Save your skin : pamper winter skin with these at-home spa treatments

Natural Health, Feb, 2008 by Sally Farhat Kassab

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SOCKS, SWEATERS, AND SCARVES keep you warm through winter, but they also keep you from noticing dry skin and callused feet. To maintain supple skin and soft feet at this time of year, you'll need to peel off the layers and indulge in some pampering.

Our 15-step program helps you flush out toxins while nurturing skin and hair. It also shows you how to create a spa in the coziness of your own home. If you can't accommodate all 15 steps at once, indulge one body part at a time to make the papering last.

body

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Step 1: BATHE Before stepping into a warm bath, sprinkle in some rose petals, three to four drops of essential oils, and one cup of Epsom salts, which are known for drawing toxins out of your body. Or use VON NATUR SEA KELP & MINERAL DETOX SOAK ($30; vonnatur.com), which includes sea kelp, Epsom salts, and Dead Sea salt.

Step 2: SCRUB using long, circular, deep strokes, scrub your skin (especially elbows and knees) with an exfoliant. At Absolute Nirvana Spa in Santa Fe, N.M., sugar and cinnamon are used. "In Bali, Indonesia, they use local ingredients like rice, and that inspires us," says owner Carolyn Lee, who mixes organic rice with sandalwood and turmeric in one of the spa's treatments. You can try NATURALLY BY UPPER CANADA SWEET VANILLA FIG COARSE SALT SCRUB ($15; uppercanadasoap.com).

Step 3: APPLY A BODY MASK Like a face mask, a body mask draws out toxins and moisturizes the skin. At Skinsational Skin & Body Spa in San Diego, owner Joyce Carboni uses a golden Brazilian seaweed or papaya cream mask. "Papaya has natural hydroxy acids that take off that dry outer layer of skin," she says. At home, slather on papaya pulp or try JUNE JACOBS PAPAYA PURIFYING ENZYME MASQUE ($60; junejacobs.com). Wrap yourself in warm towels and relax until it dries.

Step 4: SHOWER Get your shower as hot as you can tolerate, but don't linger in the water for too long; it can dry out your skin. Use the steam to cleanse your pores, then rinse off with hot water. End with a blast of cold (if you can stand it) to re-energize. Follow up with shea butter body lotion. Made from the pressed nuts of the karite tree, shea butter is super emollient. Try ST. IVES OATMEAL & SHEA BUTTER ADVANCED BODY MOISTURIZER ($5; at drugstores), then slip on a robe and curl up with your favorite book.

face

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Step 1: WASH wet your face with warm or tepid water. Avoid hot water, which strips skin of its natural protective oils, leaving it fragile and dry. Lather a nickel-size amount of cleanser such as DERMA E PAPAYA AND SOY MILK FOAMING FACIAL CLEANSER ($13.50; dermae.com) between your hands. With your fingertips, massage it into your skin, starting with your forehead, moving. to your nose, out to your cheeks, and down. Rinse with cool water and blot with a towel.

Step 2: SCRUB

"Gentle exfoliating products help repair your dead-skin layer," says James Fairfield. M.D., a dermatologist in Lansdale, Penn. "A smooth yet intact dead skin layer plus moisturizer is your 'plastic-wrap' protection against dehydration in winter." Try BURT'S BEES PEACH AND WILLOWBARK DEEP PORE SCRUB ($8; at drugstores): The peach pulp is nourishing and willow bark helps reduce inflammation.

Step 3: APPLY A MASK To draw out impurities, make your own mask by blending a half cup of pumpkin, a quarter cup of ginger, a quarter cup of brown sugar, and one teaspoon of cinnamon, says Tara Oolie, founder of Just Calm Down Spa in New York City. Or try RENEE ROULEAU DETOXIFYING MASK ($28.50; reneerou/eau.com) with tea tree oil, basil, and kaolin clay, which pulls oil from the skin.

Step 4: HYDRATE Use a moisturizer with lipids (fatty acids that nourish the skin), says Lise Corriveau, director of skincare at Gene Juarez Salons & Spas in Seattle. Avoid water-based creams in the winter, and if your skin is really dry, try a heavier night cream during the day, lightly massaging it into your face. TRY POMEGA 5 REVITALIZING ESSENTIAL MOISTURE ($48; pomega5.com), which contains pomegranate, an antioxidant that protects skin from free radical damage.

feet

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Step 1: SOAK Feet swell throughout the day. To reduce the puffiness, soak your feet in a mixture of water, a dozen ice cubes, six drops of tea tree oil, and rosemary leaves. Submerge one foot for 30 seconds, remove from water, then rub with a towel. Repeat with the other foot. For pure relaxation, soak both in warm water instead. Try EARTH THERAPEUTICS TEA TREE OIL FOOT SOAK ($8; earththerapeutics.com).

Step 2: EXFOLIATE While all soaks help soften skin, some also exfoliate dead skin cells, making feet smoother. "Both milk protein and fruit juices contain natural acids that gently improve rough patches," says Michael Lanzo, assistant manager of Spa Moana at the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa in Hawaii, which uses fruit soaks. For stubborn dry spots, try gently rubbing your feet with a pumice stone or a scrub like EO FOOT SCRUB ($8; eoproducts.com).

Step 3: MOISTURIZE "When calluses build up and dry out, they often crack," says Alan Dattner, M.D., a holistic dermatologist in New Rochelle, N.Y. Many foot creams like KISS MY FACE PEPPERMINT FOOT CREME ($9; at drugstores) contain heavy ingredients such as glycerin for extra protection. As a final touch, slip on comfy socks to help lock in moisture.