Home spa rules

Massage
At a salon
Massage relaxes the body, mind and soul — however, different results can be achieved depending on the massage techniques employed. For example, lymphatic drainage massage can assist in reducing fluid retention and cellulite; aromatherapy massage can alleviate stress and assist in rebalancing the skin, depending on which essential oils are used.

At home
Clearly, you won't have a professional massage therapist at home, but there is nothing stopping you from enlisting a friend or partner to spoil you with heavenly massage oil. If alone, simply take some time to massage the oil into your skin, and relax for the evening. You will still reap the rewards.

Manicures and pedicures
At a salon
Manicures and pedicures smooth and soften skin, eliminate ingrown nails or hangnails around the bed of the fingernail.

At home
Soak feet or fingernails in warm water with an added softening agent. After five minutes, push back cuticles with an orange stick wrapped in damp cotton wool (never cut cuticles). File nails into a square shape using an emery board. Massage an exfoliating scrub into hands or feet, working into dry skin areas. Use a callous file or pumice stone to smooth dry areas on feet. Give hands and feet a massage, working well into pressure points and tender areas. Wipe nails clean with nail enamel remover. Apply enamel over a base coat. When dry, apply a topcoat.

Salt scrub
At a salon
A salt scrub is applied to slough away dead, dry skin from the entire body, improve circulation and minimise the appearance of cellulite. It's often used as a pre-treatment for a massage, body wrap or fake tan application to improve their effectiveness.

At home
First, rinse yourself under the shower and lightly towel dry — so skin is still moist. Starting at your left ankle, firmly massage the scrub into skin, moving upwards in sweeping movements to encourage circulation. Continue over entire body, following natural blood flow. Rinse well and massage in moisturiser, or another pampering treatment of your choice.

Thalassotherapy bath
At a salon Algae or sea-based ingredients are infused in bath water to help reduce the appearance of cellulite or blemishes. Generally, this treatment is teamed with a hydrotherapy bath, which directs water pressure over the body to improve circulation.

At home
Exfoliate the skin to smooth any rough, dry patches, then add a handful of salts to a warm bath and soak for 20 minutes. Shower to rinse away any leftover toxins.

Facial
At a salon
A facial will help improve skin and normalise its condition. Your skin type will determine the type of facial you will have: rehydrating (dry skin), balancing (oily skin), or firming (anti-ageing).

At home
Don't just wait for a special occasion, for that post-spa glow, arm yourself with the correct skincare for your needs and incorporate salon-style techniques into your daily beauty regime. For instance, try firm, yet gentle massage, using fingertips while cleansing and moisturising. Regularly exfoliate skin and apply skin-reviving masks.

Body mud wrap
At a salon
These treatments are used to soften skin and to draw out impurities, helping to reduce the appearance of cellulite, or to firm and tone.

At home
Apply a mask to cleansed and exfoliated skin all over the body, or to trouble spots you want to target such as the hips or thighs. Then wrap yourself in plastic wrap to intensify the treatment. Rinse well after the indicated time.