We all love a good foot spa. Whether its at the end of a long day at work, or right after an eventful weekend with your friends – a foot spa is always one of the most rewarding and relaxing things to come home to.
Since the pandemic has made it far more difficult to actually go out for a foot spa, we are here to tell you that there is a far better alternative to the salon. Instead of spending a good amount of money for a relaxing few hours, you can recreate the entire experience at home without having to get dressed and step out. As you bring the foot spa at home, you will realize that the spa becomes even more relaxing when you know that you can get comfortable at home while pampering your feet with some love (and essential oils).
The Benefits of a Foot Spa
Apart from providing us with a sense of comfort and relaxation, there are many different benefits to having a foot spa day. So, the next time you think that putting together a foot spa is either too much effort or will not be beneficial, remember to think of the following benefits:
1. Reduced Headaches
If you suffer from headaches and migraines, a relaxing foot spa at the end of the day is likely to solve all your problems. With a foot treatment known as foot reflexology where you massage the pressure points of your foot, you can instantly go from a state of anxiety and tension to a state of calmness and relief. Foot reflexology can easily be paired with your foot spa experience, making the entire procedure much more rewarding for oneself.
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2. Lesser Feelings of Depression and Anxiety
When you have too many negative emotions bottled up inside your body, you can start to feel anxious or depressed. To relieve the stress in your mind and body, you can resort to putting together a relaxing foot spa with some essential oils that will induce feelings of calmness and relieve the symptoms of depression and anxiety.
3. Better Blood Circulation
When you soak your feet in warm water and massage them gently, you are helping the blood circulation in your body to flow more smoothly. Not only does this relax you when you are feeling tense, but it also relieves any body pain that you may be experiencing.
4. Eases Symptoms of PMS
If you are a woman who struggles with intense PMS symptoms such as cramps, migraines, or mood swings, putting together a foot spa at home can relieve much of these problems. Since a foot spa is meant to relax your body, the symptoms of PMS are likely to disappear as you have your feet soaked into some warm water and are sipping on your favorite drink.
5. Insomnia
If you struggle to fall asleep easily at night, you should try putting together a DIY foot spa before you get into bed each night. This will help your body get into a mode of relaxation and induce natural sleep.
Setting Up a Foot Spa at Home
There are a few steps involved in setting up the perfect foot spa at home. While this takes a little bit of effort, you will surely be satisfied with yourself once you have your feet submerged and are feeling relaxed and happy.
Step 1: Set the Environment
This is the first and most important step of replicating the experience of a foot spa in the salon at home. Before you start gathering the required material, you first need to find a comfortable space at home where you can set up the home spa. It is recommended to make the place as aesthetic as possible, such as by lighting some aromatherapy candles, spraying a relaxing scent, and playing some music at a low volume.
Step 2: Prepare your Foot Soak
You need to have a medium-sized tub where you can prepare your foot soak. Start by placing a few marbles at the bottom of the tub and then filling it with warm water up to half capacity. Depending upon the foot soak recipe that you have chosen, add your desired salts and essential oils to the water. If you have rose petals available at home, you can add them to the foot soak to enhance your foot spa experience.
Once you have the soak prepared, you can submerge your feet in the water for about 20 minutes as you sit back and relax. During this time, you can choose to either put a face mask on or simply just have a few sips of your favorite drink. The important part is to relax yourself, mentally and physically.
Step 3: Exfoliation
Once you have spent 20 minutes soaking your feet in the warm water, it is time to get your exfoliation brush or a pumice stone out. Starting from the heel of your foot, scrub your feet gently in a circular motion. You can also choose to apply a foot scrubbing cream and massage over it gently for a few minutes. Once you are done, you can wash your feet off in the foot soak tub.
Step 4: Foot Massage
Remember the marbles that you placed at the bottom of the tub? It is finally time to make use of them. Roll your feet on the marbles back and forth and continue the motion for a few minutes. If you do not have marbles, you can also use your hands or a foot and leg massager for this step.
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Step 5: Moisturize
At this stage, your foot spa is almost done. You should now wash your feet in the water and dry them using a soft towel. To ensure that your feet keep feeling soft, you should apply your favorite moisturizer all over the feet.
Step 6: Pedicure
While this step is optional, we recommend you go the extra mile and actually give yourself the salon treatment even if you are having a foot spa at home. For this part, you should start with clipping your nails and then cleaning your cuticles by pushing them away towards the skin. A pedicure always begins with a coat of clear nail polish, followed by the color of your choice. Remember to wait until the polish dries completely before you put on socks or get into bed.
DIY Foot Soak Recipes
Once you have understood all the steps to creating your own foot spa at home, it is also important to know some of the best DIY foot soak recipes. Following is a list of our favorite ones:
1. To Treat Foot Pain
This salt soak is ideal for the days when your feet feel extremely sore and tender. Usually, this is after you have worn high heels for extended periods of time or have been walking or running around too much. To make your foot pain better, you can use Epsom salt which is absorbed through the skin and provides inflammation relief instantly.
Ingredients: ½ cup Epsom Salt, 15 drops of an essential oil (peppermint, lavender, etc.), and 6 tsp. of a carrier oil.
2. To Exfoliate
If you want to treat any fungal infections or prevent an unpleasant foot odor, exfoliation is necessary. Remember to use the lemon peels to clean your toes and feet by rubbing it on the skin gently.
Ingredients: 2 fresh lemons, 2 cups white vinegar, 3 cups Epsom salt.
3. To Improve Blood Circulation
Research suggests that using essential oils can elevate your mood, ease the tension in your joints, and help stimulate blood flow across the body.
Ingredients: ½ cup grated ginger, 20 drops of essential oil (lemon, lemongrass, etc.), 6 tsp. of a carrier oil.
4. To Moisturize the Feet
If having extremely soft and smooth feet are your ultimate dream, you can use this DIY foot soak to moisturize your feet inside out and leave them feeling as soft as a baby’s skin.
Ingredients: ½ cup honey, 1 cup coconut milk, and 1 teaspoon of fine cinnamon powder.
Apart from these few DIY foot soaks, you can always choose to experiment with ingredients of your choice and come up with exciting combinations that you enjoy.
Final Thoughts
If you thought that bringing a foot spa to your home was a difficult task, we hope that we have simplified the entire process for you. Since it is extremely important to let yourself relax and unwind to release all of the stress that you had been taking, a foot spa can be extremely helpful for such a relaxing experience.
So, the next time you feel like you do not have enough time to head to a salon for a foot spa, just know that you can bring the comfort home. All you need is a big tub, a few essential oils, a comfortable room, and your favorite drink to enjoy as you lean back and relax your DIY foot spa at home.
