Pampering yourself doesn’t have to be expensive. Although your home might not have quite the same ambience as a high-end spa, you can still relax, light some candles, and treat yourself. Making your own spa treatments is easy, and you may already have all the ingredients you need. Here are three simple but effective treatments to make yourself.

Salt / Sugar Scrubs

You can whip up a simple salt scrub that will leave your skin baby soft and moisturized in under five minutes. It involves just three ingredients: sea salt or sugar, a skin-safe oil, and a few drops of essential oil. Here’s the basic recipe:

• ½ cup sea salt (do not use table salt) or granulated sugar (if you have sensitive skin)

• about ¼ cup oil (olive, grapeseed, or almond)

5 drops essential oil of choice

Mix all ingredients into a smooth paste. If it’s too oily, add more salt or sugar; if it’s too dry, add more oil. Massage on to damp skin and rinse with warm water. The remaining oil on your skin will act as moisturizer – no need for lotion afterwards. If you don’t use all of your scrub, store the rest in a container. It will stay good for several weeks.

Facial Masques

There are many different masque recipes out there to purify and smooth your face. They generally use ingredients you have in the kitchen like avocados, honey, almond meal, and oatmeal. You won’t need to worry about synthetic chemicals: everything is natural and even edible. Here’s one of the simplest masques. It uses honey, which is naturally antibacterial and contains skin-softening agents. You’ll need:

• 1 TB raw organic honey

• 1 TB plain yogurt

Combine both ingredients in a small bowl. Open up your pores by placing a warm, damp wash cloth on your face for a few minutes, then spread the honey mixture over your skin. Rinse off with warm water after 10-15 minutes.

Toners

Toners remove stubborn makeup, tighten pores, and balance the pH of your skin. Commercial toners with alcohol can strip your skin and aggravate acne and other skin problems, but you can make gentle, effective toners out of all natural, inexpensive ingredients. Here’s one to try that has the right mix of antioxidants and alpha hydroxy acids:

• ¼ cup cold green tea (do not use bottled, sweetened, or powdered tea)

• 1TB apple cider vinegar

• a few drops essential oil (option)

Mix together and use a cotton swab to apply all over your face. No need to rinse! Since there are no preservatives, store this toner in the refrigerator and use it up within the week.

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