When planning do-it-yourself spa days, people typically reach for things like back-of-the-drawer face masks, overscented candles, and room-temperature cucumber slices.
But let’s be honest: your skin (and sanity) deserve a little… more.
A do-it-yourself spa day isn’t just a way to waste time on a Friday night. It’s one of the easiest ways to relax, reduce stress, and practice self-care—all without the cost of visiting a professional spa.
But to create the ultimate spa experience, you can’t just depend on lukewarm bath water and whatever beauty products happen to be within an arm’s reach. You need things like silky bath oils, a perfectly chilled Ice Roller, a nourishing hair mask, and a collagen-packed mocktail to sip while everything else works its magic.
TL;DR: you need our step-by-step, do-it-yourself spa day routine. And lucky for you, that’s exactly what you’ll find below. We’ll tell you why spa days at home matter, the tools that help enhance your experience, and exactly what to do.
Because self-care shouldn’t feel like a chore; it should be equal parts effective and indulgent.
Do It Yourself Spa Day: The Ultimate At-Home Self-Care Guide
A do-it-yourself spa day allows you to enjoy the same benefits as a professional spa treatment. Except, in this case, you get to carefully curate your relaxing environment and save money. You control the music, the products, the pace, and the experience. Safe to say, we’re officially romanticizing spa days at home.
But it’s important to view at-home, do-it-yourself spa days for what they are: a mental, physical, and emotional reset. They’re not just excuses to use your favorite hair mask or (finally) exfoliate.
Providing dedicated time for self-care, combined with a tranquil atmosphere, intentional skincare and body care, and relaxation techniques, is truly important. It can improve your mood, encourage mindfulness, and allow you to unwind on your own terms.
So, let’s talk about what a spa day is at its core, and why you deserve to refine your routine:
What Is a Spa Day?
A spa day is a dedicated period of time focused on relaxation, wellness, and self-care through treatments designed to help you unwind and rejuvenate. While traditional spas offer professional services, you can recreate a lot of these same experiences using simple products and DIY treatments.
In fact, we’ve written SO many guides on at-home self-care, you have all the tips, tools, and techniques you need right here at The Skinny Confidential.
Need a hair refresh? Check out “How to Add Moisture to Dry Hair.” Drank one-too-many cosmos the night before and can’t get rid of that post-night out puff? Read “How to Get Rid of Alcohol Bloat Face.”
Needless to say, you’re in good hands. Let’s look at our must-do rituals for the most relaxing, revitalizing do-it-yourself spa day money doesn’t have to buy:
What Do You Do at a Spa Day at Home?
Exfoliate your skin before soaking.
Before you even think about stepping foot in that bubble bath, you need to exfoliate. But don’t just grab coffee grounds and call it a day—your skin deserves more. Instead, reach for the Butter Brush.
Made with natural, firm, boar-hair bristles, the Butter Brush gently removes dead skin cells, can help flush toxins from the body, and may even reduce inflammation. In other words, it loosens the day’s grime so you can step into your soak soft, smooth, and squeaky clean.
Stick around; we’ll tell you exactly how to use the Butter Brush to exfoliate below.
Take a warm bath with Epsom salts or bath oils.
What’s a bath without mineral-rich Epsom salts and velvety, rich bath oils? (Boring, that’s what it is.) All jokes aside, Epsom salt and bath oils transform a typical bath into a therapeutic treatment.
Epsom salt helps relax muscles and gently exfoliate, while bath oils hydrate, soften skin, and, with a few drops of essential oils, provide a totally restorative experience.
Of course, you can’t begin your at-home spa treatment without reading our guide on homemade bath soaks. And if you’re looking to DIY your bath oil, make sure to read "Aromatherapy Benefits of Eucalyptus Essential Oil” first.
Apply a face mask based on skin type.
Your do-it-yourself spa day deserves a nourishing face mask that gives your skin exactly what it’s craving. (AKA, it’s time to retire those sheet masks that have been sitting in your drawer for years.)
Of course, face masks are inherently relaxing. However, the benefits go beyond simple decompression. Face masks are one of the easiest ways to clear clogged pores, calm irritation, and lock in moisture.
Dealing with stubborn breakouts and can’t find relief? We’ve got you covered. Check out “How to Deep Clean Your Pores” to learn our favorite skin-supportive techniques!
Use a hair mask or scalp treatment.
Your hair and scalp deserve the same level of TLC you so effortlessly give your skin. And what better time to offer that than during your do-it-yourself spa day?
Whether it’s a deeply nourishing hair mask or a refreshing scalp treatment, this step helps your routine feel like a true head-to-toe reset. Better yet, while your treatment is doing its thing? You can kick back, relax, and enjoy your spa experience.
We’ll get into our top hair mask recommendations below. For now, add “How to Know If Your Hair Is Healthy” to your “read-next” queue.
Enjoy a manicure or pedicure.
Mani-pedis are staples for do-it-yourself spa days. But it’s about more than just swiping on a little polish and calling it a day. Instead, it’s another way to truly commit to caring for yourself—head-to-toe.
Think of it as slowing down long enough to give your hands and feet the same attention you give the rest of your body. (Bonus points if you finish with a DIY massage and a glossy top coat!)
Or, skip the guesswork and follow TSC founder Lauryn Bosstick’s guide: “How to Take Care of Nails: A Natural, Low-Maintenance Guide.”
Practice meditation or deep breathing.
You don’t realize how much stress and tension you’re holding until you intentionally try to let it go. And there’s no better opportunity than on a day you’re already relaxing, unwinding, and carving out uninterrupted time for yourself.
We get it—these methods feel more like hype than holy grails. However, there’s real science behind these benefits! Both meditation and deep breathing can drop stress levels, relax tense muscles, and lower your blood pressure.
If you need a little guidance, turn on Jesse Israel’s podcast episode of The Bossticks. It’s time to give your mind the same care you give your skin.
Read a book or listen to calming music.
You can’t enjoy a do-it-yourself spa day if your mind’s racing the entire time. Reading a book or listening to calming music are two of the best ways to stop a spiral in its tracks.
More specifically, they help shift a spa day from just another item on your to-do list to a true mental reset. And if you really want to compound the benefits? Read and listen to calming music at the same time! This is one of the (many) perks of at-home spa days: you make the rules.
Don’t have any books on your TBR? Grab your Kindle and read Get the F*ck Out of the Sun OR check out Lauryn’s Goodreads.
Sip herbal tea or infused water.
Some people complement their do-it-yourself spa days with wine, while others do so with a warm glass of tea. Us? We’re reaching for anything we can blend our TSC Beauty Salt into.
Made with ingredients such as 40% colostrum, electrolytes, and pearl powder, Beauty Salt supports hydration, enhances daily vitality, and can optimize any beauty routine. And the best part? You can blend it into any drink that’s stir- or froth-friendly, like smoothies, water, coffee, or iced matcha.
Great spa days don’t stop at external skincare; they support you from the inside out.
How to Do a Spa Day at Home
Set Up a Calming Environment
First thing’s first, every good do-it-yourself spa day starts with a calming, soothing environment. And fortunately, because you are at home, you can make that environment whatever you want.
Light your non-toxic candles, dim the lights, put your phone on DND, queue up a calming playlist or podcast, and slip into your fluffiest, most luxurious robe. The goal is to switch your brain from productivity mode to relaxation mode.
Need a little how-to guide for relaxation? Check out “How to Regulate Your Nervous System: Deepak Chopra’s Simple Daily Tips” next!
Start with Gentle Exfoliation
The moment you’ve all been waiting for: pull out your TSC Butter Brush and let’s smooth out that skin. You can find a full how-to in our post, “How to Use Exfoliating Brush for Buttery Soft Skin.” For now, here’s your quick guide:
Begin dry brushing at your feet and sweep upward toward the heart. This is excellent for supporting natural blood flow and helping your body flush out toxins. Next, move up the body, using medium pressure on your legs and arms, and lighter pressure on your torso, neck, and chest.
Pro tip: Sweep your Butter Brush in circular motions to buff away dead skin cells, stimulate circulation, and support lymphatic drainage. It’s a self-care ritual whose benefits extend far beyond soft skin.
Run a Warm Bath or Shower
Next, run your warm bath or shower. For baths, squeeze in your favorite bubble bath, drop in a couple of handfuls of bath salts, and swirl in your bath oil. For showers, hang eucalyptus on the shower head, let the room fill with steam, and enjoy an aromatherapy-inspired experience.
Don’t rush this step! Let the gentle warmth relax muscles, quiet your mind, and signal that it’s time to slow down for a while.
Apply a Face Mask
Now, apply a face mask tailored to your unique needs. Emphasis on your needs—generic masks won’t cut it for this do-it-yourself spa day.
Looking to brighten your complexion? We love the holi (bright) resurface glass face mask (use code SKINNY for 15% off!). Trying to support circulation and reduce breakouts? Check out Lauryn’s favorite red light therapy devices. (Yes, we’re counting this as a face mask!)
Ultimately, when you choose a face mask based on what your skin craves, you make your self-care work smarter—not harder.
Use a Hair Treatment
While your face mask is working its magic, show your hair some love, too. Apply a nourishing hair mask from mid-lengths to ends, avoiding the scalp to prevent oily roots. If you’re looking for a new go-to, we love the Vegamour HYDR-8 Deep Moisture Repair Mask. (Use code SKINNY for 20% off!)
Or, if it's your scalp that needs a refresh, reach for a gentle exfoliating mask instead. Regardless of what you’re targeting, your hair benefits from a little consistency. Taking an extra 20 or 30 minutes every week to care for your hair and scalp can leave your strands feeling softer, shinier, and healthier overall.
Find even more guidance in our post, “How to Strengthen Hair and Support Healthy Growth.”
Moisturize Face and Body
The moment you step out of the bath or shower, lock in all that hydration before it has a chance to escape. Apply your favorite facial moisturizer, layer on a hydrating serum, and finish with a rich body cream or body oil from your neck to your toes.
This is also a perfect time to reach for your TSC Ice Roller! A few minutes of rolling can help reduce the look of puffiness while leaving your skin feeling cool, refreshed, and ready for the rest of your day.
TL;DR: Our TSC Ice Roller is the finishing touch that makes your do-it-yourself spa day feel just like a professional experience.
Not sure when, where, or how to start? We walk you through every step of the process in “When to Use Ice Roller on Face: Morning to Night.”
Treat Hands and Feet
Don’t forget to care for the hardest-working parts of the body: the hands and feet.
Massage a rich hand cream into your hands, paying extra attention to your cuticles. Then do the same thing to your feet with a nourishing foot cream before slipping into a pair of cozy socks. Oh, and if you’re adding polish? Now’s the time to do so, when your nails are refreshed and rejuvenated.
It feels like a little detail, but that’s the point! When you pay attention to the small things, you turn typical self-care into a full, intentional do-it-yourself spa day.
Finish with Relaxation Time
You’ve officially earned the best part.
Curl up somewhere cozy, brew yourself a warm cup of coffee, and sit down to snack on this TSC Beauty Salt-inspired ice cream. And if you need a reminder: resist the urge to immediately check your phone or get back to your to-do list.
The goal isn’t to race through your at-home spa experience to get back to work. It’s to leave feeling calmer, more refreshed, and a little more like yourself.
Want the experience of a professional spa treatment from home? Lucky for you, our simple do-it-yourself spa day routine achieves just that.
The best self-care routines don’t just give you a moment to hit pause and unwind. They also change how you feel—about yourself, your environment, and your stressors. You don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars a month to feel your best; you just have to follow these tips.
