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By M.E. Vier for Your Look, Your Life
 I become weak with envy when I read a spa's menu. I'd love to indulge in an herbal hot wrap or any trademarked treatment, but the costs exceed my budget. Fortunately for all of us, Audra Senkus-Iemma of Haven Spa in NYC was generous enough to share her easy -- and inexpensive -- at-home treatments that'll turn your modest bathroom into a rejuvenating spa.
What You'll Need
- Mayonnaise and olive oil for dry hair
- Rosemary oil for dandruff or an itchy scalp
- Sea salt or Kosher salt (use small crystals -- rock salt can be too abrasive on the skin) and canola, olive, grapeseed or massage oil for the body scrub
- Boiled but then cooled rosemary water for eye compresses
- Whole milk for dry skin (fats are moisturizing) or skim milk for oily skin in bath water
- Equal parts fresh lemon and hydrogen peroxide to remove nail stains
What To Do
- Warm bath: Fill the tub with warm water. A hot bath during the summer can bring pimple-like bumps to the surface. No need to add salts or oil since the body scrub contains both ingredients. But you could add either whole or skim milk.
- Hair wrap: Use whatever product will help remedy your hair and scalp condition. Wrap your hair in a towel or conceal under a plastic shower cap.
- Facial: Splash your face with warm water to open your pores. Apply either a mask or a gentle exfoliating scrub. Rinse your face in the tub before you lie down to rinse off the body scrub.
- Body scrub: Do not use bath oil because its contents are very concentrated and may irritate the skin. Mix enough oil and salt to cover all the body parts that need polishing. Apply, standing up in the tub, in an upward motion (helps promote blood circulation).
- Relax and then rinse: Mellow out for at least eight minutes in the water. Slowly stand (you may experience a head-rush) to rinse off under the showerhead.
- Nail care: To remove nail stains, you may either apply a mixture of lemon and hydrogen peroxide or use a nail buffer. Proceed with cuticle and nail cleaning.
- Eye Rx: Dip two cotton pads in the rosemary water. Place your head back and apply the pads to your closed eyelids.
TIP: So your eyes and mood won't be shocked by glaring lights or sounds when you exit your spa (a.k.a. the bathroom), create the same mood (dimmed lighting, scented candles, music, etc.) throughout the rest of your home.
FACT: Rosemary is an astringent and anti-inflammatory. It has many medicinal and cosmetic uses.
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