Jennifer Aniston recently told us that her Sunday nights are oft reserved for beauty maintenance. That is, things like masks, scrubs, and deep-conditioning treatments. We couldn't advocate more for a "you do you" evening at home — while watching GoT, perhaps? But, even during a lazy night in, we still want to be productive.
As you're probably well aware, we love products that deliver instant results here at R29, and at-home treatments are no different. That's why we've rounded up the five that we're loving right now. But the best part? You can actually use all five of these editor-approved products at once. Which means you can be tanning your legs, exfoliating your elbows and back, whitening your teeth, softening your feet, and healing your parched strands all while watching Jon Snow be Jon Snow.
Ahead, five at-home beauty treatments that we love — and you will, too.
Goal: Healthier hair
Time: 1 hour
Results: Instant
Why We Love It: We can wax poetic about deep-conditioning masks all day — and we have — but there's another way to heal dry and damaged hair, too. Enter: pre-shampoo treatments.
Apply these effective formulas to dry hair for any length of time desired, from 15 minutes to overnight, and then wash them away. The sweet spot, however, is around one hour. Just slick it on and pull your locks into a bun or shower cap while the formula softens strands. We've listed our favorites before, but it's this Christophe Robin formula that we return to again and again. If you're in a pinch, coconut oil works really well, too!
Christophe Robin Moisturizing Hair Oil with Lavender, $47, available at Sephora.
Goal: Bronzey skin
Time: 1 to 3 hours
Results: Instant glow, plus full results in a few hours
Why We Love It: There are a lot of reasons to hate self-tanners: They're sticky, stain sheets and PJs, and (literally) stink. While these characteristics are pretty much the name of the game when it comes to getting a faux glow (sorry, but even the no-smell formulas smell a little), there has been one huge innovation in the market that makes it all totally bearable: instant formulas.
Many brands now sell versions that work very fast, but we favor St. Tropez's formula because it gives foolproof results that look crazy natural. Apply the foam with a mitt (this is key!) to clean, exfoliated, dry skin, buff away any lines or streaks, then occupy yourself for an hour or two. While you're doing the dishes — okay, maybe anything but doing the dishes — or catching up on emails, the formula goes to work, so by the time you jump in the shower, you have a tan that's light and subtle, with full results in a few hours.
St. Tropez Self Tan Express Advanced Bronzing Mousse, $44, available at Birchbox.
Goal: Smooth, radiant skin
Time: 10 minutes, max!
Results: By morning
Why We Love It: Hollywood aesthetician Kerry Benjamin's body peel may be a bit of a splurge, but trust us when we say, the results won't disappoint. The cocktail of skin-smoothing acids (including trichloroacetic, lactic, glycolic, salicylic, and phytic acids) self-neutralizes, which means all you have to do is brush it onto skin and forget about it.
We suggest using before bed, then showering in the a.m., which allows the formula to work overnight without the worry of accidental sun exposure sans SPF. (Friendly reminder: When using peels of any kind, you must wear sunscreen every day.) This formula makes our dry skin smooth and soft, and takes less that 10 minutes. It's a winner in our book.
Stacked Skincare TCA Multi Acid Body Peel, $185, available at Stacked Skincare.
Goal: Whiter teeth
Time: 1 hour
Results: Instant
Why We Love It: Dentists and editors alike swear by the results of Crest's industry-leading Whitestrips — and for good reason. While they whiten and brighten teeth incredibly well, though, they do require daily compliance (apply, chill for an hour, rinse, repeat every day for up to a few weeks).
Luckily, for those who don't want to wait, there's an intensive one-hour formula. Be sure to brush your teeth a few hours before applying, which will reduce sensitivity, then just pop 'em on and wait an hour. We prefer to do this before bed because we've found our teeth to be the most sensitive for a few hours after.
The kit comes with four sets of top and bottom strips, which means that you can do it again in a few months to brighten even more. Those with sensitive teeth should probably stick to a classic formula, or at least bring in a sensitivity toothpaste.
Crest 3D White Whitestrips 1 Hour Express, $54.99, available at Ulta Beauty.
Goal: Smooth feet
Time: 1 hour, plus soak time
Results: Full results in less than a week
Why We Love It: We've all been foot-shamed into getting the "callus removal" add-on at the nail shop only to find our feet exactly the same afterwards. (See ya later, $7.) Luckily, there's another option that is so insanely effective, only a quick Google search of "babyfoot results" can truly explain what we're talking about. (Go ahead, we'll wait. But be warned: It can make some queasy.)
We've reviewed the entire process here, and seen it firsthand on friends and coworkers, alike. The procedure isn't too different from a salon add-on: soak, pop your feet into bags, rinse — but the magic (a.k.a., the peeling) happens later in the week.
Baby Foot Foot Peel, $25, available at Target.
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