6 Affordable Weekly Beauty Rituals to Remember

Whether it's visits to beauty salons or trips to the spa to maintain your look, beauty services can't be cheap. That's why we've come up with six affordable beauty rituals that you can do once a week in your life from the comfort of your own bathroom. Add one or all six to your weekly routine to improve the look of your skin... without giving up all your pennies. 

Beauty Ritual #1: Treat Yourself to a Facial Massage

Going to the spa for a Swedish massage once a week is not affordable for everyone. On the other hand, doing yourself a facial massage at home is much more profitable. You may have heard that facial massage is called "facial yoga" and the name fits. A soothing massage can help relieve week-long tension and even improve circulation and complexion. This is a very good deal for a few minutes of rubbing the skin! All you need is your hands and a facial oil like Kiehl's Daily Reviving Concentrate. Oil the skin like a masseuse and move your hands over the skin in a circular motion. Trust us, once you experience the relaxation brought about by facial yoga, you will find it hard to stick to even once a week.

Beauty Ritual #2: Take the Time to Disguise

There's no reason to save face masks for special occasions, they should be part of your (at least) weekly self-care routine. Make it a ritual to use a face mask (or several) at least once a week. We are passionate about mixing and matching masks from the L'Oréal Paris Pure-Clay line, each containing three different clays, based on our skin's specific needs. Smooth out your favorite foods, add a couple of cucumber slices—a cheap addition to your disguise session—and move your feet around for 15 minutes. Then it's time to rinse. Be sure to also fix any ingredients you may have in your mask with your moisturizer. To do this, use SkinCeuticals Emmollience, a rich moisturizer that helps restore the complexion as it provides a much-needed dose of hydration.

Beauty Ritual #3: Take a Bath

You can usually be a fan of the shower, but it's nowhere near as good a way to relax as a bath. Fill the tub with warm water, add a moisturizing bath bomb or relaxing bath salt, and grab a good book. Enjoy your bath, and when you're ready to grab your towel, don't dry off so quickly. Apply body moisturizer while your skin is still damp to lock in moisture. 

Beauty Ritual #4: DIY Manicure

Having your nails polished by a professional starts to turn a profit quickly, and there's no reason why you can't handle a manicure on your own. It's true what they said, practice makes perfect. Start simple: push back cuticles with an orange stick and apply a clear coat for the perfect shiny and natural look. Once the polish is dry, apply Carol's Daughter Karité Coco Intensive Hand Cream to your hands.

Beauty Ritual #5: Wipe your skin

Exfoliation doesn't have to be a daily routine, once a week is sufficient for many skin types, but it should still be a regular beauty ritual. When you're enjoying a steamy shower, it's easy enough to add a body scrub. Use Kiehl's Gently Exfoliating Body Scrub or a lathered washcloth to remove dead skin cells for smoother skin. Try to coordinate the exfoliation time with when you shave before the next shave. 

Beauty Ritual #6: Apply self-tanner

A spray tan can look very natural - and we totally approve of the fact that you're saving your skin from the sun's harmful rays - but it's also likely to drain your wallet. Using a self-tanner at home is an easy compromise as you can keep your bronzed look for your money. We love getting an artificial glow with Lancôme Flash Bronzer Tinted Body Gel. Just remember, to maintain your color, you need to turn self-tanning into a two-week beauty ritual.