When it comes to transforming your bathroom into an at home spa experience, the humble shower is ready to take a step into the limelight. Now you might be thinking, a shower? How could that possibly be better than a bubble bath? While I love a good old soak in the tub as much as anyone, it’s not exactly a conscious use of water on a regular basis. Luckily a shower can be just as relaxing and rejuvenating with a few adjustments to bring the luxury ambiance of a coveted day spa— no appointment necessary.
The At Home Spa Bathroom Set Up:
Imagine being able to slip into a state of luxurious bliss in the comfort of your own bathroom. Bringing the spa-like atmosphere that stimulates all of your senses to relax and unwind is easier than you might thing— but to elevate your shower to its fullest potential there are a few things to set up before the actual showering can happen.
Swap your Showerhead
I’m sure whatever shower head came with your apartment gets the job done, but if you want to create a soothing environment, a little swap of the shower head can make a huge difference. You’ll feel like you’re at a top-of-the-line resort when you step under a waterfall shower head that allows the warm water to fall over you.
Personally, I like the dual shower heads that have both the waterfall feature and a handheld option, this way you can switch up the water pressure and angle, giving you complete control over your shower experience. If you’ve never swapped a shower head out before, don’t worry it’s easier than it sounds— there’s no plumber necessary.
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Install or Get a Towel Heater
Is there anything quite as luxurious as getting a warm towel wrapped around you after stepping out of the shower? You can bring this cozy cocoon-like feeling to your at-home spa by installing a towel heater, or simply getting a stand-alone towel warmer.
Installing a towel warmer is a bit more effort than the shower head since it needs to be mounted to the wall, so if you’re renting your place I’d go with the stand-alone option for minimal setup/takedown needed.
The best part about a towel warmer, besides feeling like a swaddled newborn after your shower, is that you can also use it for your skincare routine, turning it into a mini facial experience by warming your face towel before washing your face, truly turning your bathroom into a full-service at-home spa.
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Swap a Quick Drying Stone for your Bathmat
Another easy swap that takes your shower from average to at-home spa level, is to replace your cloth bathmat with a quick-drying stone. Adding the natural element of stone creates a grounding feeling, which is why it’s key in feng shui to incorporate nature into a room— plus it looks much more elegant than a soggy wet bathmat.
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Play Soothing Music
What’s a spa without soothing music? This simple addition to your shower can help you unwind and relax and bring you into a spa-like mindset detaching from the stresses of the day. You’ll want to make sure you have a waterproof speaker, even if you’re not bringing the speaker directly into the shower, with the humidity that builds in the room, a “normal” speaker can get water damage after some time.
Make a playlist that speaks to you, or find a pre-made playlist on whatever music streaming service you have. I like to listen to birds chirping and chimes, or even play a sound-bath playlist of gongs and Tibetan singing bowls.
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Use Aromatherapy
The reason why a spa is so successful at relaxing us is that it’s a full sensory experience— with scent playing a huge role. Scents can soothe us or lift our moods. Using essential oils to fill your bathroom with a naturally relaxing scent like neroli, sandalwood, or lavender can elevate any bathroom to feel more like an at-home spa.
Another way to incorporate scent into your shower is to hang eucalyptus from your showerhead, the steam of the shower will disburse the oils of the plant throughout the room. If you do go this route, just be sure to keep curious pets away because it’s a toxic plant to ingest.
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Upgrade Your Towels
If your whole showering experience is set up for a luxurious at-home spa feel, but your towels are rough and old, it will take away from the rejuvenating atmosphere— remember it’s all about our senses, towels representing touch. Rather than end your experience on a low note, invest in fluffy soft towels that you’ll be excited to wrap yourself in. Just make sure to get towels that are ethically produced with organic cotton or linen.
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Creating the At Home Spa Experience inside the Shower:
With the external setup complete, the next step to transforming your bathroom into a luxurious at home spa experience is furnishing the amenities inside your shower.
Shower Bombs
Like a bath bomb, a shower bomb is a fizzy little ball of scented goodness. Make sure your shower bomb is made of natural, eco-friendly ingredients like essential oils and minerals for the best aromatherapy benefits. They’re super simple to use, just set it in your shower outside of the direct water stream. You’ll be amazed as the room fills with scent— mine always spills out into the living room keeping the spa atmosphere alive outside the bathroom too.
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Make it Visually Appealing
Making your shower visually appealing by decluttering all the mixed branded bottles will really elevate the spa aesthetic in your shower. Plus, nothing says luxury like matching shampoo and conditioner bottles in your shower. Choose a set that complements the color scheme of your bathroom, or pick one with a unique design to add a personal touch. This will make shower time truly feel like you’re at an upscale spa retreat.
Plus, if you have a no-waste shop in town, you might be able to refill your shampoo, conditioner, and body wash there— avoiding the plastic waste of “normal” bottles altogether.
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Treat Yourself to Spa-Quality Products
Of course, if you want the true spa experience, you’ll need to treat yourself to spa-quality products. Invest in natural and organic skincare and bath products that are free of sulfates, parabens, and other harsh chemicals. These products will help keep your skin hydrated, nourished, and healthy.
Don’t stop at just a body wash, give yourself more spa-like services like a body scrub or scalp scrub to nourish your skin, and of course end your shower with a buttery body lotion, for silky smooth skin.
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Spa-Quality Accessories
Last but not least, for the perfect at-home spa shower experience you’ll need the right accessories. You can use things like natural soap dishes made of bamboo or wood is also a great way to keep your shower organized. When it comes to scrubs and brushes, I think the best way to keep the at-home spa aesthetic is to keep them in the same color or material. This could be silicone or bamboo for example.
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All in All…
While I still love a bath every once and a while, nothing beats being able to pamper yourself daily by transforming your shower into a wellness ritual.
You don’t need to do every single thing on this list to elevate your shower to an at-home spa experience. Even incorporating a few things can help you nourish your mind body and spirit with a relaxing shower. If you’re only picking a couple of things, try to incorporate different senses, for example, touch with towels, scent with a shower bomb, and sound with music.
