My Home Spa Ritual with Koh Gen Do

The bath is my sanctuary. A nice, long soak solves all most problems, whether it’s exhaustion, a headache, an oncoming cold, or just general crankiness. It’s about as close to the Fountain of Youth as we’re going to get. You step in after a long day, and reemerge fresh and new. To enhance the benefits, I’ve curated a bath ritual with an assortment of accoutrements that includes an iPad floor stand to watch my shows on and all sorts of beauty treatments. Even when I’m relaxing, I like to multi-task!

I’m very particular about bath salts, oils, and powders because of my sensitive skin, making the Koh Gen Do anti-inflammatory, herbal blend the obvious choice. Its amino acids not only soften your skin, but also eliminate chlorine from the water to protect you from further damage. After a few minutes of soaking in this, you’ll feel like you’re in your own private spa. If you take super hot baths like I do, the slightly spicy botanical blend of cloves, lavender, and rosemary fills the room with a lush aromatherapy mist. The powder turns the water a little tan, but won’t stain your tub (having to clean it as soon as you step out kind of defeats the purpose of relaxing!).

Once I’ve set this up, I apply the Brightening Moisture Mask, which uses Moroccan lava clay to accomplish four acts in one (like I said – I love to multitask!). It removes the impurities from your pores, exfoliates, moisturizes – unlike most clays that leave you feeling parched and dry – and brightens. It’s the most efficient mask I’ve ever used. You don’t want to spend your whole bath applying treatments. We have to simplify the process as much as possible so that there’s more time to just lay back and relax, which I also do post-bath in bed with the Macro Vintage Essence Mask (a hot soak always leaves me feeling woozy – why fight the feeling?). This protects skin with antioxidants, encourages cell regeneration, and of course, moisturizes.

By the time I’m done, I’ve gotten all the benefits of a day at the spa in just one hour! People ask me how I have this much time to spend on a bath everyday, but it puts me in a good mood, allowing my mind to work in high gear for the whole day. Sometimes you need to take time for yourself to be better for others! Botanical Essence Bath Powder ($48), Brightening Moisture Mask ($75), and Macro Vintage Essence Mask ($110) at Barneys New York.