More and more people are heading to spas these days to find health, tranquility and a bit of pampering. This marks a big change, notes Anne Harding, publisher and editor-in-chief of SPAQuest magazine.

"Years ago, people associated spas with deprivation and weight loss, but it's now about learning how to get balance in your life and how to get rid of stress," she explains. "Spas are no longer exclusive, intimidating places; they've become much more mainstream."

Resorts that feature spas have doubled in the past five years, notes Harding. "Every new resort th^t is being built is putting in a spa. On top of that, the number of day spas in North America has doubled from 500 to 1000 in just two years."

Spas today offer more than steam baths and low-calorie diets. Yoga classes, day hikes, herbal medicine and aromatherapy are among the offerings at many spas.

Dashing off to a spa for a few days is an attractive idea, but practicality and expense often stand in the way. With that in mind, Harding, with Janice Biehn, co-wrote a book called "Home Spa" (Firefly Books) which shows readers how to create their own self-styled and inexpensive spa experience at home.

"I believe in the pamper principle," Harding explains, so the book includes information on how to do a homemade facial to give skin a refreshing boost and foot massage using a reflexology chart, among other topics.

For centuries, the word spa referred to a place where natural mineral springs flow and people went "to take the waters," believing in their curative powers. Water continues to be a major component of the spa experience — an aromatherapy-scented bath, for example, can easily be enjoyed at home.

The spa bathing experience is enhanced by using plush, absorbent all-cotton towels and soft, comfortable clothing. Susan Dunn Spa Wear includes 100 percent cotton bathrobes, kimonos, turbans and slippers, which are perfect for at-home pampering.

"We use only the finest 100 percent cotton fabrics for our Spa Wear," says President and Designer Susan Dunn. "Our customers demand products made with fabrics that look fresh and clean, that are absorbent, comfortable to wear and soft to the touch. Cotton has all these wonderful qualities and more."

As spa expert Harding puts it, "A spa is not a place, it's a state of mind."