Pampering Do-It-Yourself Spa Recipes

Your favorite plant-based Pharmacopia products can easily double as indulgent spa essentials with the addition of a few pantry basics. Give yourself some ME time with these self-care recipes and you’ll reap the indulgent benefits. Just say ahhhhh …

Radiance-Boosting Skin Scrubs

Skin cells regenerate every 28 days; newer skin cells are more radiant than older ones but this process slows down as we get older. Exfoliation, or the manual sloughing of old skin cells to reveal the fresher skin cells underneath, can help skin to be softer, smoother, and brighter looking. Try these do-it-yourself scrubs for face and body:

Glow-More Face Exfoliator

Some scrubs can be too harsh for sensitive or dry skin. If you have dry skin (common as we get older and during the cooler weather months), this hack helps smooth and hydrate parched skin in a gentle way. Use once or twice weekly.

What You’ll Need: Your favorite aromatherapy-scented Pharmacopia Conditioner and a superfine granulated sugar.

Directions: Mix two or three squirts of conditioner with a quarter teaspoon of superfine granulated sugar. The mixture should feel relatively thick but not soupy. Gently massage into skin in a circular motion, adding a little water if needed. Splash skin with cool water to rinse.

Be-More-Relaxed Body Scrub

Turn your go-to Pharmacopia Body Wash into an all-over body exfoliator by combining equal parts body wash and granulated sugar. Mix up and store in a wide-mouth jar with a lid; you can keep in your shower for daily sloughing of dry skin on knees, elbows, and feet.

What You’ll Need: Two or three pumps of Pharmacopia Body Wash and a teaspoon of granulated sugar (can be superfine for a gentler scrub). This do-it-yourself recipe also works with fine salt in place of sugar, but salt is a better option for oily skin as it can be drying.

Directions: Mix Pharmacopia Body Wash with the granulated sugar. Depending on how lathery you want your scrub to be, add more or less body wash. Massage in circular motions, and rinse in a warm—not hot—shower or bath for super smooth skin. Pat dry. Follow with a moisture-rich massage of Pharmacopia Body Lotion.

If using this scrub on your feet, do a foot soak first. Simply drizzle a small amount of Pharmacopia body wash into a basin of warm water. With a little swishing, you’ve got a bubbly little haven for your toes. Soak feet for 15 to 20 minutes. Follow with the scrub and finish up with a lotion massage.

And, here’s another idea for a super simple treatment for dry skin: in the shower squirt some conditioner onto a loofah to use as a body scrub. It might sound weird, but this makes skin so soft and smooth you may not even need to follow with a moisturizer.

Oh La La Lips Scrub

Sometimes you just need to remove all that buildup of dead skin from lips to reveal soft, kissable lips.

What You’ll Need: An eighth of a teaspoon of superfine granulated sugar and Pharmacopia Herbal Lip Elixir.

Directions: Apply a thick coating of lip elixir to lips. Sprinkle sugar evenly onto a plate. Kiss the plate, getting as much sugar on your lips as you can. Ever so gently massage the sugar and balm into your lips. Rinse off with cool water and pat dry. Follow with another swipe of lip elixir.

Silkier Hair Treatments

Adding extra hydration to strands with home masks and massage oils helps keep hair softer, smoother (think less flyaways), and more manageable.

Hydrating Hair Mask

All hair needs an extra dose of moisture from time to time. This leave-on mask can help.

What You’ll Need: Combine half an avocado with one tablespoon honey and one tablespoon coconut or olive oil. Any oil works but these two are our favorites. Olive oil is rich in super-hydrating omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants, while coconut oil is high in a fatty acid called lauric acid, which is easily absorbed into the hair shaft. Both help repair split ends, soften and strengthen hair, improve dullness, and prevent breakage.

Directions: Work through hair, allow the mixture to sit in your hair for about 20 minutes before washing it out with Pharmacopia Shampoo. Follow with Pharmacopia Conditioner.

Sensational Scalp Massage

Taking a few minutes to gently rub your scalp can help boost blood flow, bringing oxygen and nutrients to the hair follicles—stimulating stronger, more resilient strands and hair growth.

What You’ll Need: Combine your favorite oil with a couple of drops of rosemary essential oil (never apply essential oils directly to skin as they can be irritating). We like jojoba oil because it’s chock-full of vitamins and minerals that nourish hair. Rosemary essential oil is especially good for stimulating the hair and scalp. We also like cedarwood and lavender for the same reasons.

Directions: Massage, in circular motions, a few drops of this mixture onto scalp. Afterward, pump a small amount of shampoo into your hand and apply to wet hair. Focusing on your scalp, work the shampoo through your hair, giving yourself a nice massage. Rinse thoroughly before conditioning. You can also leave this on overnight; just wear a re-usable shower cap to prevent the oils from staining your pillow case.