I’m a big fan of the little luxuries in life. I always make time for a manicure, whether at home or at the salon. You don’t have to try hard to convince me to try a new face mask or body scrub. And I’m usually the one in the friend group pushing the restaurant with the scenic view, since a good ambiance is always worth it (IMHO).
It’s worth it to treat yourself, no matter your budget. A day at the spa is a luxury we can’t all afford, but there are plenty of products out on the market today that help recreate that spa feel in the comfort of our own homes. The bonus? When you consider the cost-per-use breakdown, you’re saving big.
Self-care doesn’t have to cost a thing; pampering yourself when you can is just one way out of many to recharge and beautify. To get started, here are a few products that’ll help you refresh without having to leave the house.
Give your body some lovin’
We’re often told to exfoliate our faces to get rid of dead skin cells. Which makes sense, since our faces are so often exposed to free radicals, harsh weather, and, if you wear makeup, products that can clog your pores. A good scrub will help make sure you’re not leaving anything behind, but it’s easy to forget applying the same logic to our bodies. This sugar scrub from Tree Hut smells like coconut and lime, making it easy to envision yourself at the beach. And the scent is just the beginning. The grainy texture from the sugar helps exfoliate skin while the safflower seed oil moisturizes.
Your hair strands deserve some TLC too
You likely already have a favorite shampoo and conditioner, and maybe even a favorite dry shampoo. But do you have a favorite hair mask? If you’ve dyed your hair, bleached it, or been styling with heat, chances are your hair will benefit from a deep-conditioning hair mask. Weekly treatments with the right hair mask are a way to give your frazzled strands an extra dose of TLC.
This one from SheaMoisture uses organic shea butter, honey, mafura oil, and baobab oil to lock in moisture. A little goes a long way, especially when you use a wooden comb to evenly distribute the product.
Clay masks aren’t just fun, they’re effective
Some aspects of our skincare routines can seem like chores. Think: Removing your effective-but-stubborn eyeliner when you just want to climb into bed and call it a day. But, there are also some parts of skincare—like clay masks—that are just plain fun. Clay masks, especially like the Bliss Pore Patrol Deep Detox Four-clay Souffle Mask, do more than just take us back to the days of slumber parties with friends where gossip and skin rituals went hand-in-hand; they provide a truly deep, pore-penetrating cleanse. The result is clearer, healthier-looking skin.
To achieve this, the Bliss Pore Patrol Mask—which is a steal at $16— utilizes four different micro clays that combine with willow bark to detoxify and de-clog your pores while Bentonite clay and glycolic acid help control oil levels and prevent future pore build-ups. The best part? The mask is a light mousse that minimizes the look of pores without any dryness or tightness. It’s also available at Target, Ulta, and BlissWorld.com. Win!
Soft lips are always in style
Nobody wants dry, cracked lips. Still, even with our best efforts and plenty of lip balm in hand, our lips can retain some of that chapped icky-ness that make even the best lip colors look bad. Since our lips don’t have sweat glands to help keep them moisturized, they’re particularly susceptible to drying out. This is especially true when the weather is rough, or even just when the AC is on full-blast. The thing to keep in mind is that we also need to scrub off dead skin cells from our lips—gently. A soft bristle toothbrush can do wonders, but this agave sugar lip scrub from Bite Beauty conditions your lips without any sticky residue. It’s water-activated, so you can use it during a shower or just by adding a few water drops to your lips.
Don’t forget about your nails
When it comes to good nail care, there’s one little thing that makes a big difference: your cuticles. This applies whether you’re a fan of long, colorful, bedazzled nails or whether you’re always asking for short, prim, and clear nails at the salon.
This cuticle remover from Deborah Lippmann is a fast-acting formula that “exfoliates” the nail so that you can push back excess cuticle. Afterward, you can use the cuticle oil treatment to moisturize your nails so they don’t try out.
Make your beauty sleep count
The What a Melon is a quick-drying mask that’s great for when you truly want to make sure you get the most out of that beauty sleep. The mask, like all of Bliss’ products, is free of parabens, phthalates, is vegan and cruelty-free (yay!) so you can sleep easy knowing you’re not letting any potential irritants sit on your skin for hours. The watermelon extract also does more than give the mask a hint of the fruity scent; it provides a slew of antioxidants that give your skin a healthy dose of vitamins and minerals.
Slather some on just before bed, let it dry and rinse it off in the morning for refreshed and glowing skin. Added bonus: It’s even lower in price than it used to be and it’s easy to find at Target, Ulta, and BlissWorld.com.
