When it comes to spa visits, men and women essentially want the same thing: to feel relaxed and to look better. But unlike women, some of us gents have a serious aversion to the idea of paying triple figures for a series of luxury treatments in a luxury location.
Luckily, there are lots of budget-friendly yet effective ways to treat yourself to a spa day in the comfort of your own home. Get started with these three simple steps…
Most good spas offer hydrotherapy treatments involving steam, water and humidity – but you can get all of this from a hot bath at home. Run the water as hot as you can bear, and stay in the bathroom as the place fills up with steam, as this will open up your pores naturally. Keep a bottle of water to hand in case you feel dehydrated.
Add some detoxifying Epsom salts to the water – anything between 100g and 1kg. These will help draw out impurities from your skin and reduce water weight. The salts will also work to repair damaged and tired muscles.
If your skin is dry, add some bath oil or a moisturising bath gel into the water, and simply soak for as long as you can.
When you leave the bath, lock in all that moisture by applying a body moisturiser or oil (baby oil works a treat!) while your skin is still damp.
You will want your pores to be open for this, so if you don’t have time for a steam bath, simply sit with your head over a basin of hot water and a towel completely covering your head. Breathe deeply in and out for around three minutes. You could add a few drops of essential oils for an extra benefit – eucalyptus helps with circulation and respiratory issues; lavender helps with stress; lemon oil helps with digestion issues; and orange oil helps with anxiety, for instance.
Once your pores are open, you start sloughing away dead skin by using either a rough facecloth or an exfoliating scrub. There are hundreds of good exfoliators out there, but for male skin you should choose one which has visible ‘bits’ in it, such as crushed kernels, natural salts or added microbeads.
Of course, you can also make your own exfoliating scrub at home – simply mix some granulated sugar in with your daily moisturiser (or some natural yoghurt) and rub it into your face and onto the rough or dry parts of your body, such as the elbows, knees, and feet.
Rinse off and you should see an instant glow to your skin.
Finally, give yourself a DIY facial by applying a shop-bought facemask (anything containing Dead Sea mud is a good start!). Pop a couple of cucumber slices over your eyes, lie back and relax for 20 mins. Gently remove the facemask with a facial towel and apply your usual moisturiser, or simply slather with coconut oil.
You will feel and look just as good as you would after a day at the spa …the only difference is, you can perform (most of) these three steps while listening to the radio and having a beer.
Stobo Castle
Rockliffe Hall Spa
Nirvana Spa
