Sometimes outdoor winter adventures call for some spa time at home

Guest post written by Lourdes Villalobos. Thank you Lourdes :)

You can’t beat the exhilaration of a long adventure in the great outdoors, but once you get home you sure can feel the after-effects in your bones… and muscles… and every aching part of your body. A DIY spa session at home is the perfect follow-up to an outdoor adventure, particularly after wintertime exertions. Here’s how to set up your own pampering haven.

Set the scene

First up, get your home feeling more like a spa by creating a relaxing playlist. This could be anything from whale noises to the soothing sound of the sea lapping the shore to your favourite chill-out instrumental score.

That’s the sounds sorted, so next up are the textures. Fluffy towels and robes and slippers always feel so much snugglier at a real spa, but if you freshly launder your own, and lay them out all neatly folded and arranged, then they’ll instantly feel fancier.

And now onto lighting. If you have a dimmer switch, set that to low, or use lamps instead of bright overhead lights. You might even prefer to use candles – either the safe, battery-operated tea light variety or the real deal. Speaking of which… 

Surround yourself with scents

Scented candles can bring a calming combination of low light and soothing smells into your at-home spa setup, or you can go for a diffuser. It might be difficult to give yourself a proper aromatherapy massage, but you can bring the soothing qualities of essential oils into your at-home spa with a diffuser or oil burner. Lavender is well known for being relaxing.

DIY treatments

Now it’s time for the treatments themselves, from your head to your toes. 

Feet: Starting at the bottom, you might like to invest in a foot spa to give your feet a treat after a long expedition. Let the bubbles do their work. Or just soak your feet in a bowl of warm water. If you get cracked heels, invest in a specialist cream to help restore your skin.

Body: If your skin needs a refresh, you can use a body scrub to gently buff away dry flakes. After rinsing off, you’ll definitely want to cover your body in lotion to hydrate and smooth your skin – click here for more information on body lotion. 

Face: If you find you get a blocked nose or bunged up sinuses after outdoor adventures on a cold day, you can relieve the stuffiness with your own steam facial. It’ll also help cleanse your pores. And it’s easy to make – simply fill a bowl with slightly cooled boiled water. Lean over with a towel over your head and slowly breathe in the steam for a few minutes. You could also add a few drops of essential oil, like lavender. 

Eyes: You can rejuvenate your eyes with something you’ll have in your fridge – cucumber! Cut into slices, place over your closed eyes and let the goodness sink in for around 10 minutes. Cucumbers have a high water content to help hydrate dry eyelids. It’s high in the antioxidant vitamin C too, which helps protect the skin. Its cooling effect helps relax the skin, which can calm puffiness. And its high vitamin K levels can help reduce dark circles. 

Soak it all away

A long, hot bath is the perfect way to end your spa time at home. Pour in your favourite bubbles, oil or salts, or make like Cleopatra and add a few cups of milk to the water. It’s said the lactic acid softens skin. Bring the candles in, put on restful music, lie back and relax.

With these tips on how to enjoy a pampering session after outdoor adventures, you’ll be able to restore your body (and mind) after a long walk in the winter. Enjoy!