Saturdays are for pampering

Saturday used to be that one day of the week that I looked forward to the most, mainly because that’s when I’d have a nice, relaxing, at home pamper session. I’d turn off my phone, draw a nice bath, and forget about the world for a few hours.

As it so often does, daily life got in the way of those little Saturday afternoon rituals. There are deadlines to be met, house to be cleaned, errands to be run, tasks to be completed, pets [and people, let’s not forget those] to be fed… Starting today, I’m going back to my old ways, and stealing an hour or two from my Saturday schedule and making it all abut ME.

I don’t usually use fancy bath-bombs or other bubble-bath type of products. My two favorite bath products are by both by Dr. Teal’s: Dr. Teal’s Epsom Salt Soaking Solution with Eucalyptus and Spearmint and Dr. Teal’s Foaming Bath with Eucalyptus and Spearmint– they both smell amazing and are pretty affordable-they’re huge and last forever. The Soaking Solution works great for sore muscles and when mixed with the bath gel it softens and soothes the skin. I’ve been using both of these for years and always have a few extra ones stored in my bathroom. I also like to pour in a little body oil in my bath as well. Sometimes before I take my bath, I like to use my BelleCore Honey Bell Body Buffer. I invested in this buffer a few years a go and it’s worth every penny. It not only helps with sore muscles, but it also exfoliates the skin and helps minimize the appearance of cellulite. I like to use this especially after having a rough and stressful week or a heavy workout.

After soaking in the water for some time, I exfoliate and shave my legs. I find that warm water helps to open the pores and lets me get a closer shave. Every other week I try to use my TRIA Hair Removal Laser. I’ve had this laser for a few years, TRIA has since released an improved and supposedly more effective version of this. It definitely does work, but it’s a pain to remember to use this regularly (which is the only way to see results) and it also takes forever, since you have to go very slowly, almost hair-by-hair, which is one of the reasons why sometimes I just skip this step in my routine.

And what would a pamper day be without a face mask? I recently told you all about my current favorite (holy grail status right there) Eve Lom Rescue Mask but I still love my Origins Charcoal Mask as well. I usually just wash my face with a gentle cleanser, then exfoliate my skin and my lips with a washcloth, apply a favorite mask and relax for 15-20 minutes. After I get out of the bath I follow up with a serum, eye cream, lash serum, moisturizer, lip balm and favorite body butter.

I think that one of my favorite parts about Saturday pamper sessions is the fact that I turn off my phone. That means no texting, no checking on Instagram or Twitter, no phone calls or emails. I put on some music or read a book or a magazine, sometimes I’ll just open up the window, let some fresh air in, close my eyes and breathe. It’s really nice to just completely disconnect once in a while.

Do you guys have little rituals like these?