Home spa: a relaxing spa night at home in 7 steps

It is dark by half past four, the week has been long, and the spa hotel is either fully booked or simply too expensive. That is when a home spa evening makes more sense: a few hours just for you, in your own bathroom, with warmth, scent and no phone. You do not need hotel equipment, just a plan and an hour of quiet. Here is how to set up a spa night at home, step by step.

Getting your home spa ready

You probably own most of this already. Lay it all out beforehand so you are not padding round the flat with wet feet.

• two large towels and a dressing gown
• candles or a small lamp with warm light
• a good soap with a scent you love
• for a scrub: some sugar and a spoonful of oil from the kitchen
• a cream or body oil for afterwards
• tea or water, plus a blanket and thick socks
• music or an audiobook, on a device that will not ping you

A spa night at home in 7 steps

1. Clear the surfaces

Nothing kills the mood faster than five half-empty bottles on the edge of the bath and a pile of laundry in the corner. Put away everything you will not need tonight. Clear surfaces instantly feel calmer.

2. Dim the lights

Main light off, candles or a small lamp on. Low, warm light turns an ordinary bathroom into a different room in about a minute.

3. Warm everything up

Turn the heating up half an hour before and drape your towel and dressing gown over the radiator. Once you have stepped out of the bath into a warm towel, there is no going back.

4. Bath or a long shower

Run the bath pleasantly warm rather than scalding. No bath? Then make it a long, slow shower without checking the time. Both count.

5. Scrub

Mix sugar with a little oil, rub it over arms and legs in small circles, rinse off. Your skin feels soft afterwards, and your hands are busy instead of your head.

6. Scent

A soap you like the smell of, a scented candle or a few drops of fragrance oil in a dish. Lavender, lemongrass or something woody: as long as it smells like time off rather than cleaning spray.

7. Phone away

The most important step. The phone stays in the hallway on silent. Me time means nobody needs anything from you for this hour. Afterwards: dressing gown, tea, blanket, sofa.

Soap on Soapi, not on the edge of the bath

You know the scene: you reach for the soap and it is stuck in a little puddle on the edge of the bath, soft underneath, with a hair on top. Not very spa. With Soapi the soap hangs on the wall instead. A bottle cap is pressed halfway into the bar, the soap hangs from the magnet and dries all round. Soapi sticks to smooth tiles above the bath or in the shower with a waterproof adhesive pad, no drilling, holds bars up to 250 g and costs €12.95. The soap stays within reach, and the edge of the bath is free for the candle. Please do not stick it to painted or wallpapered walls.

A special soap for spa night

If the evening should feel like a treat, the soap can be one too. The stone soaps from Stone Soap Spa look like polished pebbles. Each one is shaped and marbled by hand, so no two are alike. Stone Soap Spa is a brand from Norway, made in Thailand, because that is where the ingredients grow: coconut, rice bran and sesame are processed fresh on site. Rainbow smells of lemongrass and lavender, Beetroot of mandarin and cedarwood. Stock is small, so you will find whichever varieties are currently available, from €13, in Soaps & Shampoos. At 120 g they hang on Soapi without any trouble.

Home spa for two, or as a gift

A spa evening also makes a lovely present: a hand-drawn voucher for a night when you take over the children, the dog and the washing up, plus a soap and a holder. With Mix & Match you pick 5 products for €50, with free shipping within Germany. For example 2 Soapis in lavender and mint, a lavender soap from Marseille, a shower bar from KLAR and a shampoo bar from Skargard. For more ideas around relaxation, see our wellness gift guide, and for wrapping tips, read how to give solid soap as a gift.

Frequently asked questions

How long should a home spa evening last?

An hour is plenty. What matters more than length is that it is genuinely undisturbed. One quiet hour beats three with interruptions.

Will Soapi hold above the bath?

Yes, on smooth tiles, glass or ceramic. Press it on and hang the soap straight away, no waiting time. It comes off tiles again without leaving residue.

What if I only have a shower?

Do everything the same way: dim the lights, warm the room, shower slowly, scrub, then into the warm towel. Soapi simply goes on the shower wall.

In short

A good home spa needs warm light, a pre-warmed towel, a soap you love the smell of and an hour without your phone. To keep the soap out of the puddle afterwards, hang it on Soapi. For a whole little spa set, have a look at Mix & Match.