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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

4 comments:

  1. You know I swear by the olive oil sugar scrubs I make for my feet. I keep an old sugar bowl next to my bathroom sink and I put a little wooden spoonful of the sugar mix in my hand and add 1 squirt of my hand soap to it and scrub away on my feet! when I rinse and dry them I have feet as soft as a baby's butt.~Ames

    P.S. I a 55 years old and still get pimples. I actually have Rosacea. So I do anything I can to clean this pores.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Pinning this.... Great site, please keep it up

    ReplyDelete
  3. Great post. I just located your blog and wished to let you know that I have certainly loved reading your blogs. At any rate I’m going to be subscribing to your feed and I really hope you are writing again soon.

    ReplyDelete

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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.