ShareThisA continuing compendium of tips and tricks from Home & Garden Television:A spa bathroom lets you pamper yourself with little indulgences for a fraction of what you'd spend at the spa. To create your own spa bathroom, just think "relaxing" with calming candlelight, soothing scents and big, fluffy towels. Then add a few personal touches to create your own retreat in the middle of a bustling household.DECORATING SCENTSAdd aromatic essential oils to drugstore Epsom salts for a professional mineral bath that is a treat for the senses. To refresh and revitalize, try scents like tea tree and eucalyptus. Ylang ylang and neroli are perfect before bedtime. For a relaxing mini-facial for puffy eyes, use Victorian Trading Company's Eyes Tea, filled with fennel, chamomile and rose petals.KEEP IT SIMPLETo get a refined spa look, clear your counters by stashing less attractive products in linen-lined baskets. Then dress your counter with elegant glass jars.LIGHTEN THE MOODA spa should make you feel good and look good, so do like the spas do and lower your lighting. Turn off the overhead and place small jar candles on the counter and candle tins around the tub. Candlelight flatters every skin tone.SOUND EFFECTSWhen it comes to setting a spa mood, don't forget the acoustic music and soothing sounds of nature. Spa music is designed to transport you to a place of inner peace, and you can have it for the price of a few CDs. Get a small CD player and store a selection of CDs in a tidy wooden box.PUT YOURSELF ON A PEDESTALThe finest spas have a serene space where guests can relax while they leave the stresses of the day behind. Create your own relaxation zone with a sleek stool, the perfect perch for a foot soak.WRAP YOURSELF IN LUXURYNothing says "ooh la la spa" like fluffy cotton towels. When it comes to these bathroom necessities, a little splurge can make a big splash.(Courtesy Jennifer O'Neil and Kitty O'Neil.)(For thousands of other ideas visit www.hgtv.com. Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service.)
101 pretty good ideas from Home & Garden Television
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which essential oils for the bath?
For a relaxing, almost sedating, bath, nothing will beat true Lavender essential oil. (Lavandula angustifolia) either from France or Bulgaria. The oils mentioned above for "refreshing"...eucalyptus and tea tree... tend to smell a bit medicinal. For a truly refreshing, reviving bath consider a few drops of Rosemary Cineole essential oil, or even just one or two drops of Peppermint oil.
With the exception of the Peppermint oil, you would normally use between 5 and 10 drops of essential oil in a bath, no more.