Aromatherapy shower and a facial massage – more ways to ‘spa at home’

Creating a spa-at-home experience is great for the body and mind, and right now many of us need to take care of ourselves and destress more than ever. Since our last blog on this subject proved so popular, we asked our team of expert Beauty Therapists how they’re creating their own pampering spa-at-home experience during lockdown, and here’s their shortlist.

We hope you enjoy recreating some of these in your home, and don’t forget to tag us in any photos of your efforts on social media using #RagdaleHomeSpa or send your photos to marketing@ragdalehall.co.uk and we’ll do our best to feature you on our blog!

Aromatherapy shower

Baths are an ideal way to relax at the end of the day, but if you don’t have a bath in your home, or perhaps you’re just not a bath person, our take on an aromatherapy shower will give you the same calming and relaxing effect for that spa-at-home experience. Firstly, choose your favourite essential oil (lavender, chamomile or ylang ylang all have wonderfully relaxing aromas) and add a few drops onto a damp flannel or sponge. Place this at the bottom of the shower in front of you (not in the direct line of water) and as the steam releases and the scents begin to circulate, take a few deep breaths for that ‘aaaaaah’ feeling. It’s a great way to unwind before bed.

At home facial massage

Yes, you heard us right: it is possible to give yourself a relaxing facial massage at home, and it’s achieved by focusing on certain pressure points (we have more than 300 pressure points on the face, and each one relates to part of the body). As we would any facial, it’s important to begin by removing any impurities, so adopt your normal skincare routine to start with and cleanse the skin, exfoliate (if you wish) and apply your favourite moisturiser. Start your facial massage by crossing your middle and fourth fingers and move in a zig-zag motion right to left across your forehead – this is a great exercise for releasing tension and smoothing out those muscles we might occasionally use to frown! Then, working down the face, using quite a bit of pressure, use the middle finger to stroke up into the eye socket, across the brows and brow bone and then release – repeat several times. You can sweep under the eye too, to complete the circle, but use very gentle pressure here as the skin underneath the eye is very delicate. Next, using gentle upward pinching movements with your fingers and thumbs, work from the chin across the jawline, up to the ear and repeat several times – this helps stimulate circulation for healthy, glowing skin. You can finish your facial with gentle sweeping hand movements along your neck, working from right to left – just make sure you’re always massaging upwards for plump and bouncy skin.

Reduce dark circles with your own under-eye brightener

Give your immune system a boost with a vitamin packed smoothie – check our recent blog for some delicious smoothie recipes, here.

Add a little extra to your self-care routine with a homemade bath bomb

They’re easy to make, you can customise your own scents and colours and they can add a little zest and fun to a soothing self-care ritual. Click here for our step-by-step guide.

Take a beauty shelfie

Reorganising a cupboard or a drawer can have a really positive and uplifting effect on your mood. If you have more time on your hands, take this opportunity to rearrange your beauty cabinet and then snap a ‘shelfie’ to showcase all of your favourite products. Don’t forget to tag #RagdaleHomeSpa and we’ll feature you on our blog!

Refreshing foot mask

We know our guests love having their feet pampered, so our therapists have come up with this luxurious treat for the feet. Simply mix together equal quantities of oatmeal, corn flour, sea salt and olive oil. Add a few tbsps of aloe vera gel to get a mask-like consistency then add a few drops of refreshing peppermint essential oil. Apply to feet and massage in. Leave for a few minutes then wash off with warm water.