Taking time out of our busy lives to visit a day spa is a luxury many of us can’t afford, but you don’t need to spend a fortune on five-star resorts to enjoy some much-needed pampering. Here’s our guide to creating a home day spa specifically aimed at pampering your hair – although a day dedicated to relaxation and wellbeing will have lots of other health benefits too.
Plan Ahead
It’s all too easy in today’s work-focussed world to let plans slip by the wayside. Decide on a day for your hair day spa at home and stick to it. Write in your diary, add it to your calendar and put a reminder on your phone. Plan for child care if you need it, do any household chores that might distract you in advance and make sure you have all the essential ingredients for your day at home in plenty of time so you aren’t having to make any last-minute dashes to the shops for supplies. Make a list of everything you may need, including hair care products, healthy snacks and maybe a great movie to chill with during the evening.
It's Your Day
It’s your day, so if you want to set the alarm an hour or so later than usual, that’s fine. Rather than coffee of tea, why not start with a warm citrus based drink for a dose of vitamin C. You could simply squeeze some fresh lime or lemon into a mug of boiled water, and sweeten with some organic honey. This will set you up with your recommended daily intake of vitamin C, which, among a multitude of other benefits, is essential for the production of collagen. Collagen forms capillaries that connect to the hair shafts, ensuring a regular supply of nutrients for hair health and growth.
Skipping breakfast is never a good idea. For your special hair spa day, we’d recommend a poached egg and spinach on wholemeal toast. Eggs are a rich source of protein, the main building block of hair, while dark, leafy greens like spinach will provide plenty of iron. Our body needs iron to transport oxygen and nutrients around the body, including to our hair; a lack of iron can therefore lead to weaker strands and even slower growth.
Clean Start
If you want to wake yourself up and feel refreshed, nothing beats an invigorating shower. You could also treat your hair to a thorough cleanse with either Moisture Enhance or Volume Enhance shampoo, depending on your hair’s specific needs – both will leave your hair softer, shinier and healthier.
Meditation
Ideally, your day should include at least 10 to 15 minutes of meditation. To get the most from this time, turn off your mobile phone and find a quiet place to sit or lie comfortably. Many people prefer to sit cross-legged, with their hands resting in their lap, but it’s a case of finding what works best for you. Just make sure your back is straight, but not stiff, and that your arms, shoulders, neck and legs are all relaxed. Then it’s just a case of focusing on your breathing, taking deep in and out breaths for at least four seconds each. Don’t be distracted by any thoughts that enter your head, just listen to your breathing and let these thoughts come and go. This is 10 minutes where you will clear your mind, forget about any concerns and just focus on the moment. Try and take this feeling of living in the moment forward throughout the day so that you get the most from your well-deserved me time.
Give your Hair a Pampering
Before you start your meditation session, you could treat your hair to a nutritional mask. Our masks are the perfect way to nourish, repair and hydrate your hair. Simply apply a small amount of either Protein Mask or Moisture Mask to your towel-dried hair before you mediate. After your 15-minute session, rinse your hair, which will be transformed, feeling sumptuously soft and radiating health. In fact, these masks are effective after just five minutes, so even if you decide to skip the mediation, we’d still recommend a mask.
Create an Atmosphere
Today is all about relaxation and de-stressing. Stress can have a multitude of negative effects on our physical health, including the health of our hair. Stress causes blood vessels to constrict, depriving hair of the oxygen, minerals and vitamins it needs to grow. Severe, ongoing stress can eventually lead to hair loss.
Choose a relaxing playlist to have on in the background throughout the day. It doesn’t have to be New Age instrumentals, select a score that will help you relax, whether its soothing soul or calming classical. If you have Spotify or a similar music app, you could prepare a playlist in advance, so all you have to do on the day is press play.
Fragrance is an important part of creating a relaxing environment. Essential oils are probably the most effective way to spread a scent of wellbeing throughout your home. Lavender, Frankincense and Bergamot are all known for their relaxing properties. Alternatively, try candles scented with these same fragrances.
Food for Thought
Throughout the day, we’d recommend snacking on healthy foods which will offer noticeable benefits for your hair. Nuts and seeds, for example, contain omega 3 fatty acids, which are great for nourishing and thickening hair; carrots are rich in Vitamin A, which is essential for cell growth and also helps the scalp produce natural sebum which encourages healthy hair growth. Avocados are a source of vitamin E, which improves blood circulation, again promoting hair growth. If you own a smoothie maker, why not combine several of these ingredients to create a delicious drink, or combine them in a tasty salad for a hair-healthy lunch.
Bath Time
Probably the ideal way to end your day is with a luxurious bath. Turn off the overhead lights and create a tranquil mood with scented candles. Enhance the bath with products containing relaxing essential oils and bask in the warmth and serenity! You should now be ready for a good night’s sleep, which is one of the most important contributors to a healthy mind and body – and of course, hair.