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Feeling the recession woes, and ready for a spa day? If you’re strapped for cash, relief awaits inside your kitchen. Pamper your tiny worn-out toes and puffy swollen eyes with our simple DIY recipes.

First things first: when creating a spa-like atmosphere, you have to set the mood. Lori Klamner Wood, an Esthetician at New York’s La Prairie at The Ritz-Carlton Spa shares some pointers. “You have to quite literally disconnect yourself. Don’t just turn off—unplug all phones and computers so you aren’t tempted by blinking lights or messages. Once that’s done, try a simple breathing meditation to help clear your head. Close your eyes and sit or lay comfortably, clear your mind and don’t allow your thoughts to latch on to anything. Every inhale, think of the number one, every exhale, think of the number two. It’s as simple as that, if you notice you are losing concentration, and making lists, playing number games, worrying about something, just come back to the inhale and exhale.”

Face Time
As the seasons change, prepping skin for spring and summer is a must. A good scrub or microdermabrasion can work wonders in bringing life back to your winterized cheeks, forehead and chin. An easy at -facial microdermabrasion concoction consists of baking soda (a common ingredient found in over the counter microdermabrasion creams) and water. Combine a teaspoon of baking soda with water and rub the mixture on skin in a gentle circular motion for one to two minutes. For a mild scrub, try an exfoliating mixture of raw almonds and oatmeal to increase flow while gently cleansing off dead skin. Mix six almonds with one cup of plain oatmeal in half a cup of lukewarm water. Create a paste and gently rub onto face. Allow the mixture to sit for two minutes, follow by rinsing off entirely using a circular rubbing motion and cool water.

A fantastic ingredient to minimize dark acne scars is ascorbic acid. A fruit like pineapple contains a healthy amount of ascorbic acid to brighten and assist in fading acne marks. Mash or puree a fourth of a cup of pineapple and lather it onto face for a good 10 to 15 minutes. Certainly it isn’t La Mer; but it’s a subtle substitute to enhance skin’s healthy complexion. While you’re waiting, add slices of cucumber over tired eyes to reduce puffs and bags. Once time is up, use a gentle cool water rinse to remove pineapple.

What’s a good spa day without a facial? A salon or med spa professional facial can run into the hundreds—cha ching—rather expensive if done monthly. To preserve a healthy glow on your own, try this elementary do-it-yourself mixture. Combine one tablespoon of honey, a half of cup of natural yogurt and one mashed banana (see pic). Spread evenly on face and neck and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes, and then rinse off with cool water.

Basic Shut Eye
While the best beauty tactic is getting a proper seven to eight hours of sleep, it’s not always possible, so a proper DIY routine is the next best thing. To relieve swollen eyes, Sarah Kugelman of skyn ICELAND Solutions for Stressed Skin recommends “soaking cotton balls in witch hazel. And when traveling, a cold tea bag will work.” If you prefer store-bought, the must-have pick is skyn ICELAND Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels ($45), which is free of parabens, sulfates, synthetic fragrances and dyes. Be sure to keep eye gel in the fridge, suggests Kugelman.

Hands and Feet
To combat dry hands and cuticles during winter, Kugelman rubs a natural almond oil (it’s actually massage oil for babies) over her hands alongside a Laura Mercier hand cream. “I do it right before I go to bed and when I wake up my hands are like new,” she explains. And Kugelman’s preferred kitchen product to alleviate overall tired feet? “Oatmeal baths, which are soothing and moisturizing. I occasionally massage olive oil onto my feet for a deep hydrating treatment.”

Go ahead, treat yourself.

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