When you feel stressed on a normal day, you might call your favorite spa to book a massage or make an appointment for a manicure. But in order to stop the spread of coronavirus, all spas, massage studios, hair salons and nail salons in Colorado have been ordered to close. What to do?
Try creating your own relaxing spa day at home, using products purchased from small businesses in the Boulder area. Not only will you help yourself unwind and decompress, but you’ll also be supporting Boulder small businesses at the same time — and they could really use your help right now.
For inspiration, here are our ideas for creating an at-home spa day during the pandemic.
Take a soothing bath. Typically, you can shop at Rebecca’s Herbal Apothecary and Supply on Spruce Street. But for now, you’ll have to do your browsing online and have Rebecca’s products shipped directly to your door. Try the calming lavender salt bath for a heavenly evening in the tub, followed by a generous amount of the lavender bath & body oil. Lavender can ease your mind, slow your breathing and may even help you fall asleep.
Soothe your skin. Though spas are closed, you can still soothe your skin at home with products from Sanitas, a Boulder skincare company. Try out one of their masks, like the tea tree mask, which draws out oil and impurities from the pores. It’s made with botanicals and a blend of clays to help give you a more even skin tone. Afterward, rehydrate your skin with one of their many moisturizers and mists. All of Sanitas’ products are made right here in Boulder and they’re also cruelty-free and contain no parabens, phthalates, dyes, harsh preservatives or gluten.
Treat yourself to a facial. While the brick-and-mortar location is closed, Alchemy Face Bar is offering facials to go. These skincare kits mimic their menu of signature services, like Alchemy Glow, Blackberry Detox or Bright Skin, so it’ll feel and smell like you actually visited the spa. The Alchemy Glow kit, for example, includes a cleanser, exfoliant, collagen lip mask, essence, serum, eye cream and moisturizer. They’re sample sizes, but there’s enough for two to three facials in each kit.
Pamper your feet. They call it the Miracle Foot Cream for a reason. Made by Helena Meyer Organic Skin Care in Boulder, this cream will get your feet in tip-top shape for sandal season. It softens the skin on your feet, even tackling rough skin and calluses. It’s made with lavender, sage and burdock, which help detoxify and energize your feet, too. All of Helena Meyer’s products are 100% organic and have been refined over the last 25 years.
Breathe deeper. Breathing is one of the simplest yet most effective things you can do to help combat stress and anxiety. Boulder company Rootfoot makes essential oils that can help you breathe deeper, with scents like eucalyptus, palo santo and lavender. Rootfoot’s products are plant-based and made with organic and wildcrafted ingredients. They’re also non-toxic and vegan.
Read a book and drink tea from Trident Booksellers and Cafe. The beloved bookstore on Pearl Street is offering fun mystery bags full of four to six books and a bag of coffee or tea (your choice). For a spa day, we suggest the tea and books that will help you unwind (maybe pass on the psychological thrillers). You can ask them to pick books within a certain genre or subject, or just let them surprise you.
Want to do more to support local businesses? Read our story about how to support local shops online.
