Create the Perfect Healthy Spa Night at Home

What could be better than a spa night at home with your best girlfriends? You know the kind of night I mean. Think chick-flicks, toe spacers, fuzzy robes, and fun face masks complete with cucumbers over your eyes. And lots of funny pictures, of course. I want to make sure that your spa night is not only a blast, but good for your skin. Cheap, colorful masks are lots of fun, but not all of the masks you can buy are actually good for your skin. Some of them can have fake ingredients that are actually harmful!

Here are our recommendations for a DIY spa night at home that’s not only tons of fun, but super beneficial for your unique skin!

Step One: Choosing a mask for your skin type

There are tons of mask options out there. Some of them are great and some are...not so great. You probably know to look for the most natural ingredients possible, but a lot of the benefits of a mask depends on your skin type.

Our favorite mask products:

If you don’t want to break out the blenders and make your own face masks, here are our favorite goodies for a night of pampering at home:

• The Portland Girl Moonbeam Brightening mask: This mask is one of my favorites! It’s nutrient rich and full of nourishing ingredients like jojoba oil, avocado oil, and lemon peel ferment. It’s perfect for dry skin and is designed to soften skin and correct pigmentation issues.
• Plumpkin Pumpkin Gylcolic Face Mask: This yummy-smelling mask is all about exfoliation, which leaves your skin looking bright and clear. It’s made with all-natural ingredients like pumpkin, bilberry fruit extract, sugar cane extract, sugar maple extract, orange & lemon essential oil. It’s perfect if you have acne, rosacea, or just really dry skin.

Our favorite DIY masks for your skin type:

If you’re more of a DIY girl, we’ve got you covered!

Dry Skin:

If you have dry skin, you want to focus on hydrating without irritating. Avoid exfoliating masks and look for recipes with ingredients like coconut oil, egg yolk, and avocado. Here are two recipes we like:

• Coconut honey mask: Mix 2 tablespoons extra virgin coconut oil with ¼ cup of raw honey. Apply to your face and wash off after 15-20 minutes.
• Egg yolk and banana mask: Blend one egg yolk, half a banana, and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Apply to face and wash off after 15 minutes.

Oily Skin:

The biggest thing to remember about oily skin is that you DON’T want to dry it out! A lot of products formulated for oily skin contain alcohol, which dries out your skin and prompts it to make even more oil. Oily skin needs hydration to regulate the production of sebum. (That’s the fancy name for the oil your skin produces naturally.) Ingredients like raw honey keep bacteria at bay, which prevents breakouts without drying out your skin. Exfoliating masks are a good idea as well, because it clears your skin of dead skin cell buildup that can clog pores, and cause—you guessed it—breakouts. Try these simple DIY masks:

• Banana and honey mask: Mash or blend a banana with a tablespoon of honey and a tablespoon of lemon juice. Apply to your face and leave on for 15-20 minutes before rinsing off with cool or warm water.
• Oatmeal avocado mask: Soak a half cup of rolled oats in water (just enough to wet all the oats) for five minutes. Mash with half a ripe avocado and apply to face, then wash off in about fifteen minutes.

Combination Skin:

This is a very common skin type, characterized by an oily T zone (forehead, nose, and chin) with drier cheeks and even some dry, flaky patches around your nose and eyebrows. Again, we want to focus on hydration, and we can even stand a little exfoliation. Here are a few simple recipes that work well for combination skin:

• Egg and yogurt mask: Whisk together 1 egg white and 1 tablespoon of plain yogurt (preferably full fat).
• Clay mask: Add water or full-fat milk to a tablespoon or so of bentonite clay to form a paste, then apply and leave it on for 15 minutes. (Your can find natural or bentonite clay in most healthy food stores.)

Important note: No matter what your skin type is or what kind of mask you use, always apply an all-natural moisturizer afterward to continue the benefits of the masking. We highly recommend our Hella Hydration cream for all skin types, and also our Plant Power Moisture Cream, especially if you’re looking to combat signs of aging.  

Step Two: Don’t forget the snacks!

We all love cupcakes and moscato, but no spa night is complete without some healthy snacks too! Make sure to include hydrating, vitamin-rich snacks and beverages in your spread, because what you put in your body is just as important as what you put on it.Make a gorgeous fruit and veggie plate that includes cucumbers, carrots, melon, berries, and maybe some more unusual choices like jicama or kohlrabi. These are all super hydrating and full of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that nourish your skin and fight damage from free radicals. Don’t forget to include some fun dips like hummus, Greek yogurt dip, and guacamole! (Healthy fats are awesome for your skin, btw.)

As for beverages, I love a good wine spritzer as much as the next girl, but remember: alcohol dehydrates you. You don’t have to skip the booze altogether, but make sure to balance it out with lots of infused water or iced green or herbal tea! To make infused water, fill a beautiful pitcher ¼ full with sliced fruits like lemons, limes, oranges, melons, and berries and fill the rest of the way with water. You can also add fresh herbs like rosemary, basil, and mint! Let it sit for at least 5 minutes before drinking. Cucumber is also a great addition! I know, cucumbers on your veggie tray, on your eyes, and in your water. Cucumbers are great for reducing puffiness around your eyes, are highly hydrating, and they’re full of silica, which is amazing for your skin! Plan on buying lots of cucumbers if you plan on hosting a spa night. Iced (or hot, whatever you like!) green or herbal tea is also a great idea. Make a batch of iced tea and throw in some mint or lemon to boost the flavor.

Step 3: Pamper from head to toe

The whole point of spa night is to go all out with luxury! Here are some other fun ways for you and your friends to pamper yourselves.

DIY Foot Scrub:

Combine a tablespoon each of brown sugar, baking soda, and olive oil. Massage into your feet to exfoliate and soften your skin while giving your muscles a nice rub too. Once your feet are nice and soft, let them dry and then break out the toe spacers and nail polish!

More fun ideas for spa night:

• DIY hair masks
• Manicures
• Make a jar of sugar scrub to take home!
• Chick flicks (duh)
• Shoulder rubs
• Use that sugar scrub on your knees and elbows too!
• Restorative yoga (use a DVD or follow a Youtube video)

The ideas are endless! Hosting a healthy home spa night is great for bachelorette parties, birthdays, Mother’s Day, girl’s night in, or you know, Tuesdays. Why not?For more awesome products you can incorporate into your healthy spa night, check out The Portland Girl shop!