26 Easy Ways to Pamper Yourself

“When my skin is particularly parched or dull, I pat a face oil all over for a quick hit of hydration that makes my complexion feel replenished and look glowy.” —April Franzino, Beauty Director

RELATED: The Best Face Oils for Every Type of Skin

"Before bed, I spend a minute rubbing thick cuticle cream onto my nails and wake up with soft, neat cuticles." —Chiara Butler, GH Beauty Lab Reviews Analyst

RELATED: The Best Cuticle Creams, According to Nail Experts

"I keep a traditional Turkish kese [exfoliating mitt] in the shower to give my skin a spa-like sloughing. You can use it alone or with a product like bodywash or soap." —Birnur Aral, Ph.D., GH Beauty Lab Executive Director

"I love turning on a fragrance diffuser an hour or so before going to sleep. I'll use different essential oils, from lavender to rose, to create a calming, serene environment for rest." —Catharine Malzahn, Beauty Assistant

RELATED: The Best Essential Oil Diffusers, According to Testing

"After a shower or bath, I massage a rich cream onto my body to double up on hydration and leave my skin plumped." — Sabina Wizemann, GH Beauty Lab Director

"Spoil often-overlooked lips with a little 'facial': Smooth flaky skin by buffing lips with a damp washcloth or a lip scrub, then layer on a thick lip mask for nourishment." — April Franzino

RELATED: The Best Lip Masks You Can Buy

"When I'm stressed, I'll put a few drops of an aromatherapy essential oil — I love Farmaesthetics Adrenal Support Etheric Inhalation Oil with citrus and pine — into my palms, cup them around my nose and mouth, then inhale and exhale for 10 seconds to decompress." — April Franzino

Add ambiance to the room before you step in. "I burn a candle with a soothing scent to set the mood," says GH Contributing Beauty Editor Dori Price. Or tie together a bunch of fresh eucalyptus and hang it from the showerhead to release a calming aroma when steam hits.

A bath is the perfect time to buff skin silky smooth with a creamy body scrub or body brush. "I use a soft- to medium-bristle dry brush on my body before I get in to exfoliate and promote circulation," Wizemann says. "Using gentle pressure and moving in circular motions smooths and softens skin."

Expert tip: "Bathwater should never feel hot and uncomfortable, because it can compromise the skin barrier," Wnek notes. "The National Eczema Association recommends bathing in lukewarm water for no longer than 15 minutes."

Today's soaks are much more than warm water and a few bubbles. Take your sudsing experience to the next level by adding a bubble bath product to the water for aromatherapy and bonus benefits: Try a bubble bath or bath bomb for suds, a bath oil or a bath soak for skin softening or bath salts for aches (Wnek recommends Epsom salts).

Expert tip: If you're using a bubble bath or bodywash pour it under running water as the tub fills, as the friction helps create bubbles. Drop a bath bomb or disperse non-bubbling products like oils and salts throughout the water once the tub is filled.

"When my skin is especially dry or feels sensitive, I apply an oil before and after a bath to help lock in moisture," says Wizemann. "Sometimes I even drop it into the bath to give my skin that silky feel."

Double up on coziness by sipping a cup of hot tea as you soak and wrapping yourself in a warm towel or bathrobe when you step out (pop it in the dryer pre-bath!).

"I scrub my skin with a gentle exfoliating mud while waiting for my conditioner to sink in and then rinse them both off at the same time." —Birnur Aral

"Once or twice a month, I give my strands a salon-style deep treatment either with the hair-oiling technique or by applying an overnight hair mask to my damaged ends, then wrapping them in a bun." —April Franzino

Expert tip: A traditional Indian Ayurvedic practice, hair oiling is a treatment in which you "massage warm oil on the entire scalp and strands for better scalp and hair health," says Nidhi Pandya, an Ayurvedic doctor in New York City. If you want deeper hydration than regular conditioner provides, hair oiling may be worth a try. Apply a hair oil treatment up to two to three times per week or as needed; leave it on for at least 30 minutes or overnight, then shampoo it out (no conditioner needed).

"To unwind immediately — no bath needed — I mist an essential oil spray like EuroSpa Aromatics Pure Eucalyptus Oil ShowerMist in my shower to infuse the air with a eucalyptus or lavender scent." — Danusia Wnek

No, lip blushing is not blush for your lips: This professional treatment is actually semipermanent tattooed makeup that's used to boost the natural color, shape and fullness of lips.

"Ink is deposited into the lip with a needle similar to that used for permanent tattooing," says Sheila Farhang, M.D., a dermatologist in Tucson and Beverly Hills. Only minimal pain is involved after numbing, but side effects can include temporary swelling, skin flaking and gradual softening of the color. The results develop in six to eight weeks and then fade over time, lasting about two to four years (a touch-up may be needed), and the cost can range from around $500 to more than $1,000 depending on location.

"It's great for someone like me who wants to spend minimal time getting ready but still look fresh," says GH Institute Contributing Analyst Jamie Ueda, who received the treatment. "It really makes lips pop."

RELATED: Everything You Need to Know About Lip Blushing

"Before a bath or a shower, I apply a face mask to purify or hydrate my skin as I suds up. I'll use a sheet mask in the bath and a rinse-off formula in the shower." — Catharine Malzahn