Feeling like your complexion is a little drab or a little dry? Help is as close as your pantry!  With a little planning and the right ingredients, you and a friend can whip up a do-it-yourself spa day for just pennies with items from your very own kitchen.

So invite a pal over, pour a glass of vino and get mixing – a glowing complexion awaits those willing to be a little adventurous.

Set the right mood with relaxing classical or pretty piano music. Light some scented candles. Send the kids to the playground with hubby and let’s get started…

Pricey spas and salons have used everyday items such as honey, oatmeal, avocado, salt and lemon to create scrubs and skin treatments that leave you looking and feeling beautiful. Here are a few recipes to concoct your own spa treatments for the fraction of the cost of a salon day.

Pumpkin Mask
Just in time for Halloween – this yummy smelling mask contains loads of vitamins A and C, along with beta carotene.

Mix:

1/4 cup pumpkin puree

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon safflower oil

1 egg yolk

Massage mixture over your face, but avoid your eyes. Lay back and relax and let the pumpkin soften for 20 minutes before washing it off with cool water.

Avocado Mask
Avocado softens and renews dry skin and includes vitamins A, C, and E, iron, potassium and niacin. Avocadoes will help smooth and moisturize skin. The sea salt will exfoliate and the yogurt provides a cool, calming base.

Mix:

1 cup very ripe avocado, mashed

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 cup plain yogurt

Smooth on your face and neck and lay back so it doesn’t drip. For an extra treat, take two slices of avocado and place one on the skin under each eye to reduce puffiness. Leave the mask on 20 minutes, then wash it off with cool water. 

Honey-Oatmeal Mask/Scrub
Honey has a natural antiseptic property that helps kill bacteria, and oatmeal provides gentle exfoliation. Leave the mask on for five to ten minutes, and then rub, allowing oatmeal to help remove dead skin. Rinse with warm water.

Mix:

1/4 cup quick-cooking oats, finely ground in a blender

1/4 cup honey

Mix oats and honey into a paste. It will be sticky, so keep your hair tied back. Smooth it on your face, neck and chest. Lay down to avoid dripping! You can benefit from this recipe immediately if you use it solely as a scrub and wash it off right away. You may also leave the mask on for five to ten minutes. It will be gloppy, but it washes off easily.