1 – A calm tidy setting

I think one of the best things about relaxing at a spa is knowing that someone else will do the cleaning for you afterwards – once you’ve finished relaxing you just leave the boring bits to someone else. Sadly that’s not so with a ‘home spa’. But think of all the money you’ve saved by staying home! You could even think about cleaning the bathroom as part of your fitness regime – you’ve exercised your body with all the picking up of towels and scrubbing of surfaces, and now it’s time to relax and reap the rewards!

Make sure you clean your bathroom earlier in the day. Then warn your kids/housemates not to mess it up again! It’s much more relaxing in the bath when you don’t notice toothpaste blobs on the mirror or 5 empty toilet rolls on the floor (I live with 3 males; your bathroom may not be this bad!).

2 - Ambient lighting

Spas never have bright lights, right? I think it’s because a) it’s more conducive to relaxation and b) we all look better in dim light if we catch sight of ourselves in the mirror (even better when I’m not wearing my glasses – I can pretend I have no wrinkles at all!). I don’t think many bathrooms have a dimmer switch though, and if you turn the light off completely, you might feel a bit weird sitting in the dark. So … light some candles. Fancy spas always have amazing candles. You don’t have to splash out here, but I would recommend using quality soy candles so you’re not breathing in toxins while you chill. Some of our favourites are Jinxees and Love and Light (these ones are really cool as Lilly can make your candle in your choice of colour).

3 – Cosiness

In the form of a warm, soft, fluffy towel. Now, I can’t help you much with this one, because I have to confess I’m in the ‘stiffer and scratchier the better’ camp, but I have it on good authority that the way to get soft, fluffy towels is to not use fabric softener in the wash. Instead, use a cup of white vinegar every few weeks to remove any soapy residue. You can also add half a cup of baking soda to your normal laundry powder, which helps loosen the towel’s fibres and remove chemicals and grime, helping the towels to stay softer.

If your household is like ours, the dirty washing piles up quite quickly and it’s tempting to shove as much as you can into the machine. But advice is to not overfill the machine, allowing enough room for all the dirt and detergent to be properly rinsed out. Ditto for the tumble dryer if you use one – the less you have in it, the more room there is for the hot air to properly fluff the fabric. We prefer to dry our towels on the line, but if you like them fluffy, you can wait till the towels are nearly dry on the line then give them a few minutes in the dryer for added fluff factor.

If you can keep your towel warm on a heated towel rail while you’re soaking, that would be next level!

4 – Relaxing music

You know what? Spa music always annoys me. It’s either too bland, or too repetitive, or both. At least in the privacy of your own bathroom, you are in charge of the tunes. So if a bit of death metal is what relaxes you, a bit of death metal it is! What would your pick be for relaxing music? Whatever it is, you can find it on Spotify etc. Just try to keep your phone on the other side of the bathroom so you’re not tempted to scroll through social media while you’re soaking. It might seem relaxing, but it’s not really.

5- That certain something extra

Every spa has its signature product. Which quite often costs the arm and leg you’ve just been relaxing. Why not make yours a Salt & Oil bath soak? If you use a third of a bag per bath, that’s under $4, which is less than your average bath bomb (especially the ones that claim to be all-natural). Choose a scent you like, or select a blend for how it can help you feel. SO:Relaxing is self-explanatory. Come to think of it, so are SO:Uplifting and SO:Soothing! SO:Active is your go-to for sore muscles after a workout. SO:Luxurious might be what your home spa needs - a decadent bit of spoil to treat yourself.

Salt & Oil bath soaks don’t contain extra bits and bobs like petals or glitter, so there is less to clean up after your bath. Because, yeah, you most likely don’t have staff members to tidy up after you. Unless you’ve managed to bribe someone else in your household to be on cleaning duty. If you have, let me know how!!

If you have any other tips on how to enjoy the most luxurious, relaxing, spa-like baths, in the comfort of your own home, let us know on here or our Facebook page and if we feature your tip, we’ll send you a free bag of bath soak.*

* You have to be in New Zealand to receive the bath soak. Feel free to send tips if you’re not in NZ, but you’ll have to nominate someone to receive the thank you gift.

Plus - Sign up to receive our short Weekly Soak emails and you'll be sent a code to buy 2 and get 1 free on all products, so a relaxing bath will cost you even less!