SETTING THE MOOD
Before you are really ready to pamper yourself (or another) with a home spa treatment, you need to begin to adjust your attitude and gather some items to enhance the mood! So here are some basics that you need have on hand, and some items that will enhance your spa treatment and your over-all experience.
You can find most "basic" items that you will need right in your kitchen cabinet. The basics are the items that you will need to make, mix, use and/or store your treatments. Try to avoid tools that have silver, copper, aluminum, teflon, or cast-iron finishes. Stay with stainless steel, enamel, or glass utensils, as these will not react with any of the ingredients in treatment recipes.
To create the best spa type experience, one that will bring you complete relaxation, rejuvenation and even luxury, you will need to add a second category of "basics", and those are the mood enhancing basics. These are items that will bring in the personal touches, and that will add an extra dimension to your experience. By adding these "basics", you will elevate your experience to the next level so to speak, raising it to the high level of a purchased spa package, and all for a fraction of the cost!
Sooooooo, before you begin looking at books and creating recipes, make sure that you have the following on hand and ready to go!
-A blender or food processor-a glass one is better than the plastic
-A spice mill or coffee grinder-used to finely grind herbs
-A wire whisk
-Tongs-a must for picking up the hot sheet strips in body wraps
-A double broiler- heats easily and melts without scorching
-A x-large pot for boiling (a lobsterpot or stock pot works great)
-Glass bowls for mixing
-A few 2 or 3 quart sized ceramic or plastic bowls for holding seaweed, clay, salts and/or water
-A very large bowl or basin for facial steams
-Wooden spoons for mixing/blending
-Vegetable peeler for peeling citrus fruits
-Knives and a chopping board for cutting
-A funnel
-Glass jars and bottles for storing your preparations. Old mayonnaise, pickle or jam jars are great for this!
-A strainer
-Plastic bottles w/ flip top lids for storing shampoos and conditioners
-Glass mason jars aka canning jars for brewing teas and making infusions
-Glass measuring cup
-Measuring spoon set
-A dropper, preferable a glass one for measuring essential oils
-A loofah sponge or bath mitt for applying body treatments
-A natural bristle brush for skin treatments. This is a short-handled brush with a head about the size of your palm.
-A pumice stone
-Plastic wrap, a shower cap, or a plastic bag for hair treatments that need to be left on for a time period. The plastic intensifies the effect of the heat and is useful for hot oil treatments and for certain conditioners.
-Disposable rubber gloves are useful when handling mud or seaweed, or applying hair treatments.
-Towels- 2 or 3 over-sized bath towels to wrap up your body in, 2 standard-size towels for facial steams, or to wrap your hair in, 2 hand-towels to pat dry with, and 2 washcloths for compresses.
-Cotton bed sheets- 2 or 3 for laying on and for covering yourself to maintain body heat after a massage or wrap. It is best to use unbleached, all-natural fiber sheets.
-Cotton twin sheets-2. One to be cut into strips for body wraps (twin size is probably okay for this) and one to be used whole for the full-body wrap. Again, all-natural, unbleached cotton is best.
-Pillows to raise your head or feet. Goose down is usually more comfortable, but synthetic fibers are easier to machine wash in case of spills.
-Blankets for keeping warm after a bath, massage or wrap, or for using over the sheet. Although wool may be warmer, an all cotton blanket will be easier to wash if some of your treatment gets on it.
-Shower curtain or plastic sheet is greta to retain the heat of a body wrap and/or to protect your laying surface.
-Muslin sacks are great for preparing your herbal bath teas, sachets, and soaks.
Those are all the basic BASICS you should need. Now for the Mood enhancing basics. These are highly preferential and you may use all or a combination of your favorites.
-An Answering machine or Voice Mail will handle all of your messages, so turn off the phone ringers and leave the outside world outside!
-Aromatherapy candles will enhance the effect of a bath and accentuate the mood. Make sure that you use the scent that will benefit you and your needs the most.
- Balancing; Geranium or Lavender
- Headache Relief; Lavender, Marjoran, or Peppermint
- Healing; Cedarwood, Eucalyptus, or Rosemary
- Meditation; Cedarwood, Patchouli, or Pine
- Stress Relief; Bergamot, Grapefruit, or Lavender
