10 Tips for a Perfect DIY Spa Night

Relax and revitalize with this monthly at-home regimen

by Lois Joy Johnson, AARP, Updated November 4, 2021

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Who’d turn down a week of unplugged bliss at a destination spa like Canyon Ranch? In fact, given the choice between yoga on the beach, full-body massages and facials or a $6,000 designer wardrobe, we’d take the spa! But dreams aside, who has the time or money for all that pampering, pummeling and primping? Even day spas are budget breakers these days. Instead, make a DIY spa night at home a monthly ritual to soothe, smooth and improve body, mind and soul. Here’s how:

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Photos

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PHOTO BY: Target; L.L. Bean; Bath & Body Works

(Left to right) Project 62 Calm Lavender & Sage Wellness Candle; L.L. Bean Women’s Ultrasoft Sweatshirt Robe, Wrap in Charcoal Blue Heather; Bath & Body Works Aromatherapy Chamomile Bergamot Candle

1. Stage the evening.

Your own (sparkly clean) bathroom, fresh towels, affordable drugstore products and some solitude are all you need. This is me time, so no dogs, cats, significant others, emails, texts, FaceTime or cellphones. Dim the lights, get aromatherapeutic candles like the Bath & Body Works Aromatherapy Chamomile Bergamot Candle ($15, bathandbodyworks.com) or Project 62 Calm Lavender & Sage Wellness Candle ($12, target.com) going along with a soothing musical playlist (anything from oceanic waves to Carole King). Slip into a cozy robe like the L.L. Bean Women’s Ultrasoft Sweatshirt Robe, Wrap in Charcoal Blue Heather or Light Gray Heather ($89, llbean.com) and grab a travel mug with lemon-spiked water, cocoa or tea. Turn off the TV and all judgments about your so-called flaws. You're an hour or two away from a mind and beauty reboot.
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PHOTO BY: Walgreens (3)

(Left to right) St. Ives Soft Skin Face Scrub Avocado & Honey; Tree Hut Shea Shea Sugar Scrub in Moroccan Rose; Palmer’s Coconut Sugar Facial Scrub

2. Have a plan.

Crunch several benefits into one evening by multitasking and strategizing. If you're a bath lover, apply face and hair masks before getting in the tub, and end with a clear water rinse and shampoo under the faucet. Prefer showers? Do your masks and relax with a book or audiotape while they work … and then step under the spray. If your skin is rough or looking dingy and dull, consider a gentle facial scrub to buff away dead cells. Use a very mild touch and a micro-fine emollient formula like St. Ives Soft Skin Face Scrub Avocado & Honey ($6, walgreens.com) or Palmer’s Coconut Sugar Facial Scrub ($9, walgreens.com). Skip scrubs if your facial skin is very sensitive or prone to rosacea, broken capillaries or any other medical issue and jump to skin tip number 4. Or try adding a body scrub like the Tree Hut Shea Shea Sugar Scrub in Moroccan Rose ($9, walgreens.com) to your bath or shower so any follow-up body creams and oils absorb better. And … before jumping in the tub or shower, remove old polish, and file and shape your fingernails. Once wet, they're more apt to break or split.
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PHOTO BY: Walmart; Target (2)

(Left to right) Garnier Whole Blends Argan Oil & Cranberry Extracts Color Care Mask; SheaMoisture Honey & Yogurt Hydrate + Repair Protein Power Treatment; L’Oréal Paris Elvive Total Repair 5 Damage-Erasing Balm

3. Slather on a hair mask.

Think of this moisture makeover as rehab for hair that’s dry, fragile, damaged, colored, highlighted, straightened or relaxed (that’s all of us!). Some hair masks are in the pricey $30-to-$45 range, but a low-cost mask packed with protein and botanical oils for $12 or less does the job. Try SheaMoisture Honey & Yogurt Hydrate + Repair Protein Power Treatment ($14, target.com), Garnier Whole Blends Argan Oil & Cranberry Extracts Color Care Mask ($10, walmart.com) and L’Oréal Paris Elvive Total Repair 5 Damage-Erasing Balm ($6, target.com) and don’t be stingy — apply lavishly using a wide-tooth comb to distribute the cream evenly. Though directions say leave on anywhere from five to 10 minutes, let your hair mask “bake” under a shower cap or plastic wrap turban while you bathe or mask up pre-shower. The combo of wrap, steamy bathroom environment and more time will amplify the results. When you finally shampoo your mask out, do a tension-busting scalp massage to rev up circulation at the roots, too. Make every minute count.
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PHOTO BY: Garnier; Target; Walmart

(Left to right) Garnier SkinActive Moisture Bomb Super Hydrating Sheet Mask; Olay Hydrating Overnight Gel Mask with Vitamin E; Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Face Mask

4. Choose a hydrating face mask.

This is one of the key treatments in your spa night because it quickly resets dry, parched skin that’s looking needy and tired. Ignore masks labeled clarifying and pore cleansing and choose one that emphasizes moisturizing specifically with wrinkle-plumping hyaluronic acid. Choose a pre-infused sheet mask like Garnier SkinActive Moisture Bomb Super Hydrating Sheet Mask ($4, walmart.com) or Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Face Mask ($3, walmart.com) or a more intensive overnight mask like the Olay Hydrating Overnight Gel Mask with Vitamin E ($23, target.com) in place of a night cream. All are applied to a makeup-free, freshly cleansed face, of course.
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PHOTO BY: CVS; Ulta Beauty (2)

(Clockwise from left) The Creme Shop How Do Eye Look? Depuffing & Brightening Eye Mask; Pixi DetoxifEYE; Yes to Cucumbers Depuffing Under Eye Masks

5. Do an under-eye peel-off mask.

Since eyes reveal everything from stress to insomnia to a salty chip binge, add a pair of crescent-shaped masks to your one-night stand. The most useful are those infused with ingredients like caffeine for de-puffing and improving darkness, hyaluronic acid for moisture and line filling, and soothers like cucumber or aloe. Try the Creme Shop How Do Eye Look? Depuffing & Brightening Eye Mask ($4, cvs.com) or Pixi DetoxifEYE ($24, ulta.com) — both have caffeine and hyaluronic acid — or Yes to Cucumbers Depuffing Under Eye Masks ($6, ulta.com) with caffeine and cucumber. You can wear these peel-off masks under your face mask or even sleep in them as an end-of-spa-night addition. These infused masks are more potent than old-fashioned teabag-and-cucumber-slice remedies, plus no need to lie down. You can keep your eyes open or closed while they work. Chill them in the fridge before needed, since cold helps reduce swelling and soothes itchy, screen-fatigued peepers.
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PHOTO BY: Target; Walmart (2)

(Left to right) Dr. Teal’s Pure Epsom Salt Balance & Calm Matcha Green Tea Foaming Bath; Dove Renewing Care Foaming Bath Salts Peony & Rose; Olay Moisture Ribbons Plus Shea + Lavender Oil Body Wash

6. Relax in a steamy tub or shower.

Water is soothing, and since we tend to ignore the make-it-lukewarm-not-hot edict of dermatologists, do your skin a favor and aim for not too hot. Amplify the benefits of a good soak by adding some fragrant bath salts or gels like Dr. Teal’s Pure Epsom Salt Balance & Calm Matcha Green Tea Foaming Bath ($5, target.com) or Dove Renewing Care Foaming Bath Salts Peony & Rose ($6, walmart.com) to the water. Bath salts are either Epsom salt (which is magnesium sulfate) or sea salt. Both are rich in minerals that do everything from de-bloat tummy, breasts and ankles to soothe sore muscles, alleviate tension headaches and calm inflammation. Deeply relaxing scents include lavender, green tea and rose. Roll up a hand towel and put it behind your neck as pillow support (a small thing that makes a difference). Don’t have a tub? No problem. Get the same aromatherapeutic benefits with a scented body wash like Olay Moisture Ribbons Plus Shea + Lavender Oil Body Wash ($6, walmart.com) and sip some peppermint tea. Shower fans please note: The combo of hot water and steam will create a sauna-like effect.
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PHOTO BY: Ulta Beauty; CVS; Ulta Beauty

(Left to right) Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Oil Mist; CeraVe Moisturizing Cream Face & Body; J.R. Watkins Love Body Oil Mist

7. Moisturize to seal the deal.

Hot water can be dehydrating, so be sure to apply a rich moisturizer or oil ASAP. Damp, towel-blotted skin absorbs topical products better than bone-dry skin. Choose an overnight face mask (see tip number 4), your usual night or face cream or a head-to-toe cream rich in hydrating ingredients and emollients like CeraVe Moisturizing Cream Face & Body ($18, cvs.com). A nongreasy spray-on body oil like Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Oil Mist ($12, ulta.com) or J.R. Watkins Love Body Oil Mist ($15, ulta.com) is a new alternative to creams (but please do not put these on your face!). And don’t forget to trim and file toenails now, too, while they’re still soft, before moving on to foot care step number 8.
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PHOTO BY: Ulta Beauty (3)

(Left to right) Spongeables Pedi-Scrub In a Sponge Foot Buffer 20+ in Citron Eucalyptus; Aveeno Repairing Cica Foot Mask; Soap & Glory Original Pink Heel Genius Foot Cream

8. Pamper your feet with a scrub or mask and massage.

Our achy, callused tootsies deserve spa attention, too, since each one has 26 bones plus muscles, tendons and ligaments. You don’t need a separate fancy footbath (though it’s a good holiday gift), just a scrub tool like the Spongeables Pedi-Scrub In a Sponge Foot Buffer 20+ in Citron Eucalyptus ($6, ulta.com) at the end of your bath/shower. Or try a post-bath foot mask like the Aveeno Repairing Cica Foot Mask ($4, ulta.com) to exfoliate softened dead skin on the soles followed by a foot massage. Use leftover lotion or any cream and your thumbs to press arches, big toes, small toes, balls of feet and heels in circular movements. For stubborn crusty heels try a before-bed exfoliating cream with AHAs and macadamia nut oil like Soap & Glory Original Pink Heel Genius Foot Cream ($8, ulta.com) and let it work overnight under a pair of clean cotton socks.
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PHOTO BY: Target (2); Walmart

(Left to right) eos Shea Better Hand Cream — Lavender; Vaseline Intensive Care Hydra Replenish Hand Creme with Hyaluronic Acid; Love Beauty and Planet Murumuru Butter and Rose Hand Cream Delicious Glow

9. Give hands a TLC makeover.

Before slipping between the sheets, do a few last things after your bath/shower and all other treatments. One is to make sure to massage hands and cuticles with a rich hand cream that contains plant butters and oils like eos Shea Better Hand Cream — Lavender ($3, target.com), Vaseline Intensive Care Hydra Replenish Hand Creme with Hyaluronic Acid ($3, target.com) that includes cocoa butter, B3 and hyaluronic acid, and Love Beauty and Planet Murumuru Butter and Rose Hand Cream Delicious Glow ($5, walmart.com). In fact, keep a tube bedside and make it a new nightly habit.
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PHOTO BY: L.L. Bean; Ulta Beauty (2); Target

L.L. Bean Women’s Super-Soft Shrink Free Lounge Set, Stripe in Arctic Blue Stripe (left); Pacifica Lavender Moon Body & Pillow Mist (second to left); Milani Rose Butter Lip Mask (top right); Kitsch The Pillow Eye Mask in Black (bottom right)

10. Get ready for a blissful good night's sleep.

Slip into some light PJs like the L.L. Bean Women’s Super-Soft Shrink Free Lounge Set, Stripe in Arctic Blue Stripe ($89, llbean.com), spray your pillow or blanket with an aromatherapeutic mist like Pacifica Lavender Moon Body & Pillow Mist ($10, ulta.com) with subtle hints of de-stressing lavender and rose, apply an emollient lip balm to soothe cracked, dry lips like the Milani Rose Butter Lip Mask ($7, ulta.com) and slip on a light-blocking mask like Kitsch The Pillow Eye Mask in Black ($18, target.com). Then turn off your mobile and your laptop, face away from the glow of your digital alarm and be sure to blow out all those calming candles. You will wake up feeling beautiful and refreshed.

Lois Joy Johnson is a beauty and style editor who focuses on women 50 and older. She was the beauty and style editor at Ladies’ Home Journal and a founding editor of More magazine. She has written three books: The Makeup Wakeup, The Wardrobe Wakeup and The Woman's Wakeup.

Editor's note: This article was originally published on Aug. 8, 2018. It has been updated with new products.

10 Tips for a Perfect DIY Spa Night

Relax and revitalize with this monthly at-home regimen

1. Stage the evening.

2. Have a plan.

3. Slather on a hair mask.

4. Choose a hydrating face mask.

5. Do an under-eye peel-off mask.

6. Relax in a steamy tub or shower.

7. Moisturize to seal the deal.

8. Pamper your feet with a scrub or mask and massage.

9. Give hands a TLC makeover.

10. Get ready for a blissful good night's sleep.

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