Treat Yourself To an At-Home Spa Day With These Winners
Photo Illustration: Kailey Whitman
bhg - 7 Available at Walmart
bhg - 37 Available at Aveda
bhg - 10 Available at Target
bhg - 20 Available at Sparitual
bhg - 45 Available at Zoya
bhg - 12 Available at Ulta
bhg Available at Walgreens
bhg - 32 Available at Sephora
Pamper your hair, skin, and nails like a pro. These picks make you feel like a DIY master from head to toe, whether your strands are in need of rehab, your nails have been neglected, or your skin has lost its glow. There's no appointment is necessary because you can channel those #selfcareSunday vibes any day of the week with these winners!
Best Deep Conditioning Hair Treatment: Pantene Miracle Rescue Deep Conditioning Treatment ($7, Walmart)
Best Leave-In Hair Treatment: Aveda Botanical Repair Strengthening Leave-In Treatment ($37, Aveda)
Best Mask for Color-Treated Hair: Hair Biology Color Sealing Mask ($10, Target)
Best Cuticle Oil: Sparitual Slow Beauty Cuti-Cocktail ($20, Sparitual)
Best Manicure Kit: Zoya Naked Manicure Rescue and Repair Kit ($45, Zoya)
Best Gel-Like Nail Polish: Essie Gel Couture Nail Polish Brilliant Brocades Collection ($12, Ulta)
Best Foot Mask: Sally Hansen Hydrating Foot Mask ($6, Walgreens)
Best Face Scrub: Olehenriksen Lemonade Smoothing Scrub ($20, Sephora)
These aren't the only top-rated products to get the ultimate spa day at home. Check out our top picks for body products, hair care items, the best of makeup, and skincare goodies to help you look your best. And don't forget to read about how we choose all of the products for the 2021 Beauty Awards.
Best Deep Conditioning Hair Treatment
Conditioning treatments are a smart strategy for healthy hair in general, but they become an essential if your hair is dry or damaged from heat styling or coloring. This deep-conditioning mask is rich, nourishing, and leaves your hair feeling soft after just one use—all for less than $10. Slather it on dry or damaged hair to soak in nutrient-dense ingredients like pro-vitamin B5, strengthening lipids, and protective antioxidants that deliver much-needed moisture. "I loved how my hair looked and felt smooth and hydrated," says expert panelist Karen Monterichard, a beauty blogger in San Francisco. "I'm thrilled it's in a tube rather than a jar, making it easy to use in the shower."
Buy It: Pantene Miracle Rescue Deep Conditioning Treatment ($7, Walmart)
Best Leave-In Hair Treatment
Re-create that fresh-out-of-the-salon feeling with this leave-in that works as both a repair treatment and a heat protectant. Its rich cream formula is powered by naturally derived ingredients like candelilla wax and olive-derived conditioners. "The texture of the product is incredible, and a little goes a long way. You can feel the difference in your hair when you apply it, and your hair feels amazing after using it," says expert panelist Matilde Campos, a celebrity hairstylist in Los Angeles. Another tester with long, wavy hair says, "I have a ton of split ends, and this helped my hair feel healthier and smooth."
Buy It: Aveda Botanical Repair Strengthening Leave-In Treatment ($37, Aveda)
Best Mask for Color-Treated Hair
Did you know that water can strip your hair color and make it fade faster than usual? And color-treated grays, which are more porous and drier than pigmented hair, are especially vulnerable to this fate. Happily, Hair Biology Color Sealing Mask can help. The hydrating formula rebuilds water-resistance in color-treated grays with lipid-like moisturizers and protects it from free radical damage, another color-robbing culprit. Slather it on as a weekly treatment in place of your regular conditioner to keep your color vibrant. Testers loved how nourished their hair felt, and they agreed their hair color didn't fade as fast when using this mask weekly.
Buy It: Hair Biology Color Sealing Mask ($10, Target)
Best Cuticle Oil
Nails undergo regular wear and tear, from improper gel removal to frequent handwashing—which can lead to ragged cuticles and weak or brittle nails. That's where dedicated TLC can come in, well, handy. This nail and cuticle oil nourishes the nails with a combination of vitamin-rich sunflower oil and antioxidant-rich ashwagandha. It also supports healthy nail growth and conditions the cuticles. "Loved the scent and how it made my cuticles look and feel," one tester says. "They were hydrated without being overly oily." The quick-absorbing formula keeps excess grease at bay, so you can use it before applying polish or in between colors to give your nails a break.
Buy It: Sparitual Slow Beauty Cuti-Cocktail ($20, Sparitual)
Best Manicure Kit
To keep nails healthy between polish changes and gel applications, look no further than this kit, which offers everything you could possibly need for strong nails. "This stuff is amazing! I'm not a fan of how my nails look. I either grow my nails out and wear polish or keep them trimmed," a tester says. "This was a game changer—I feel like it can finally let my true nails shine! It literally transforms." The carrying case holds a three-way nail file, orangewood stick, Naked Manicure Rescue Serum, and Naked Manicure Repair Base Coat. While the Rescue Serum mimics the natural sebum in the nail to replenish moisture, the Repair Base Coat seals it in and gives flaking or ridged nails a smooth appearance almost instantly.
Buy It: Zoya Naked Manicure Rescue and Repair Kit ($45, Zoya)
Best Gel-Like Nail Polish
Upgrade your at-home mani with Essie's gel couture polish, which brings the salon gel manicure to your home (without needing a UV lamp or soaking off your polish afterward). The new Brilliant Brocades collection features jewel-tone cream and shimmer shades, plus the wide application brush makes it easy to paint the entire nail with just a few swipes. Begin the two-step system by applying a couple coats of the gel couture nail polish. Step two—the gel couture top coat—seals the polish and gives you the gel-like shine. One staffer says, "I loved the color options and the wide brush; it made it easy to paint my nails and not get any extra color all over my cuticles." Another tester adds, "This is the most amazing at-home gel polish. My nails looked flawless for more than a week."
Buy It: Essie Gel Couture Nail Polish Brilliant Brocades Collection ($12, Essie)
Best Foot Mask
Sally Hansen Hydrating Foot Mask comes with two paper socks that swaddle dry feet in a cozy blend of vitamin E, macadamia oil, and shea butter. "They are easy to use and so hydrating," says one tester. Leave on for 15 minutes for the full sole-softening experience. For extra credit, apply them before bed as a relaxing ritual: After you take off the masks, rub your feet to massage the moisturizers into your skin even more, then slip on a pair of cotton socks and call it a night. Another staffer loved the sole-softening results so much, she requested an extra set to use on her pedicure-shy husband.
Buy It: Sally Hansen Hydrating Foot Mask ($6, Walgreens)
Best Face Scrub
If you're in need of a spa day, consider this: The lemonade-inspired scrub really does smell of fresh lemons for a refreshing experience. But the benefits take it even further: Rather than settle for one type of exfoliation, it uses both physical and chemical exfoliation to smooth and brighten skin. Alpha hydroxy acids loosen the dead skin cells on the surface of the skin, while sugar granules and dried lemon peel gently buff them away. "Previous to these tests, I was not a physical exfoliant girl—I found most I had tried to be harsh and stripping," says one staffer. "Enter Ole Henriksen. It's gentle, and it left my skin feeling clean and smooth without feeling stripped and dried out." Another tester noticed a difference in her skin after a single use. If it sounds like overkill, don't worry: The formula also calms skin with holy basil extract and chamomile.
Buy It: Olehenriksen Lemonade Smoothing Scrub ($20, Sephora)
