As the dreaded end of the month slowly approaches, so do my cravings to go for a relaxing spa day. Just the thought of being in a steamy room and being soothed by the fragrance of essential oils puts me in a better mood. However, spending a small fortune on a pamper sesh, is not something that we can keep doing. So what should you do when you just want to treat yo’ self but also save money? You get creative and turn your own shower area into a spa retreat! All you need are these 5 products to get your fix while simultaneously saving money:

1. Dry Brush

If supermodel and founder of Kora Organics, Miranda Kerr swears by this wellness practice, then you know that it’s something worth trying out! Dry brushing is a practice where you literally have to brush your body with a brush with rough and natural bristles. Doing this will help you improve your blood circulation and it will drastically improve the texture of your skin. Plus when I heard that doing this also exfoliates your skin, I knew that I had to give it a try! Dry brushing before showering definitely makes me feel like I’m at a spa.

2. Eucalyptus

Do you know that earthy and pure aroma you smell the moment you walk into a spa or a steam room? It’s probably eucalyptus that you smell. Since the past few months, all the health and wellness pages I follow on Instagram have been posting about the benefits of hanging eucalyptus leaves in your shower. At first, the idea of keeping botanicals in my shower area seemed very strange. However, after reading up on the benefits of doing this, I feel like I have to make a quick trip to the plant nursery and get me some eucalyptus. If you have eucalyptus leaves in your shower, the steam from your shower helps release the essential oils from the eucalyptus and this clears your sinuses, relaxes your muscles and helps you destress. Sounds like an effective makeshift spa to me!

3. Candles

What is it about the sight of burning candles that just makes you feel like you have your life together? No wonder the fanciest restaurants, salons and spas have a candle-lit ambience. If you want to recreate the feel of a spa in your very own shower area, then grab a couple of your favourite candles (preferably herbal scented ones), light them up and relax!

4. Essential Oils

Don’t be fooled by the look of these little bottles. What’s inside them has wonderfully potent properties and the ability make you feel energised and refreshed. Essential oils have a ton of health and beauty benefits and adding them to your shower routine is always a good idea. How I like to use essential oils is, add them to my bathing products or in a carrier oil. I’ve added a couple of drops of lavender essential oil to my shampoo and conditioner since it has anti-inflammatory properties and also because it leaves my hair lightly scented.

5. Body Scrub

Apologies for quoting something so cliché, but “glowing skin is always in”. Give your skin a makeover and get that glow by using a body scrub. You don’t even have to go out there and spend a lot of money on a fancy body scrub. You can easily whip up a body scrub with a few ingredients from your kitchen. My personal favourite is the DIY coffee scrub. All you need is coffee grounds, coconut oil and sugar.

What do you do to treat yourself once in a while? Let us know in the comments below.

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