While winter may bring some of the best holidays and festivities, the mixture of frosty weather and holiday stress can often take a toll on your skin. With the holiday season in full swing, we have put together a list of 5 holiday-inspired spa treatments you can make at home. Add some of these natural skin treatments to your winter regiment and enjoy glowing skin all season long!
1. Gingerbread Facial Scrub
Not only does this scrub smell like freshly-baked gingerbread cookies, it also acts as an antibacterial and toning moisturizer all-in-one! Almond oil helps to relieve puffiness and improves skin complexion while ginger and honey help to fight skin damage and aging.
Ingredients:
- 3 tbsp sweet almond oil
- 3 tbsp raw honey
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 drop of vanilla essential oil
Directions:
Mix ingredients in a bowl and apply. Let sit for 15-20 minutes and rinse thoroughly with warm water.
2. Candy Cane Body Scrub
A great way to keep your skin smooth and moisturized during the winter is to use a sugar scrub. Sugar scrubs work by gently buffing away dry or dead skin cells and leaving behind soft and hydrated skin. Coconut oil is a light oil that acts as a moisturizer with proven benefits for overall skin health. Peppermint is also an amazing ingredient for skin as it soothes inflammation and adds freshness.
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 10-15 drops of peppermint essential oil
Directions:
Melt coconut oil in the microwave for about 30 seconds and allow to cool until oil begins to harden slightly. Stir in sugar and essential oil until evenly combined and apply in circular motions. This scrub can be stored in an airtight container and used throughout the winter!
3. Peppermint Mocha Coffee Scrub
This is another scrub that is sure to leave your skin glowing and hydrated. The benefits of coffee scrubs are two-fold: the coffee grinds help to buff away dead skin cells while the caffeine is great for reducing puffiness and the appearance of pores and fine lines. Adding cocoa to this scrub packs it with antioxidants that can reduce signs of aging.
Ingredients:
- 3 tbsp. freshly ground coffee (or used grinds)
- 2 tbsp. cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp. coconut oil
- 1 tbsp. honey
- 3 drops peppermint essential oil
Directions:
Mix all ingredients together and apply in a circular motion all over the face or body and rinse off in the shower. For extra moisturizing let sit on skin for 15 minutes and then rinse.
4. Cranberry Yogurt Mask
Yogurt masks are great because they act as anti-inflammatory agents that can reduce acne and other inflammatory skin conditions. Dairy products also have lactic acid which works as a skin peel that can help dissolve layers of dead skin cells that often leave skin looking dull. Cranberries also contain acid that acts as an exfoliant as well as vitamins that help boost collagen production.
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup pureed cranberries
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp. honey (optional)
Directions:
Mix all ingredients together and apply all over your face. Leave the mask on for 10 minutes and then rinse with warm water.
5. Eggnog Bath Soak
Bath soaks are a great way of not only improving overall skin health but also providing one of the best forms of aromatherapy. This Christmas-inspired bath soak offers the benefits of healing skin exfoliation as well as overall tension and stress relief.
Ingredients:
- 4 drops of clove essential oil
- 3 drops of vanilla essential oil
- 1 drop of cinnamon essential oil
- 2 tsp. raw honey
- 1/4 cup almond oil
Directions:
Thoroughly mix ingredients in a bowl and pour into your bathtub as it fills to ensure that the solution is distributed throughout the water.
***All skin is different so it is always a good idea to test new treatments on a small area of your skin.
For an extra aromatherapy boost to your spa treatment, check out this post on amazing holiday essential oil diffuser recipes!
