The At-Home Spa: Ideas, Guides and Everything You Need

Everything for a spa experience at home: ideas, step-by-step guides for solo nights, dates and parties, and independent buying guides.

An at-home spa is a set of small rituals that make an ordinary evening feel like a treat: a warm bath, a face mask, a good scent, something soft to wrap up in, and an hour when nobody needs anything from you. It doesn’t take a renovation or a big budget, just a little planning.

This is where to start. Our complete at-home spa night kit bundles everything into three kits by budget, and our step-by-step DIY spa night walks through an evening from setting up the room to bedtime. For ideas, start with 14 ideas for an at-home spa experience.

Planning for someone else? We have full guides to an at-home spa date night for two and a spa party for friends or kids.

And when you’re ready to buy, our independent buying guides compare the best bath pillows, bathtub trays, facial steamers, diffusers, robes, foot spas, bath salts and bath bombs and spa gift sets. We research them rather than test them, and we say so; see how we choose products.

At-home spa kitThe At-Home Spa Night Kit: Everything You Need, at Three Budgets

Everything for a spa night at home, chosen from our buying guides and bundled by budget: a simple starter kit, a full bath ritual and a complete gift-worthy spa.

home spa ideas14 Ideas for an at Home Spa Experience

Here are some ideas to get you thinking about how to bring the luxury spa experience into the privacy of your own home.

diy spa stepsHow to Have a Relaxing DIY Spa Night at Home, Step by Step

A step-by-step DIY spa night at home: prepare the room, make your own spa kit, then a face mask, bath, scrub and wind-down, with homemade recipes and what to buy.

spa night essentialsSpa Night Essentials: The Things You Need for a Spa Night at Home

The essentials for a spa night at home, from the must-haves to the nice-to-haves: scent, a face mask, a soak, something soft, and what each one is for.

spadateThe At-Home Spa Date Night: Ideas, a Plan and What You'll Need

How to turn an ordinary evening into a spa date at home for two: a run-of-night plan, ideas for every budget, and the few things that make it feel special.

spa partyHow to Throw a Spa Party at Home: The Complete Guide

Everything for a spa party at home, for grown-ups or kids: stations, a schedule, what to buy and what to make, plus favours guests will actually use.

relaxing spa night at home by yourselfA Relaxing Spa Night at Home by Yourself: A Step-by-Step Guide

A step-by-step spa night on your own: set the room, run the bath, do a face mask, and finish in a robe with a book, plus the few things that make it better.

spa decor for homeSpa Decor for Home: How to Make Your Bathroom Feel Like a Spa

How to make a bathroom feel like a day spa: a calm palette, natural materials, soft light, rolled towels and the few pieces that change the room the most.

Spa gift setsThe Best Spa Gift Sets for Her (and Him), Chosen for What's Inside

Spa gift sets and bath baskets worth giving: full-size products, easy-to-like scents and gift-ready packaging, for her, for him, and for bath-bomb lovers.

Facial steamersThe Best Facial Steamers for an At-Home Spa Facial

Facial steamers worth buying for an at-home facial: an even mist, a tank big enough for a full session and auto shut-off, from a first steamer to a full kit.

Bath pillowsThe Best Bath Pillows for Neck and Back Support

Bath pillows that hold your head, neck and shoulders and stay where you put them: quick-dry mesh picks, a full-body mat, and how to make suction cups actually stick.

Bathtub traysThe Best Bathtub Caddy Trays for a Long, Lazy Soak

Bamboo bathtub trays that fit most tubs and stay put, with book stands and wine-glass slots, plus how to measure your tub and keep the tray from going mouldy.

Essential oil diffusersThe Best Essential Oil Diffusers for a Spa-Scented Home

The best essential oil diffusers for a spa night and every night after: quiet, auto shut-off ultrasonic models, a big-room pick and ceramic designs that look like décor.

Spa robesThe Best Spa Robes: Waffle and Plush, for Her and Him

The best robes for a spa night at home: light waffle-weave robes like the ones day spas hand out, a plush fleece robe for cold mornings, and picks for him.

Foot spasThe Best Foot Spas for Tired Feet at Home

Heated foot spas with bubbles, rollers and splash guards, from the classic HoMedics basins to collapsible tubs that store flat, plus how to use one safely.

Bath salts and bath bombsThe Best Bath Salts and Bath Bombs for a Spa Night at Home

The best bath salts and bath bombs: everyday Epsom soaks, a magnesium-flake alternative, Dead Sea salt, and bath bomb sets for gifts, for him and for kids' parties.