by Grace Wilson
If you you’ve waited until the last minute to make arrangements for your Valentine’s Day spa escape with your beloved, and are now finding that you can’t get an appointment anywhere, there’s no need to panic. You can still make someone’s day very special by doing it yourself. It’s not as hard as you think to give the gift of luxury pampering in the comfort of your own home. As an added benefit, you’ll avoid the crowded locker rooms and “churn ‘em and burn ‘em” massage — madness that is inevitable on one of the busiest spa-days of the year.

We all basically want the same things from our romantic partners, what I’ve heard referred to as The Three A’s (attention, appreciation and affection). This Valentine’s Day, give your partner what he or she really wants, and the spa treat they deserve.

SALT SCRUB & MINERAL BATH

Items needed:

• 1 cup Epsom Salts
• 1 cup sea salt
• 1 cup massage/body oil
• An old sheet

Total time: 20 minutes

While you’re running the bath water, spread the old sheet out on the floor by the bathtub (this will make cleaning up much easier). Combine the Epsom salts and sea salt in a bowl. Stir in enough of the massage/body oil to make a nice, scratchy paste. Once the bath is ready, have your loved one disrobe and stand in the middle of the old sheet while you apply the salt scrub all over your partner’s body. Be thorough and don’t forget the details (for example, do each finger separately). Once your partner is sufficiently scrubbed and exfoliated, have him or her slip into the warm tub and relax for ten to fifteen minutes.

The salts on your partner’s body will dissolve into the bath water making a delicious, therapeutic soak. Epsom salts are a natural muscle relaxer, and the minerals in the sea salt have healing effects on our bodies. The massage oil will keep your partner’s skin soft and smooth. A great way to finish off this salt scrub/mineral bath would be to follow it with an aromatherapy wrap.

AROMATHERAPY WRAP

Items needed:

• An old sheet (double/queen size or larger)
• A spray bottle filled w/water
• A bottle of your favorite essential oil or essential oil blend
• Two heavy blankets
• Two pillows
• One washcloth

Total time: 20 minutes

Lay down the two heavy blankets, one on top of the other, either on the floor, on a comfy couch, or on the bed. Lay out the old sheet on top of the two blankets. (Now you have three layers: blanket on bottom, blanket in the middle, sheet on top.) Put five to ten drops of the essential oil or essential oil blend into the spray bottle filled with water. (Essential oils are pure, undiluted aromatherapy oils, which can be purchased at nearly any health food store. If you’re unsure of what kind to buy, you can’t go wrong with lavender — it’s safe for pregnant women and children, relaxing, uplifting, and a universal favorite.)

Shake well and spray the water/essential oil mixture all over the sheet until slightly damp. Have your partner get undressed and lie down on the sheet. Wrap your partner up like a burrito, covering first with the sheet so that the aromatherapy oils are in contact with the skin, then wrapping the two blankets so your sweetheart gets nice and toasty warm. If your partner gets too hot, you can unwrap one of the blankets, or put a cold cloth on his or her forehead). Put a pillow under your partner’s head, and one under the knees. Take the washcloth, fold it in half, spray lightly with the spray bottle so that it smells of the aromatherapy oil, and use it to cover the eyes. Let your partner relax in the wrap for ten to fifteen minutes, or as long as he or she wants.

PAMPERING FOOT TREATMENT

Items needed:

• Chair
• Large bowl or tub that will fit your partner’s feet
• Soap
• 1 Washcloth
• 1 Hand towel
• 1 Bath towel
• Body or Foot Lotion

Total time: 10 minutes

Set up a chair with the bath towel in front of it by the feet. Fill the large bowl or tub half way with warm water and place on the bath towel. Have your partner sit in the chair and put his or her feet in the warm water to soak.

Kneeling in front of your partner, get some soap in your hands and wash your partner’s feet. Rinse well. Then use the wet washcloth to gently scrub the feet and stimulate the skin. Be thorough, get all sides of each foot, each toe, around the ankles, etc. The scratchy sensation of the washcloth feels really good.

After scrubbing the feet, have your partner lift his or her feet out of the water while you move the tub out of the way. Dry each foot thoroughly with the hand towel. Then apply a generous layer of body lotion and massage each foot for a minute or so.