The following is a guest post by Jackie Burns Brisman, Editor, SpaFinder® Wellness

Between busy work schedules, play dates, school functions, dinner, laundry, and keeping the overall household balance in check – it’s a surprise some moms can even find the time to shower these days!

Our crammed calendars often leave no time to get away for even a few hours and to enjoy a day at the spa, which is why DIY treatments are a wonderful way to bring the spa experience home. So set the baby down for a nap and raid your pantry, because it’s time for a little DIY spa session!

DIY Smoothing Body Scrub

With the weather warming up we can finally retire those go-to black tights and heavy coats. But, before we hop into our shorter hemlines and our sleeveless tops we need to scrub away all of the dry skin left over from winter. We love this DIY Thyme-to-Scrub recipe from The Lodge at Woodloch for getting rid of dead skin cells and getting ourselves ready for summer! Thyme is known for its anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties – which is why it’s gaining popularity as an at-home acne remedy. In this scrub, the thyme is all about cleansing the skin.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sea salt
• 1 tablespoon dried, ground thyme
• 1 tablespoon dried, ground sage
• ¼ cup oil (olive, grapeseed, jojoba)
• ½ lemon, juiced
• 1 tablespoon honey

Directions: Blend all ingredients and gently rub over skin to cleanse, tone, and smooth!

DIY Firming Face Masque

Springtime means more than warmer weather – it also means the start of avocado season! But before you break out the mortar and pestle to create your favorite guac recipe, first whip up this firming face masque! Thanks to the healthy fats and the phytonutrients in the avocado mixed with the hydrating water content in the cucumber, this mask firms, moisturizes, and offers a deep cleaning for the pores – now that’s a spring cleaning I can get behind!

Ingredients:

• 1 organic avocado, mashed
• 3 tsp dry green clay
• ½ organic cucumber, pureed
• 1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions: 

1. Mix all ingredients in mixing bowl, allow to chill in refrigerator for up to an hour.

2. Apply a dense layer on face and allow to dry for 15-20 minutes.

3. Wipe skin clean with warm washcloth, splash will cool water and pat dry.

Finally, what visit to the spa is complete without a beverage? And we don’t mean of the 5 pm variety! Spa water is more than just a refreshing treat. Often times the fruits and herbs infused in the water offer plenty of healthy and beautifying benefits but we can probably all agree unless we’re having a ton of people over, there’s no need for, or space for, one of those large dispensers you often see in relaxation lounges, no matter how pretty they are.

Enter water infusion pitchers! This is an easy way to infuse your water in smaller amounts, perfect for sticking in the fridge and sipping on whenever the urge desires. I love to infuse my water with basil and strawberries. Not only does the combination make it tasty, it’s also energizing and detoxifying thanks to the antioxidants, plus basil leaves are known to promote clarity, relieve mental fatigue, and help relieve stress and depression.

When you do have a free day and can make it out to the spa, a SpaFinder® Wellness Gift Card is the way to go. Accepted at more than 20,000 spa, wellness, yoga, Pilates, and fitness locations worldwide, for endless treatment and class options, and they never expire!