How to Create An Eco-Friendly Spa Experience at Home
Hailey Fynaardt
By now, most of us realize that what we put on our bodies is just as important as what we put in them, and if we are making a conscious effort to consume more holistic and high-quality ingredients, our skincare regimen should follow suit. But as demand for natural beauty products increases, so do our options, and finding a routine that works for us can often feel like a science experiment. To help you out with the overwhelm, here are a few simple tips for creating an eco-friendly spa experience at home:
1. Get natural... Ditch those drugstore purchases with ingredient lists you can't pronounce, especially since most of the chemicals listed are preservatives designed to give mass-produced products a longer shelf-life. Instead, look for all-natural products made of pure, minimally-processed, and organic ingredients that pass on their naturally-powerful qualities to you.
2. Deep clean... Start fresh by giving your space and your skin a good scrub by using simple, natural exfoliating products such as lemon juice and baking soda- a strong enough combo to take on the grime in your tub, yet gentle enough to use on your face for a refreshing, tingly-clean.
3. Go green... Add leafy greens to your diet (at least two meals a day!) and bring a little bit of life indoors with a plant or two. Low-maintenance options like tillandsia (air-plants) and pothos do well with low light, or go faux if you don't want to worry about giving them light and water. Just like plants help filter and purify the air, while giving us the main thing we need to survive (oxygen!), they also help to cleanse and energize us from the inside, so don't be shy about spinach, kale, or heaping on leafy herbs like parsley and basil at your next meal.
4. Just add water... Drinking more water throughout the day will help keep you refreshed and hydrated from the inside out. If plain ol' H2O doesn't do it for you, infuse a pitcher with fresh fruit (cucumber, citrus, and berries are always good bets) or herbs like mint or lavender to mix it up.
5. Lighten up... Try swapping out your old, heavy towels for light-weight Turkish towels that are elegant and energy-efficient. These super-soft and quick-drying alternatives mean you'll never have to reach for a damp or dingy towel after your shower again.
6. Wind down... Turn off harsh lights or even swap out bulbs for a softer effect, to make you feel less like you're in a laboratory and more like a serene spa. Plus, without bright lights amplifying every pore and blemish, you'll be less-tempted to pick and pluck at every "imperfection".
