How to Create a Spa at Home

A trip to a spa provides the perfect excuse to unwind and indulge in some important self-care. And there’s no reason you shouldn’t experience this level of relaxation at home. If you’d like to achieve the same tranquillity without having to leave your house, why not transform your bathroom into your own DIY home spa?

From selecting the right lighting to create a relaxing bathroom ambience to general home spa ideas, our guide offers helpful tips to transform your bathroom into a soothing space.

Aromatherapy is a holistic practice that utilises natural plant extracts, particularly essential oils. These oils stimulate your sense of smell, which can influence your mood and reduce stress. Creating the perfect scent environment is essential for transforming your bathroom into a tranquil spa retreat.

The smell of different essential oils can dramatically affect your mood. For example, lavender is perfect for relaxation, while chamomile is an ideal stress reliever. Incorporate scented reed diffusers for a gentle, continuous fragrance, or light candles to create instant ambience.

When layering scents, stick to one scent family and limit yourself to a maximum of three fragrance sources to avoid overwhelming the space. Enhance your aromatherapy with air-purifying and moisture-absorbing plants, like snake plants, peace lilies or aloe vera.

Keep your spa experience fresh by rotating seasonal scents – florals for spring, fresh citrus for summer, warm spices for autumn, and cosy pine or amber for winter.

Bathroom lighting tends to be bright, which is great when you’re getting ready but not ideal when you want to relax. If possible, install a dimmer switch to get the best of both worlds and enjoy atmospheric spa lighting at the touch of a button.

Dimmable recessed ceiling lights, pendant lights, candles or salt lamps can help make the room feel tranquil. Choose warm-toned light bulbs to create a relaxing ambience. For more inspiration, explore our bathroom lighting ideas.

From hot tubs and steam rooms to ice baths and cold plunge pools, spas often include features that expose your body to varying temperatures. This contrast between hot and cold offers fantastic health benefits, boosting circulation, reducing inflammation, and improving energy and mood to give you that post-spa glow.

You can recreate these same benefits at home with contrast showering, where you alternate between hot and cold water. Start gradually with 3-4 minutes of warm water, then switch to cold for 30-60 seconds. Repeat the cycle as many times as you want, always ending with cold.

Practice contrast shower therapy safely with ColdBoost, the UK’s first guided cold water experience. Unlike traditional showers, ColdBoost offers four settings that lower the water temperature at your preferred pace and duration, allowing you to experience that post-spa feeling in the comfort of your own home.

Transform your daily shower into a therapeutic massage with the right water pressure techniques. A quality showerhead with multiple spray patterns, like the Mira Response Showerhead with its four massage settings, can effectively target different muscle groups.

To enjoy a luxury shower experience that leaves you feeling refreshed, focus on key tension areas by tilting your head forward to let the water reach your neck and shoulders. Firm water pressure works best for deeper muscle tension, while gentler rainfall patterns help with overall relaxation.

Create the ultimate spa experience by adjusting temperature and pressure. For more information, read our ultimate guide to water pressure.

Create luxurious at-home spa treatments using simple ingredients from your kitchen and bathroom cabinet:

• Face masks – Combine Greek yoghurt and raw honey with turmeric for a hydrating and brightening mask.

• Hair masks – Mix coconut oil with essential oils to give your hair added shine. 

• Body exfoliators – Blend brown sugar with olive oil for a gentle, full-body scrub. 

• Foot treatments – Soak your feet in warm water with Epsom salt for 15 minutes. 

   

Always patch-test new ingredients and use treatments within a few days of preparation. 

Transform your bathroom into a sanctuary with these finishing touches that elevate any spa treatment:

• Create a spa playlist – Include soft instrumental music, nature sounds or gentle meditation tracks to create an ambience during your spa sessions.
• Declutter for serenity – Clear countertops, put away daily toiletries and ensure towels are fresh and neatly folded. A cluttered space creates mental distraction that undermines the relaxation benefits.
• Consider small details – Heat towels in the dryer before use and ensure your phone is silenced or in another room. These small touches create the professional spa atmosphere that makes home treatments feel truly indulgent and restorative.

Ready to enjoy a luxury spa experience at home? Browse our range of showers today, featuring mixer, digital and electric showers that can give you that post-spa glow.