Best home spa treatments under $150

The Circuit Breaker may be officially over, but the lack of a Covid-19 vaccine and fluctuating number of cases make it necessary to continue to limit social interactions.

It also means having to postpone your visit to your favourite spa for just a little longer (there’s no harm in being a tad careful, right?).

But, hey, with the right equipment and products, you can just as easily have a spa day at home to treat yourself to some much needed self-care in the time of a pandemic. Here’s how you can go about treating yourself to a complete spa day — with a budget well under $150.

Cost comparison: Home DIY spa vs commercial spas

For a full head-to-toe self-care regimen, we identified these five treatments that can be easily replicated at home — facial, eye treatment, manicure, body massage, and foot massage and spa. We’ve also thrown in some aroma choices to create a spa-like experience at home, if you so please. 

Of course you’d need some equipment and supplies necessary for a great DIY home spa, and we’ve added in options that are readily available at reasonably low prices. Fun fact: many of these items are one-time purchases, so they save you the cost of booking a pricey spa treatment in future. 

In order to do an easy comparison, we also found out the prices for each equivalent treatment at regular commercial spas. And the result was as we expected — you can easily set up your very own home spa day for under $150 (slightly more if you include the optional aromatherapy add-on).

Visiting a commercial spa for all five treatments, on the other hand, can easily set you back by a cool $400 or so. 

Facial treatment: Innisfree Jeju Orchid cream mask

The draw of going for a spa facial lies pretty much in the use of salon-certified lotions and creams that promise to work magic on your face. 

However, despite a long and glitzy history with glamorous marketing campaigns, there’s no evidence that more expensive facial products work better than the drugstore variety.

Smoother, clearer skin can be just as easily achieved at home, and to see the difference, you simply need to treat your skin to a little something beyond your daily wash-tone-moisturise routine. 

For your DIY spa day, pick up a Jeju Orchid Cream Mask by Innisfree, which promises to “strengthen, firm, smooth, nourish and brighten” skin. Don’t forget to gently pat your face after removing the mask to absorb the leftover cream for some extra nourishment. 

Item: Innisfree Jeju Orchid Cream Mask

Cost: $8 per piece

Available at: All Innisfree stores

Eye-relaxing treatment: KAO MegRhythm steam eye-mask 

Tired, overworked eyes can give rise to redness, dark circles, fine lines and eyebags. Bit worry not! Pep up your eye skincare routine with the innovative and relaxing MegRhythm Steam Eye-mask that gently heats up to a toasty 40 degrees over 10 mins. It’s meant to relieve fatigue, while the steam moisturises and smoothens delicate skin around the eye area. 

Give the scented versions (rose, lavender, yuzu or chamomile) a try if fragrances are your jam.

Item: KAO MegRhythm Steam Eye-mask

Cost: $6.50 per box of 5

Available at: Online and in major personal-care stores like Watsons, Guardian etc. 

Manicure: 6-piece mani-pedi kit

We get it. The allure of going for a manicure lies in the feeling of someone taking care of us and helping us put our best foot forward (literally!). Well, make a sleepover out of it and get five of your besties to come over and exchange manicures.

For a complete salon experience, pick up this 6-piece mani-pedi kit to trim, cut, and buff your nails to professional standards. It even comes with its own storage case for easy cleanup when you’re done.

Ask your girlfriends to finish the spa with a coat of your favourite nail polish to add in that extra sparkle to your day-in. 

Item: 6-piece Stainless Steel Manicure Kit

Cost: $12.64

Available at: Amazon 

ALSO READ: Try these 5 honey-based home-spa recipes

Body massage: Deep-tissue Massage Gun

When it comes to getting rid of body and muscle aches, a deep tissue massage can work wonders. Sure, masseuse’s magic is incomparable, but a satisfying relief from stiff joints and bodily fatigue with this handheld deep-tissue massage gun comes pretty close to that magic.

This sleek massage gun comes with six speeds and four attachment heads, allowing you to effectively target different areas of your body. It’s cordless and quiet, too, making it ideal for a leisurely, soothing massage. 

For best results, put your kids or partner to work and focus on hard-to-reach pain points, as you bliss out gladly. 

Item: Handheld Deep Tissue Percussion Muscle Massager

Cost: $66.07

Available at: Amazon 

Foot massage plus spa: Sencor Foot Spa plus lavender bath salts

Rejuvenate tired, aching feet with a soak in the Sencor Foot Spa that comes with three settings — vibration massage, warm bubble bath, or both. Experience improved blood circulation and muscle relaxation, leading to relief from stress and weariness. 

Go one step further and add in some lavender bath salts for a truly indulgent treatment that will leave your feet feeling fresh and smooth.

Item: Sencor Foot Spa

Cost: $34.50

Available at: Shopee

Item: Dead Sea Spa Mineral Salts

Cost: $3.93

Available at: iHerb

Aromatherapy: XIAOMI Aroma Diffuser plus Kirona scents pure essential oils

This is an optional step if you’re after the right ambience and mise en scene. By far the most convenient way to enjoy aromatherapy is with an ultrasonic diffuser. This device creates an ultrafine water mist to effectively carry your favourite essential oils into the air, subtly scenting your space. 

A favourite lifestyle brand, the XIAOMI Aroma Diffuser not only features continuous operation of up to 10 hours, it also comes with seven interchangeable light colours to lend a gentle glow to your spa day.  

As for essential oils, you only want to use 100 per cent pure oils with no additives or artificial components. Try Kirona Scent’s range of economically-priced pure essential oils to lend your home spa day some affordable luxury. 

Item: XIAOMI Aroma Diffuser

Cost: $14.90

Available at: Ezbuy

Item: Kirona Scents Pure Essential Oils

Cost: $14.90

Available at: Kirona Scents website

This article was first published in SingSaver.com.sg.