Take home the spa: How to re-create the 10 most sought-after treatments in the privacy of your own bathroom

Shape, Jan, 2002 by Linda Dyett

Ah, the spa. With its siren call of coddling and stress relief, it's turned us into lemongrass-bath devotees and pore-cleansing aficionados whose bodies crave scrubbing grains and pummeling massages. No longer once-in-a-lifetime destination resorts, spas have become a much-needed way of life. Spa culture, in fact, has had such a major impact that we're literally bringing it into our homes - at least into our bathrooms. Sure, it's do-it-yourself, but just think: No appointments to book, no fees or tips to hand out, and you don't have to get dressed when it's all over. So, to help you indulge in your favorite spa experiences at home, we've put together this must-do list.

1. Surround yourself with eau de spa. The prototypical spa smells of lavender or seaweed, often mingled with aromatherapeutic herbs and spices. To re-create these aromas at home, spritz on DDF's clean, fresh Marine Balancing Spray ($42; ddfspa.com) - a soothing allover skin refresher rich in botanicals like seaweed, cypress and rosemary.

2. Dress the part. What's the first thing you do at a spa? You take your clothes off, of course, and you put on the de rigueur spa uniform: a soft cotton robe. At home, opt for Peacock Alley's luxury Egyptian-cotton-terry, below-the-knee version ($157; peacockalley.com) and Earth Therapeutics' ultraplush spa booties ($20; earththerapeutics.com) with soothing herbs and removable heat-retaining flaxseed-filled insets that can be heated to stimulate circulation or chilled to soothe tired feet:

3. Be your own spa chemist. The most sought-after facial treatments are mixed fresh on the spot. You can achieve similar effects at home with the Ellen Lange Retexturizing Peel Kit ($65; 800-652-6438), a foaming glycolic-acid treatment good for all skin types, and the Murad Vitamin C Home Infusion Facial Kit ($100 for 6 treatments; murad.com), which contains pre-measured foil packs of 30 percent vitamin C (the maximum concentration available for home use).

4. Operate your own minifacial machine. That whirring noise you're likely to hear while your eyes are closed during a spa facial is the sound of exfoliating equipment. Now you can achieve similar glow-bestowing results with Nu Skin's microchip driven Galvanic Facial System ($200; nuskin.com) and Dermanew's Personal Microdermabrasion System ($1 30; dermanew.com), a home version of the professional sandpelting treatment.

5. Steam clean your pores. Anyone who's ever had a thorough extraction facial knows she emerges with whistle clean pores. Try the Conair Complete Facial Spa ($25; 800-3-CONAIR) at home; it comes with two contoured plastic cones that gently fit around the face - allowing for just the right concentration of steam to cleanse the pores. Post-steaming, apply a mask, such as YonKa Mask 105 ($42; 800533-6276) with botanical essences. Then rinse off after 10-15 minutes, and pat dry.

6. Brush your body. A hundred strokes a day? That centuries-old hair-care tradition has given way to a newer spa innovation: dry skin brushing, which helps loosen the uppermost layers of old skin before just about any body treatment. But why wait for an aesthetician to do the honors? You can easily dry-brush at home several times a week before showering or bathing, says Steve Capellini a massage therapist, spa consultant and author of The Royal Treatment: How You Can Take Home the Pleasures of the Great Luxury Spas (Dell, 1997). The brush of choice should be tough-bristled, like Pendergrass' long-handled Sisal Body Brush ($9; pendergrassinc.com).

7. Exfoliate! Scrubbing grains used to be strictly optional until spas showed us how they could clear off those dead, drab epidermal top layers, revealing baby-soft skin beneath. Scrubs to try include Estee Lauder's mint-peach-scented Private Spa Collection Crystal Glow Sugar Rub ($35; esteelauder.com), JAMU Bali Sea Salt Scrub with Island Flowers Body Oil ($9; 877-626-5268) and Spa 7/52's tangerine-amber-scented Sugar Body Glow, chock-full of shea butter ($24.50; 866-99-ARDEN). After rinsing with warm water finish off with a rich moisturizing balm, which your skin will eagerly drink in. (Our favorite: Bath & Body Works Awake Nourishing Body Lotion, $12; 800-395-1001.)

8. Wallow in the mud. Yes, it can be sloppy - but once you've been plastered with mud, you know how supersilken your skin can feel as a result. Which muds are suitable for home use? The khaki-green H20 Plus Spa Seaweed Mud Treatment ($17.50; h2oplus.com) and Borghese's Fango Active Mud for Face and Body ($30; borghese.com), collected at the legendary Terme di Montecatini Spa in Tuscany.

9. Turn your bathtub into spa central. When it comes to calming and soothing, the ultimate spa treatment- immersion therapy - is waiting for you in your bathtub. A 20-minute warm-water soak is all it takes to destress, especially when aromatic botanicals are poured in. To ease head and neck fatigue, try Origins' Neck Roll Bath pillow, in textured white terry cloth ($36; oriqins.com). And for general relaxation, pour in Sothys Bath Salts Relaxing Action ($28.50; sothys.com), with seaweed extract or Thibiant Tahitian Milk Bath ($45; thibiantspa.com), an ultrasensual blend of sweet Tahitian flowers with peach and coconut oil.