful… so continue to step 2.

Step 2: Gently Exfoliate Top-to-Toe

There are several ways to exfoliate at home. You could either try a homemade scrub (one part oil, two parts sugar… et voila!) or scoop out just a little bit of this Lavender Body Scrub by in Harmony Naturals that can be used for face as well. It’s made from a luxurious combination of pure cane sugar, essential oils, and shea butter, which makes it an all-natural and skin-friendly alternative to artificial, microbeads-laden scrubs. And it’s gentle enough for body and face exfoliation.

Apply gently all over face and body in a circular motion. Pay particular attention to the forehead and nose areas. Concentrate on the ‘greasy’ or ‘oily’ areas of your face. Don’t forget the elbows, knees and underarm area that darkens faster than the rest of the body because it accumulates dead skin.

After a few minutes, gently rinse off with warm water. You can also use a warm washcloth to wipe away the exfoliant gently.

Don’t forget to exfoliate your lips, especially if they are chapped or flaky. Try this nifty tool The LipScrub Brush with your favorite lip balm, and you’ll be left with plumper, softer lips.

Step 3: Facial Oil for Some Tender Lovin’ Care

Now, here is where it gets controversial. Some prefer to use a facial oil after the steam and moisturizer, but we like it this way. It just feels like the effectiveness of a facial oil is enhanced when it has time to soak into the skin as steam opens up the pores and helps this absorption process.

Whether you do it now, or after step 5, make sure you don’t skip this step. After all, facial oils hold the secret to healthy, radiant skin. That’s because they are chockful of skin-friendly nutrients like Vitamin C and antioxidants etc.

We suggest this Explorer Blend Facial Oil by Oilixia Skincare. It offers a carefully curated selection of essential oils that restore moisture to the face and keep your skin glowing. And a couple of drops is all you’ll need for a spa treatment done right!

Take three drops of the facial oil on your fingertips, and gently pat it onto your face and neck areas. Remember that you don’t have to rub it in like a moisturizer. Patting or dabbing it into the skin will make the oil absorb much faster and you’ll get quicker results this way.

Step 4: Seal the Deal with Some Steam

Some like to skip this step altogether because they feel like steam may open up their pores permanently. We never suggest directing vapor straight at your face for the same reason. But there are ways to go around that issue, without having to forego the benefits if steaming to the skin.

For starters, you could fill up the sink with some warm water, dip in a washcloth, rinse it out and put it on your face. Repeat two to three times.

You could also just sit it out in a hot shower for an at-home sauna experience. No one will judge you.

Or if you have the time, energy and inclination to go a little fancy, here’s what else you can do: boil two cups of water in a teapot. Add some soothing herbs (chamomile, lavender and lemon balm make for a lovely combo), simmer for a minute and then turn off the stove. Now take in that beautiful steam and rejuvenate yourself inside and out.

Step 5: Try A Magical Mask for The Hair

Since we are doing a head-to-toe spa treatment, a mask for the face will not suffice. You also need to show your hair some TLC.

This Moist Butter Milk Mask Pack for the hair by Amino Mason gets the job done stat! It’s so good because it contains 18 types of amino acids, that are the building blocks of hair. It can fix intensely damaged hair and restore shine & vitality to your hair. And it’s relatively easy to use.

Take a dollop of your favorite hair mask and massage into clean, freshly shampooed hair. Make sure it’s all covered from roots to ends. Leave it be for a few minutes. In the meanwhile…

Step 6: Masque Up Your Face

You have many options when it comes to selecting a face mask for an at-home spa experience. Oily skin is better off with a clay-based face mask, dry skin on the hand required a hydrating gel or crème face mask. Try this Mx Tur range and find the right face mask for you.

Apply the mask all over the face and extend it all way to neck, but avoid the undereye area because it is a lot more sensitive than the rest of the face. Keep it on for 10 to 20 minutes or follow the directions on the product. Cut up some cucumber rounds to put on the eye area. They can work wonders for tired eyes.

Now sit back and relax with masks in your hair and on your face. Maybe try some aromatherapy with scented candles in the meanwhile as the masks work their magic.

When times up, step into a lukewarm shower and rinse the masks off thoroughly.

Step 7:  Butter up, Buttercup!

Now that you are all scrubbed out, masked up and conditioned to the Gods, it’s time to seal in all that goodness with a good moisturizer. Smooth on a soothing face and body creme like this Lavender Body Butter. It’s great for heels, elbows and the human spirit thanks to some fantastic ingredients like Aloe, shea butter, mango seed butter.

For the hair, it is time to slather on a leave-in hair mask like this Moist Night Cream by Amino Mason. It’s organic and nourishes your hair from within as you sleep peacefully.

Now relax or maybe even go to sleep because tomorrow is a new day and there’ll be a brand new you to tackle the challenges it brings!