DEPARTMENT:

Spa-cial Havens

at Home

You’ve just left the spa and are already looking forward to your next appointment. If you’re like most people, however, your budget and schedule won’t allow for daily, or even weekly, spa splurges. The next best thing is relaxing in your own haven at home.  

Don’t fret that you don’t have the space or the funds to create a spa from scratch. With the right products and a little imagination, it’ll be easier and less expensive than you think!

First, designate a spot for your at-home oasis; it could be a spare room, patio or deck. Relaxation is the goal, so avoid noisy places such as a lanai exposed to traffic. Make sure there’s room for whatever furniture you need, be it a massage table, chaise lounge or a few chairs and small tables for a manicure party.

If you can paint the area, choose rich earth tones such as sage green, sand, cinnamon red or deep brown, which provide a feeling of warmth, comfort and intimacy. Add candles, flowers, plants, photos, artwork and perhaps a small fountain. Natural elements such as bamboo, stone and wood help you become “one with nature.”

Aaron Christeaan, owner of TheGardenSage in Kailua, designs custom water features. The Large Blue Tower (above) is a fountain made of copper, blue rippled glass, etched glass and bamboo.

Select music that calms you—New Age, classical, slack key, whatever does the trick. Two great options are “Hawaiian Healing Journey: The Journey Begins” and “Hawaiian Healing Journey: The Continuing Journey,” two locally produced CDs by bassist Steve Jones and guitarist Bryan Kessler of Wire & Wood Music. The only Hawaiian New Age products of their kind, they are available at most music stores and some spas. Check out the Web site www.hawaiianhealingjourney.com for more information.

Pamper yourself at home with a facial; it’s a great way to relieve stress and refresh your skin.

Now that your space is complete, decide what kind of treatments you’d like. Shall it be facial masks, wraps, manicures, yoga, maybe even ear candling? If cost is not a concern, hire someone to bring the experience to you. “Spa caterers” offer a full menu of in-home services; Complete Healing Experience, for example, caters parties that include therapeutic massage, yoga, facials and healthy cuisine prepared from locally grown ingredients. Call 389-2227 or peruse www.cabspates.com.

Facials, manicures and pedicures using beauty products you make yourself can be just as enjoyable (there are books galore on this topic at libraries and bookstores). Do a patch test first to make sure you don’t get any allergic reactions from them.

Plush towels, cushiony slippers, Egyptian cotton robes, and light, healthy snacks and beverages are part of the pampering, as are essential oils and candles made of plant-based aromas. Purchase a vial of your favorite essential oil and put a few drops in massage lotion or in a diffuser to scent the whole area.

At Aveda Lifestyle Salon & Spa, you can create your very own Pure-fume with essential oils. Aveda candles come in a variety of fragrances and provide a soft glow that’s perfect for your at-home spa (Aveda Lifestyle Salon & Spa, Ala Moana Center, $5.50 and up for both candles and oils).

Bootylicious lavendar plush terry cloth booties focus much-needed attention on your tired, achy feet. Microwave the lavender sachet (included) for a minute and place it in the slippers for relaxing, soothing warmth (www.sephora.com, $48).

Disc’O’Sit air cushion is a flat version of an exercise stability ball. While you’re sitting on it, the disc engages abdominal muscles and improves your posture (www.fitbuy.com, $39.99).

The Finger Rollers Massager gives you the benefits of shiatsu via two mechanical “thumbs” that provide deep, rhythmic kneading of muscles in the back, neck shoulders, feet, arms and legs. It’s less expensive than a massage chair, more effective than a hand-held model and professionals tout it as the closest thing to a real massage (www.allaboutmassagers.com, $249).

Homedics JetSpa Jet Action Footbath pampers your feet with soothing heat and bubbles. Super quiet with toe-touch controls, this wonderful accupressure machine also provides stress relief and comes with a pumice stone, cleansing brush and massage roller (www.bedbathandbeyond.com, $29.99).

Other noteworthy pedicure devices include the Earth Therapeutics Pedicure Salon Kit (www.earththerapeutics.net, $19.99) and the Ultra Nail Wand, a cordless manicure set with a rotary motor that has four manicure/pedicure attachments for cuticle maintenance, filing, shaping, buffing and polishing on one end. On the other end is a “no-clippings” clipper that directs clippings into the handle (Sharper Image, $49.95).

Last but not least, remember to b-r-e-a-t-h-e and to bring into your home all the things that make you feel happy, relaxed and peaceful. What it comes down to is…it really is all about you!

Lititia Thomas is the Site Manager for Aveda Lifestyle Salon & Spa at Ala Moana Center. Call 947-6141. For more ideas on how to create a home spa, check out the following books: Healing Home Spa by Valerie Gennari Cooksley, Secrets of the Spas by Catherine Bardey, The Ultimate Spa Book by Pam Martin Sarnoff and More Secrets from the Super Spas by Emily Wilkens.

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