Make a Spa Date - DIY Beauty for Valentines Day

Ready for a mini-makeover? Turn your home into a spa!

Today I have asked Janalyn Voigt who is the author of BookReadersCentral to share her amazing do-it-yourself beauty tips for Valentines Day preperation.

She suggests you take an afternoon or even (luxury) a full day to turn your home into a spa and maybe invite a friend or family member to come over. Pop in a DVD or pull out a puzzle or board game and give the kids some healthy treats, and they'll look forward to your spa date too. Or, better yet, maybe grandma needs a visit from her little darlings....

You'll want to have a reasonably clean house so you can fully relax without feeling guilty. Take care of as much as you can the day before so you're not stressing trying to get ready for your spa date. Also, make sure you have the implements, lotions and ingredients you'll need on hand.

Start with a long soak in a tub in which you desolve epsom salts (read the label for the amount to use). Make sure you have a loofah sponge on a stick so you can scrub your back. Rinse your hair with a quart of warm water in which you've desolved about 1/4 cup of baking soda. This will help strip a build-up of hair products and soften your hair. Now, work a little mayonnaise into your hair and put it up in a shower cap while you finish soaking. Use a pumice stone on any callouses. Wash and rinse your hair, and then put a rinse of 1/4 cup of white vinegar to 1/2 quart of water through it before conditioning with a small amount of olive oil rubbed into the palm of your hand. Remember, with oil, less is more. If you add just a bit of olive oil, you won't need to wash it out and your hair won't seem slicked down. 

Get out of the tub and put on a fluffy robe or wrap with a large bath sheet. Comb your hair out and rub body lotion into your skin -- all except your face and neck.

Warm some water on the stove. Put a little rosemary in this warmed water and let it steep. Optionally, you can make a facial mask by mashing 1/2 an avocado and rubbing it into your skin while you wait for the rosemary water to cool. If you do this, rinse the mask off before proceeding. Cool the rosemary water a bit before using it -- you don't want to sear your face and lungs with steam. Wait until it's still steaming but not likely to cook you alive, and then sit over the pan with a towel draped over your head and over the pot to make a tent. Feel yourself relaxing. Sit there for several minutes, and then go and then exfoliate with a handful of oatmeal mixed into a little honey. Spread this mixture over your face and neck, using a gentle scrubbing motion. Take care not to get it in your eyes. Rinse, using a warm washcloth. Splash with cold water. Put a little witch hazel on a cotton ball and touch it to your face to close your pores, being careful not to get any in your eyes. Now, break open a capsule of Vitamin E oil and rub it into a little olive oil in your palm. Use it to moisturize your face and neck.

Settle down, after that, for a manicure and pedicure. See instructions, here.

Now make a cup of tea or coffee and reward yourself with a little time spent reading,  watching television or a movie, or just doing nothing. You'll feel and be better for having pampered yourself.

Written by Janalyn Voigt http://janalynvoigt.com

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