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Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Wildcrafting Wednesday #28

Welcome to the 28th edition of Wildcrafting Wednesday!
Hosted by Kathy @ Mind, Body and Sole,
Laurie @ Common Sense Homesteading
and myself, here @ The Woodwife's Journal.

Can't wait to see what kind of herbal goodness you're up to this week!


I've added a new feature to Wildcrafting Wednesday posts here at the Woodwife's Journal!  Now you can link back to all the past linkys in one place!  Just click on the Wildcrafting Wednesday button at the left and you'll be redirected to the new Wildcrafting Wednesday page where I'll be posting the linkys newest to oldest.  Hopefully this will make it easier to find archived posts from past weeks.  Please bear with me as I update to include all weeks past and future.  Thanks!
As always, if you want to share the linky on your page, click on "Get the code" below.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Herbal Pampering ~ It's All About "Me" Time Blog Hop


Have you ever been to a spa?  The idea sounds both a little scary and a little desirable at the same time, right?
First, I'm a bit anal about other people looking that closely at all my flaws, let alone touching them...I'm ticklish, you see.  Takes all the relaxation out of the attention, or so I imagine.  But mostly, there's no way I can justify spending that kind of money on something that seems so...frivolous.  Still, everyone enjoys some sort of escape or get-away even if it's just a few minutes to pamper ourselves at home.
So, what's your favorite self-pampering natural/herbal routine?
  
Here's one of mine...
The pink bars in the center are my cold cream bars
First, using a bar of homemade soap that I've added a little cold cream to, I gently wash away the make up, daily grime and in hot humid weather, excess salt from perspiration.  I like to use "facial" style massage, with just my fingertips, in slow circles, always up and out.  Washing first eliminates the chance of opening my pores and allowing grime, etc. to get in there and cause blockage or irritation, which may result in a, yes, I'm going to say it, ZIT!  Also, if you have existing blemishes, you don't want to risk opening them to reinfection.

Then, I follow that with a mild sugar scrub.  The ideal facial sugar scrub contains about a tsp of your favorite, non-hydrogenated oil, like jojoba or almond if you have it or olive if you don't, 1/4 tsp. of sugar (this is the only place I'd recommend regular, white sugar) and *1 drop* of an Essential Oil of your choice.  You can choose something refreshing, like peppermint, or calming like lavender or chamomile, even healing like tea tree for acne or memory stimulating like rosemary.  Again, using very gentle, light, upward and outward circles, avoiding the eye area, exfoliate your face and don't forget your chin, neck and even your decollete (doesn't that sound sexy?  I'll bet they use that word at the spa!) if you are so inclined.  After a few moments, rinse.  Don't worry about removing all the oil at this point.

Here comes my favorite part!  A mask!  Now there are all sorts of mask types out there and if you already have a favorite, insert it here.  I like to use something cooling, like this Mask that I developed while I was part of a community theater play where I had to apply and remove a mask every night for one of the scenes.  After the clay dries out a bit, it's easy to remove the mask with a warm cloth and a little water if needed.  This leaves behind a dewy layer of moisture and a bit of oil.
The dark, brick red bars are my Grapefruit Mud Mask Facial Bars
that are helpful for combating acne.
This could be used in place of a traditional mask.
 
If it's a bit too heavy for you, you can follow with an astringent toner like green tea or witch hazel with a drop of your favorite essential oil.  If you need a pick-me-up, try peppermint but again, be sure to avoid the eye area.

What's your favorite home pampering recipe?  Share it with us by linking it below.
1.Remember to link to a relative post rather than your home page.
2. Add a comment below to let me know you've shared or just comment for fun even if you didn't.
3. Please be kind and show a link back to my blog so everyone can visit and learn about our favorite Herbal Pampering treats.  Maybe they'll share a recipe, too.
4. If you'd like to share the linky on your blog, simply write a little ditty about what we're doing here, click "get the code" below, copy and paste it into your post and share with your readers.





Much herbal love,
 




A passion for organics

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Wildcrafting Wednesday #27

Welcome to the 27th edition of Wildcrafting Wednesday!
Hosted by Kathy @ Mind, Body and Soul,
Laurie @ Common Sense Homesteading
and myself, here @ The Woodwife's Journal.
Wow!  Thanks to all of you who posted last week!  I'm looking forward to hearing from all of you!


February is a good month to share women's health tips or cold and flu remedies.  I'm going to share a favorite decongesting steam recipe...and chest rub recipe...they may be repeats for some of you but so appropriate for the season.

I've added a new feature to Wildcrafting Wednesday posts here at the Woodwife's Journal!  Now you can link back to all the past linkys in one place!  Just click on the Wildcrafting Wednesday button at the left and you'll be redirected to the new Wildcrafting Wednesday page where I'll be posting the linkys newest to oldest.  Hopefully this will make it easier to find archived posts from past weeks.  Please bear with me as I update to include all weeks past and future.  Thanks!
As always, if you want to share the linky on your page, click on "Get the code" below.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Wildcrafting Wednesday #26

Welcome to the 26th edition of Wildcrafting Wednesday!

Hosted by Kathy @ Mind, Body and Soul,
Laurie @ Common Sense Homesteading
and myself, here @ The Woodwife's Journal.

I'm looking forward to hearing from all of you!

I've added a new feature to Wildcrafting Wednesday posts here at the Woodwife's Journal!  Now you can link back to all the past linkys in one place!  Just click on the Wildcrafting Wednesday button at the left and you'll be redirected to the new Wildcrafting Wednesday page where I'll be posting the linkys newest to oldest.  Hopefully this will make it easier to find archived posts from past weeks.  Please bear with me as I update to include all weeks past and future.  Thanks!

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Wildcrafting Wednesday #25

TheWoodwifesJournalWelcome to the 25th edition of Wildcrafting Wednesday!  I'm looking forward to hearing from all of you.  Next Tuesday is Valentine's Day so if you have any gift or celebration ideas (G rated please! ;) share them with us here.

Hosted by Kathy @ Mind, Body and Soul,
Laurie @ Common Sense Homesteading
and myself, here @ The Woodwife's Journal.

Thursday, February 2, 2012

New Body Butter Trio

This post won a prize in the Mountain Rose Blog
Sweetheart Recipe Exchange!
See my prize below

There's a myriad of sites that share recipes for incredible personal care and body pampering products you can make at home.  One of my favorites is Crunchy Betty and new blogging friend Hilda Blue ~ both were the inspiration for these lovely Body Butter treats just in time for Valentine's Day.

Here's what I've been up to today.


Coffee Bean Toning Butter/Lotion Bar
4 oz coffee infused oils
(almond, argan, castor, and jojoba)
4 oz cocoa butter
4 oz beeswax *
40 drops cellulite busting eo's
of your choice like rose geranium, grapefruit, lemongrass, rosemary, juniper berry, etc.
*optional whole coffee beans for extra scrubbing power and interest.

*(I added a little pumice to mine and my skin is like a baby's bottom but
I think it would work better in a body butter/lotion bar without beeswax because
it was hard to wash off in the shower.  Also, if eliminating the wax, it might work better to add ground coffee.)

Chocolate Mint Sea Salt Scrubbie Butter
2 oz cocoa butter
1 oz shea butter
1 oz olive butter
1 Tbsp cocoa butter
1Tbsp powdered mint leaves
1 Tbsp pink sea salt
20 drops peppermint EO

Orange Chocolate Poppy Seed Scrubbie Butter
4 oz. cocoa butter
1 Tbsp Dark Cocoa Powder
40 drops sweet orange EO
1 Tbsp pink sea salt
1tsp citric acid
1 Tbsp poppy seeds


All three of these bars are designed to be used IN the shower/bath on clean skin.  Each has mild to more serious exfoliating ingredients that smooth skin.  All are luxuriously moisturizing leaving your skin silky smooth after rinsing off the solids.
Use caution on smooth floors and shower/bath surfaces as all contain butters and oils that may make smooth floors dangerous.  I like to put an old towel in the bottom of the shower/tub when I'm using oils to provide a nonskid surface.


After molding in heart shapes, I placed them in paper candy cups
and put one of each "flavor" in a little paper box.




To be truly honest, the Coffee Bean Toning Butter is really
a hard lotion bar because it contains beeswax.
Body Butters are just that....butter.
They melt on contact with the warmth of your skin and blend
 in a smooth layer of quickly absorbed
oil without staying on the surface as lotion bars do.
That's what makes them so yummy!


Check out my prize courtesy of Violet Herbs!
Thank you so much!
http://violetherbs.com


I'm sharing this post with the folks at the Homestead Barn Hop #48 and Living Well blog Hop #29
This post is featured on the
  
blog hop!

Be sure to check out the new Facebook Fan Page
@ http://www.facebook.com/Woodwife61!
Hope you "Like" it!
Much herbal love,
   





A passion for organics

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The Woodwife's Shop

Preparing small batch natural, additive free products for beauty, health and home right here in our kitchen since 1991 from herbs grown organically in our garden, wild crafted in nearby meadows and woodlands or purchased from reputable, like-minded companies. Dried everlasting wreaths, arrangements and potpourri. Herbal salves, tinctures, soaps, teas and more.