I Keep a Rice Cooker in My Bathroom at All Times (It’s So Luxe!)

Going to the spa for a facial or a massage is one of my favorite ways to relax, but, the cost of the experience can add up pretty quickly (a facial can cost anywhere from $100 to $300, a massage around the same amount). That’s why I love a good spa night at home. It’s a way for me to unplug, feel like I’ve done something loving for myself, and not break the bank while doing so. 

That’s why I keep a plethora of spa essentials at home in my bathroom closet — from an array of masks and scrubs to oils and so forth. Yet, the most unlikely thing you’ll find in my self-care collection is probably my rice cooker. Here’s how I use this kitchen gadget to channel my inner esthetician with a proper steam facial.  

When I’m setting up my bed and bath for a spa night, steam is one of the first things that I consider. Not only does it cleanse and prepare my skin for all those wonderful potions I’ve been storing in my closet, but steam also promotes circulation and is believed to stimulate collagen and elastin production, as Healthline reports. A rice cooker is the perfect vessel for keeping a few bedside face cloths warm and ready beside my bed.

I start by warming up about an inch or so of water in the rice cooker with the lid on. Meanwhile, I dampen clean, white washcloths with hot (not boiling) water. After rolling up my prepped cloths, I place them in the cooker and replace the lid. Often, I will put a few drops of rose, vetiver, or frankincense essential oil in the cooker’s water bath. All three of these oils have known properties suitable for my aging skin. Whenever I’m ready to use my towels, I carefully remove them with tongs, let them cool for a second, and then unroll them over my face, hands, or wherever I plan on steaming my skin. 

I’ve used the Elite Gourmet 3-cup capacity rice cooker for a very long time. Its simplicity and price point of under $20 is just the right fit for my home spa set-up. With only a cook and warm button, it’s a no-brainer, but it can only hold a handful of small washcloths. Alternatively, the Comfee’ Mini Rice Cooker is about the same size as the one that I have, but it’s definitely an upgrade. It features an LCD touch control panel and also boasts “fuzzy logic technology,” which adjusts the temperature for the perfect rice or steamed towels in my case. It also has a timer for up to 24-hours of warm time, and a 24-hour delay. My thoughts are that I could set it at night before going to bed so that I wake up to a well-timed mini-facial before my feet even touch the floor in the morning. 

For larger towels, or if I wanted to host a spa night for my friends, this 30-cup capacity model by Moosum should do the trick. It’s roomy enough to accommodate multiple towels and cloths while featuring the same simple warm/cook settings as my current cooker. No matter what rice cooker model you choose, I’m willing to bet it’ll become your favorite gadget that works overtime outside of the kitchen for spa night.