Don’t let the rotten economy ruin your looks. With these easy spa recipes you can maintain a fresh-from-the-spa glow for just pennies.
You’re a spa junkie. We get it–so are we. But spa treatments are pricey, and times are tough. Here’s a new thought: Create your own blissful spa treatments at home using your favorite fruits, veggies, and herbs. By following our recipes, you’ll discover that beauty-boosting produce abounds, and it can do wonders for your hair, skin, and nails. The natural fruit enzymes in strawberries, for example, make a great exfoliant. The fatty acids in avocados make a rich moisturizer for your hair, while vitamins C and E in blueberries fend off fine lines caused by the sun. To start, make a trip to your local farmer’s market. (We’ll give you bonus points for growing your own veggies and fruits–especially if you’re attempting this feat on a rooftop or balcony.) Trust us: You’ll never have more fun playing with your food. Once you’ve done your shopping (or picking), it’s time to kick off your Zen-like spa day. If you love our list of faves as much as we do, let us know!
Fruity Foot Treatment
There are few things that we covet more than a Saturday afternoon pedi. To create your own luxe foot treatment, start by peeling a fresh pineapple or kiwi. Rub the fleshy part of the fruit’s skin along the bottom of each foot for five minutes, focusing on your heels, between your toes, and any calluses. Rinse your feet with warm water and towel-dry before finishing with a moisturizing foot lotion to maintain softness. Time for those strappy sandals!
See Fruity Foot Treatment recipe
Brown Sugar Body Scrub
The ickiest part of summer, in our opinion, is peeling, sunburned skin. The perfect solution? This six-ingredient scrub. Start off by grinding oatmeal in a food processor, then mix it with brown sugar, honey, and a few other ingredients until it resembles a paste. Massage it into your skin, then rinse with warm water. They’ll think your glowing skin is from an expensive facial; you’ll know it came from your pantry.
See Brown Sugar Body Scrub recipe
Banana-Avocado Hair Treatment
Your hair is fried. Instead of a costly moisturizing treatment, try this homemade conditioner. To make it, combine banana and avocado, rub it into dry hair, leave it on for 10 minutes, and rinse. The potassium in bananas and moisturizing fatty acids in avocados soften hair instantly. You’ll look like you just had a shampoo blowout at a pricey salon. Fabulous!
See Banana-Avocado Hair Treatment recipe
Blueberry-Yogurt Skin Treatment
You were lounging by the pool and got a bad sunburn. To feel better fast, turn to your fridge. Simply mash fresh blueberries and stir them into plain yogurt. Spread the mask all over your face; rinse with warm water after 15 minutes. The C and E vitamins in blueberries repair and moisturize skin, while yogurt’s lactic acid helps exfoliate the UV-damaged layers of the epidermis. Easy, right?
See Blueberry-Yogurt Skin Treatment recipe
Tea Hair Treatment
You have a date in an hour, and your hair is a dull wreck. Add shine fast with a bag of tea. Steep two tea bags–chamomile if you’re blonde, rooibos if you’re a redhead, and black if you’re a brunette–for 10 minutes. Refrigerate the liquid until it cools, then pour it over wet hair. Rinse, wash, and condition hair to seal in the silky results. Tea lowers your hair’s PH, closing the cuticles for extra shine, softness, and manageability. Voila! Date-worthy hair in no time at all.
