5 Irish-Inspired DIY Spa Treatments to Pamper Yourself This St. Patrick’s Day

Women in Ireland have pampered their skin and hair with ingredients like oats, seaweed, and beer for years. And you can re-create some of their Irish-inspired spa treatments at home with ease for St. Patrick’s Day!

Heal redness and rashes with comfrey.

The Ireland-harvested herb’s anti-inflammatory compounds calm redness and irritation fast. Pairing it with lauric acid–rich coconut oil repairs skin’s barrier to ward off new rashes.

Try: Mix 3 drops of comfrey oil like Living Flower Essences Organic Comfrey Oil (Buy on Amazon, $9.61) and 1 tablespoon of coconut oil. Apply to skin and let absorb.

Soften skin with sea salt.

Surrounded by water, Ireland has an abundance of sea salt, which Irish women use to whisk away dry skin patches. Mixing salt with moisturizing olive oil speeds the skin-smoothing results.

Try: Combine ¼ cup of sea salt and 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Rub onto damp skin for 1 minute while showering; rinse.

Volumize thin hair with stout beer.

The protein in stout beer (like Ireland-made Guinness) strengthens strands at the roots to thwart shedding, so hair looks and feels fuller. What’s more, B vitamins in the brew stimulate hair follicles to encourage new, healthy growth within a month!

Try: Once a week, pour a can or bottle of room temperature stout beer onto damp hair and massage into the scalp for 1 minute. Let sit for 5 minutes; rinse.

Slim down with seaweed.

Seaweed from the Ireland coastline nixes swelling from head to toe — stat! Algae’s iodine absorbs into skin and increases circulation to help flush out excess fluids and toxins.

Try: Add ½ cup of seaweed powder like 23 Skin Seaweed Kelp Powder (Buy on Amazon, $12.99) into warm bath water. Soak for 20 minutes.

Brighten skin with oatmeal.

An Irish breakfast staple, oats (which are also heavily grown in the country) quickly revive lackluster skin — one of the many benefits of these Irish-inspired spa treatments. The grain gently sloughs off dead cells to restore radiance, and mixing it with hydrating honey and exfoliating yogurt leaves the complexion soft, youthful, and glowing.

Try: Mix ¼ cup of cooked, cooled oatmeal, 2 teaspoons of honey and 2 teaspoons of plain yogurt. Rub onto dry skin for 1 minute and let sit 10 minutes; rinse.

A version of this article originally appeared in our print magazine, Woman’s World.

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