With social commitments low on the agenda, now would be the perfect opportunity to carve out some time for yourself and indulge in the beauty treatments you’ve conveniently put on hold since the pandemic happened.
It is hard to estimate when restrictions would be completely lifted or where it is safe to indulge in a proper facial or visit a sauna. For now, it is probably better to get creative with your at-home beauty routine. And while you’re at it, why not trick out your bedroom and turn it into a day spa for the ultimate pampering?
Granted, it can never be the same as the tranquil feeling you get from a relaxing spa complete with high-tech equipment and professional therapists on hand, but we’re certain you can do much better than lying in bed with cucumber slices over your eyes!
You do not have to turn your bedroom into an elaborate wellness retreat — although creating different spa zones would give plenty bang for our buck — a spa day at home can be as simple as popping on a sheet mask and meditating to the sound of crashing waves with the blissful scent of incense wafting through the room.
With the rise of high-tech DIY gadgets plus Zen-inducing candles, essential oils and bath salts, bringing a dose of escapism to your beauty routine has never been easier. Here are some of our favourite products to help transform your home into a blissful mini spa.
Room scents
Nothing spells spa day like the relaxing scent of essential oils, candles and incense diffusers. For starters, calm your environment with your favourite candle like Diptyque’s limited edition Citronelle Scented Candle infused with aromatic lemongrass notes that remind us of cool summer evenings. The distinct scent of lemongrass is calmed by the floral and citrusy facets of verbena, neroli and orange blossom.
Diptyque Limited Edition Citronelle Scented Candle, $95, from escentials
On warmer days when candles are just too much, you can scent up your space with a diffuser like Jo Malone’s English Pear & Freesia Diffuser, a fruity-floral harmony reminiscent of the gilded nuances of autumn. The sensuous freshness of just-ripe pears is wrapped in a bouquet of white freesia and mellowed by amber, patchouli and woods.
Jo Malone English Pear & Freesia Diffuser, $155, from Sephora
Another quick and easy way to scent up your home is to spritz room spray to your living areas such as the couch, cushions, curtains and bed linen. French scent specialist Maison 21G offers four fragrance variants under its Home Scent collection to address different needs: Ginger & Mint to awaken the senses, Sage & Tea for purity, Orange Blossom & Rose for relaxation, and Lavender & Tonka for sleep.
Maison 21G Home Scent, $75, from Sephora
For restless sleepers, you can try This Works award-winning collection of scented sleep aids. We recommend This Works Sleep Plus+Pillow Spray infused with lavender, vetiver, and chamomile, that is released continuously throughout your night with motion activated technology to support a longer less interrupted sleep.
This Works Sleep Plus+Pillow Spray, $48, from Sephora
Bathtime indulgences
Regular exfoliation is important for removing dead cells which can accumulate on the skin’s surface — leading to dull, dry skin that cannot absorb moisturisers well. Slough off dead skin cells and smoothen out those hardened elbows and heels with a body scrub like newly-launched Drunk Elephant Sugared Koffie Almond Milk Scrub. It is formulated with a blend of skin-nourishing almond milk, antioxidant-rich coffee seed, passionfruit and hydrating marula oils.
Drunk Elephant Sugared Koffie Almond Milk Scrub, $40, from Sephora
If you do not like the mess of oily scrubs, then you can try using a dry brush to exfoliate your skin, too.
Skin Gym Dry Brush, $56, from Sephora
If you have a bathtub, then lucky you! Now is the time to indulge in Herbivore Botanicals’ Coconut Milk Bath Soak enriched with cold pressed coconut milk to soften and moisturise while soothing the skin with its anti-inflammatory properties. It also contains vanilla essential oil to sweeten the scent, calm the mind and provide relief from anxiety, anger and restlessness. For aches and pains we hear that Epsom-based bath salts, rich in magnesium, are ideal for treating sore muscles and setting you up for a great night’s sleep.
No bathtub? No worries. You can give yourself a foot soak in a wide enough bucket using skin-softening salts, then give your heels a good scrub with a pumice stone or foot file. For a relaxing aromatherapy-infused shower, place a few drops of essential oil into the base of your shower cubicle before you step in; the steam will create a relaxing sauna and scent-filled effect. Alternatively, you can also add a drop or two of essential oil into your loofah together with your body wash and enjoy a calming, deeply-nourishing shower session.
Herbivore Botanicals Coconut Milk Bath Soak, $50, from Sephora
Spa Esprit recently launched Plantation Shower Cures — a collection of nine essential oil-infused body washes in different scents formulated for different moods, ailments or rituals you want. Whether you are in need of rejuvenation in the morning, grounding of any pendulum swing of emotions, or even an aid for sleep, there is a blend for every personal desire and need, labelled with inspiring names like Breakout for Burnout, Antidote to Your Toxin Load and The Negativity Cleanse.
Spa Esprit Plantation Shower Cures Antidote to Your Toxin Load, $39
Body hydrators
A bathtime ritual is not complete without the application of an antioxidant-rich body hydrator to nourish and quench the skin. Depending on how severely dry your skin is, you can choose between a creamy body butter or body cream, or a fast-absorbing dry oil (our favourite). We highly recommend Sisley’s bestselling Restorative Body Cream, not just for its botanical-rich formulation which sinks into the skin quickly, but the smooth satiny finish it leaves behind and delicious spa-like scent.
Sisley Restorative Body Cream, $170, from Metro Flagship Store on Lazada
For dry oils, we like MoroccanOil Dry Body Oil which is fragranced with a blend of exotic amber and sweet florals and enriched with argan, olive and avocado oils to help soothe dry areas and improve overall skin texture and tone.
MoroccanOil Dry Body Oil, $74, from Sephora
If you are concerned about underarm odour or discolouration, we came across Bodhi Bloom Pit Paste, a dry balm that exfoliates, brightens, moisturises and deodorises using the natural benefits of baking soda and vitamin E. Together with organic shea butter, virgin coconut oil, beeswax and essential oils, this deodorant supposedly leaves you odour-free for up to 12 hours.
Bodhi Bloom Lavender & Tea Tree Pit Paste, $11, from Powella
Do not forget to give your feminine parts some TLC, too. Just like the delicate skin on our faces, this often misunderstood and neglected area can be dry and sensitive, or prone to ingrown hair and clogged pores. Try to exfoliate the bikini area with a gentle scrub and moisturise with the same products you use for your face. Strip sells a complete range of skincare for your down there, including Two Lips Blackout Activated Charcoal Mask to detox and soothe your vulva with the help of infrared activated charcoal to boost lymphatic drainage and rejuvenate the skin. Ideal for post-IPL or wax treatments, this mask comes in a box of five sachets recommended to be used continuously for five days to achieve optimal results.
Two Lips Blackout Activated Charcoal Mask, $84 for box of 5, from Strip and Two Lips' website
Tech For The Face
A proper facial will likely form the centrepiece of your spa session, and the best way to elevate the experience is to incorporate all the beauty gadgets you have been wanting to use but have not had the time to unbox. A must-have in every home is a pore-awakening facial steamer. By softening the skin and opening up the pores, steaming makes blackhead removal easier. Steam also improves circulation and gives your skin a boost of moisture, transforming it into the perfect canvas for product application.
There are many steamers available online at pocket-friendly prices such as Panasonic’s Spa-Quality Nano-Ionic Facial Steamer which generates nano-sized steam particles, thousands of times smaller than regular steam, to penetrate the skin and significantly increase moisture.
Panasonic Spa-Quality Nano-Ionic Facial Steamer, $229.90, from Shopee
A tech-laden facial is not complete without a device from Swedish brand Foreo, the Tesla of skincare. For a deeper cleanse, we vote for Foreo’s Luna Mini 2 Facial Cleansing Massager which emits 8,000 T-Sonic pulsations per minute at eight intensities. Apparently, it can remove 99.5% of dirt, oil and dead skin cells while remaining gentle on the skin.
Foreo Luna Mini 2 Facial Cleansing Massager, $205, from Sephora
After a thorough cleanse, it is time to (literally) inject the skin with a mega dose of nutrients using Lavien’s Rejuve Skin Roller made with rows of mini needles to puncture the skin. By “injuring” the epidermis, the healing and renewal process is sped up, plus the sudden awakening allows for the immediate absorption of the brand’s Carnitine-based ampoule to stimulate collagen restoration.
Lavien Rejuve Skin Roller, $150, from Ksisters
Another gadget every beauty junkie should invest in is Skin Inc Optimizer Voyage Tri-Light++USB, a skin treatment device that tackles multiple skin concerns with NASA-inspired coloured LED Chromotherapy and Sonic Technology (Low-Frequency Stimulation) for lymphatic circulation and faster penetration of active ingredients. Used together with the brand’s customisable serums, you can repair with red light, glow with yellow light, soothe with blue light, and even combine up to two colours for double the power.
Skin Inc Optimizer Voyage Tri- Light++ USB Chrome Silver, $408
After applying your favourite serum or mask, you can massage in the ingredients with a facial roller to depuff the face and eye area. An age-old beauty ritual dating as far back as seventh century China, facial rolling using smooth semi-precious stones has been long used to support the lymphatic system and firm the look of skin. Rose quartz corresponds to the heart chakra, the energy centre of love, and is believed to ease tension and stress in the body, soothes anxiety and increases self-love
Herbivore Botanicals Rose Quartz Facial Roller, $61, from Sephora
LIFESTYLE PHOTO: UNSPLASH/ROBERTO NICKSON
