Create Your Own Spa Experience with Aromatherapy Soap, Lotions, and Candles

Wouldn’t you love to spend an afternoon at a luxury spa, but can’t afford it? Why not create a spa experience in your own bathroom using aromatherapy soap, lotions and candles? This will take a little preparation, but it will be worth it.

Step 1: Decide on Aromatherapy Soap and other items. Different aromatherapy scents have different effects, so choose your scent with that in mind. The following list isn’t complete and may not be right for everybody, but it is a suggested place to start.

* Lavender—relaxing, calming
* Lemon—uplifting, mental clarity
* Eucalyptus—invigorating
* Grapefruit—energy
* Pine—improves self esteem and mood
* Rosemary—mental clarity

Step 2: Go Shopping. Anything that includes shopping is going to be fun, right? You may be able to do some or all of this shopping in your own bathroom and kitchen. Gather up the following supplies:

* Natural cleaning supplies for the bathroom (like vinegar and baking soda)
* Sage
* Some bamboo
* Aromatherapy soap, lotion, candles (lots of candles) and whatever else you want
* Your nicest bath accessories, such as a bath sponge or loofah or a back brush
* Facial supplies—perhaps a masque and some cucumber slices
* A comfy robe
* Lots of thick, luxurious towels
* A screen and a stool, if you have them
* Calming music and something to play it on
* Books, magazines or whatever else you want to include in your spa afternoon

Step 3: Feng shui. Prepare the bathroom for your spa experience. In feng shui, the bathroom is the center of wealth (honest; I didn’t make that up).

First, clean and de-clutter the bathroom as much as possible. You may not be able to keep everything put away and out of sight permanently, but you can at least do it for this afternoon. Use natural cleaners, like vinegar for tile and countertops and baking soda to scrub porcelain and clean drains.

If you have a window in the bathroom, open it up and air out the bathroom. Burn a little sage in the bathroom, too, as it is supposed to remove stale air and improve the energy of the room.

If possible, screen off the toilet during your spa.

Place the bamboo in front of the mirror.

Gather up your spa supplies and unwrap the aromatherapy soap and light the candles so that the room is scented when you begin your spa.

Step 4: Deal with Family or Roommates. Let everyone know that both you and the bathroom are unavailable for a few hours. I do understand that there are situations where you may have to let family members invade your space, but let them know to keep it to a minimum. You are special, and this is for you.

 Step 5: Go in the Bathroom, Close and Lock the Door. This is your time. Luxuriate in it. Play calming music. Run a bath and relax in it as long as you want to, using that aromatherapy soap you bought. Try that thing you see on TV all the time—relax in a hot tub with your hair wrapped in a warm towel (you could even do a hot oil treatment), apply a masque and put cooling cucumber slices over your eyes. Read or just listen to the music. Paint your toenails. Slather cream or lotion all over your body. Pamper yourself.

Step 6: Take a Nap. This is an optional step. Your other option is to rejoin the world, refreshed, relaxed and pampered.

Step 7: Do it Again. Now that you’ve created your own spa experience, make adjustments to suit yourself, and schedule yourself a time to do it again. You already have the aromatherapy soap and other supplies, so there’s no excuse not to pamper yourself regularly.