How I Turned My Home Into a Spa

These days, heading to the spa or paying for any type of professional beauty or relaxation treatment is going to cost you a pretty penny. It’s easy to blow your budget on feel-good treatments (don’t forget the 20% tip!). If you’re looking to spend less while still ensuring you look and feel your best, plan your own spa day at home. Skip the crowds and communal slippers. Instead, put your hard-earned money towards the supplies you need to treat yourself again and again. After writing about the beauty industry for a decade, I have been there and tried that when it comes to virtually every at-home beauty treatment. Here’s how I plan an ideal at-home spa day so I can spend less without sacrificing self-care.

_{Prices are accurate as of June 5, 2025. Subject to change.}

Set the Scene

Half the appeal of spending a day at the spa is enjoying the peaceful facilities. To really set the scene, tidy up your home and set the stage for ultimate relaxation.

Oilogic Rest & Sleep Essential Oil Roll-On

Dab on this concentrated blend of 100% pure essential oils — including lavender and eucalyptus — to help get your mind ready to relax. Take deep breaths and try to clear your mind of anything that is bothering you before you begin your journey to rest and relaxation. I love that this product is safe to use when pregnant, so moms can get in on the spa vibes. 

Oilogic Slumber & Sleep Essential Oil Linen Mist

While you’re embracing essential oils, spritz this soothing lavender scent on towels, bathrobes, and your bed linens to promote restfulness. It’s made for babies, so you know it’s safe for the whole family, which I appreciate, as overtired little ones will quickly ruin your spa day or night (and maybe they could use some pampering too!). 

Wholesome Story Ashwagandha Supplements

Remember, what’s on the inside counts too. When I really need to unwind, I start by giving my body a boost with an ashwagandha supplement. This Ayurvedic herb helps reduce anxiety, boost energy, and manage stress. 

Plan the Ultimate Everything Shower

There’s no bad day to escape to a spa, but there’s also no time like the present to enjoy a nice everything shower (aka an all-in-one self-care shower routine where you do all your favorite at-home beauty treatments in succession). When life is feeling extra hectic, there’s something to be said about staying home, shutting the bathroom door, and enjoying a steamy shower in total peace and quiet. 

Bootleg Bath Shower Steamers

The key to a good everything shower is not rushing through it. I like to pop a eucalyptus shower steamer in so I can get some serious aromatherapy benefits. It takes about 20 to 30 minutes for the steamer to fully dissolve, which gives you a good amount of time to really unwind.

Bootleg Bath Lavender Bath Oil 

If you’re more of a bath person, make your bath time feel more special with a moisturizing bath oil. Nothing puts me to sleep faster than a long hot soak in the tub before bed. Choose an oil with relaxing ingredients like chamomile and lavender for even more serenity and get the best night’s sleep of your life. 

SHASH Boar Bristle Body Brush

Dry body brushing helps exfoliate dead skin cells, boosts circulation, and promotes lymphatic drainage for smoother, more radiant skin. Even better, this at-home treatment is so simple, you can do it every day. Before you hop in the shower (you will want to wash off dead skin cells afterwards), brush in long, upward strokes toward the heart on dry skin. Start from the feet and work your way up. Use gentle pressure and avoid sensitive or broken skin. Over the years, I’ve tried a handful of different body brushes, and many have too soft of bristles to get the job done. I love that this brush is made of boar bristles that are gentle enough to use without irritation while also being firm enough to boost your circulation.

Anokha Blue Lotus Body Oil

Whenever I use a body brush, I like to follow it up with moisture post-shower. This physician-formulated body oil from Anokha is my go-to thanks to the 100% natural, vegan, and cruelty-free ingredient list. If you have a willing partner, it also makes for a great massage oil. Take turns hosting at-home massages so you can both save hundreds of dollars on professionals while promoting quality time together.

Beia Bikini & Body Scrub

If you’re used to professional hair removal treatments, getting bikini-ready at home may be a bit intimidating. This is where a good body scrub comes in. The Beia Bikini & Body Scrub gently exfoliates to address dry skin and helps you avoid uncomfortable ingrown hairs anywhere on your body. I appreciate how the gentle formula, made up of rice powder, glycolic acid, and green tea, works together to exfoliate effectively without irritation.

Stack Beauty Treatments

Professional spa treatments take time, and that’s half the appeal. If escaping for the day to your favorite retreat isn’t in the cards, use the time you save by doing them at home to squeeze in a few treatments. 

NuDerma Handheld Skin Therapy Wand

High-frequency treatments can help a host of skin issues, like reducing acne and stimulating collagen, which in turn reduces wrinkles. You can get these done professionally, but it’s expensive, and a single treatment every now and again won’t do much. Instead, for a portion of what a facial would cost, keep your skin glowing without professional help thanks to the NuDerma Complete Skin Care System. This award-winning at-home high-frequency tool uses Neon gas to energize skin and boost cellular activity.  In addition to the benefits already mentioned, this “skin workout” helps improve tone, promote a more even complexion, and enhance the absorption of your favorite serums and creams, making your skincare routine more effective. 

Kulfi Badi Lash Volumizing Tubing Mascara

I learned an important lesson from my first beauty editor way back when. Her advice was to never get professional lash extensions, as it’s hard to be happy with how your lashes look once you’re used to them being permanently long and luscious. As a result, it’s very tempting to go back for another expensive treatment. To avoid getting trapped in that cycle, I turn to a good tubing mascara. Tubing mascara wraps each lash in a water-resistant polymer tube that lengthens and defines without smudging. Even better, it removes easily with just warm water and gentle pressure. The Kulfi Badi Lash Smudge Proof Volumizing Tubing Mascara is my current favorite, and when I want that lash extension look, I gently layer on more “tubes” until I reach my desired length. 

Brow Code At-Home Lamination Kit

If perfectly groomed brows are your focus, try an at-home lamination kit to eliminate a bi-monthly trip to the salon. With the Brow Code At-Home Lamination Kit, you can achieve salon-quality, full and fluffy brows in just minutes. In three simple steps, lift and sculpt your brows for a polished look that lasts up to eight weeks. 

Indie Lee Bronzing Drops 

Summer is right around the corner and you might be feeling an itch to get a jump start on your tan. Avoid the sun damage and overpriced spray tans by adding the Indie Lee Bronzing Drops. These bronzing drops have a silky, lightweight serum texture that melts into the skin, giving you a natural sun-kissed glow year-round. 

KORA Organics Turmeric Brightening & Exfoliating Mask

When my skin is in trouble and I can’t (or don’t want to) book a facial, I “multi-mask.” I like to follow an exfoliating mask with a moisturizing one to smooth and soothe my skin. I start with this exfoliating formula from KORA Organics. I love that I can trust the brand to use clean, certified organic ingredients that are gentle yet effective. Because this is a mask and not a serum, you can customize how long you leave it on. Personally, I max out the recommended five to 15 minute wear time and like to do it before I pop in my everything shower so I can wash it off easily.

KORA Organics Milky Mushroom Ultra-Hydrating Mask

Once I’m out of the shower, I follow the cardinal three-minute rule (you need to lock in all that moisture before the three minutes run up) with the Milky Mushroom Ultra-Hydrating Mask. Like the exfoliating mask, wash this one off after 15 minutes, or turn it into an overnight mask like I do.

OUAI Hair Gloss

If you want a professional hair gloss treatment at a salon, get ready to part with at least $100 every time you notice it loses its shine. Instead, I use this under $40 at-home hair gloss treatment from OUAI. I’ve used it half a dozen times already and still have a very full bottle. The first time I used it, my husband immediately noticed my hair was shinier and smoother than normal. If a man notices the results, you can trust the beauty product actually works. 

SHASH Classic German First Cut 100% Boar Bristle Hair Brush

To avoid needing a hair gloss treatment altogether, lean into what your mama gave you. Your scalp produces healthy oils that can make your hair shine, as long as you brush it right. Turn every night at home into a mini-spa night by getting your 100 strokes in. While you don’t have to actually do 100 strokes, the more the merrier. As you gently glide this boar bristle brush through your hair, starting at the scalp, you will redistribute your natural oils. Without the addition of any products at all, your hair will have less frizz and a lot more shine.