Make-at-Home Indulgences
We all love going to the spa. Thats a fact. Its soothing to be pampered and waited on by professionals instead of following our usual routine of pampering and waiting on the other people in our lives, be it boyfriends, spouses, children or friends.
However, there is a slight drawback to our spa-loving lives: payment. These professionals need to be paid, and for most spas, even the most seemingly rudimentary treatment costs the arm and the leg youd like to treat. But have no fear, theres an easy solution that will easily reconcile the cost of beauty treatment to the contents of your pocketbook. Make them yourself!
You can make your own beneficial spa-like treatments using simple ingredients you may already have in your refrigerator, such as various fruits, herbs or even coffee grounds. What follows are a few simple recipes that, when mixed, will beautify your body and relax your spirit, all without the help or cost of paid professionals.
Facial treatments
Apples and coffee, the main ingredients in the following recipes, maintain many beneficial properties. Apples contain calcium, iron and Vitamin A, and have antioxidant, astringent and toning effects. Coffee contains magnesium and Vitamin E, and is also an antioxidant, and also exfoliates and stimulates the face.
Aphrodite Apple Mask
· 1 T Applesauce
· 1 T Wheat Germ
To Make: Purée apple in a blender or add applesauce to a small bowl. Mix in the wheat germ to form a paste.
To Use: Apply to washed, scrubbed, and steamed face. Allow mask to set for 10-15 minutes. Tone then moisturize.
(Source: Noreen Finnerans book, Incredible Edible Spa)
Invigorating Coffee Scrub
· 3 T Coffee grounds (organic-caffeinated)
· 1 T Salt (optional)
To Make: Brew a fresh pot of coffee. Enjoy a cup, if you like. Put grounds (and salt) in a small bowl. Use grounds within 20 minutes of brewing before oxidation occurs.
To Use: Scrub mixture over entire body while in the shower. Rinse. Tone. Moisturize.
(Source: Noreen Finnerans book, Incredible Edible Spa)
Hair products
These recipes cater to the season; one, made with lemon juice, brightens your locks, the other, made with cucumbers, protects your hair from chlorine damage. Lemons can be used as an antiviral, as well as for bleaching, while a slice of cucumber is great for tired eyes.
Summer Highlights
· Juice of three lemons, pulp straine
1. Pour lemon juice in a small spray bottle and top up with pure filtered water.
2. Spritz on sections of clean, damp hair. For a natural look, apply to sections around the face and on the top layers of hair.
3. Sit out in the sunshine and let dry, then rinse.
4. Repeat until you achieve the desired lightness.
(Source: www.alive.com)
Cucumber Hair Drench
If you swim in a chlorinated pool for exercise on a regular basis, the same damage you've noticed happening to your skin and bathing suit, is happening to your hair, as well. Try this treatment at home to keep chlorine damage to a minimum.
· 1 egg
· 1 eggshell's worth of olive oil
· 1 quarter of a peeled cucumber
Blend the egg, olive oil and peeled cucumber. Spread evenly through your hair, leave on for 10 minutes, then thoroughly rinse. For the best results year-round, continue this treatment monthly.
(Source: spaindex.com)
Body therapies
Peaches and lavender make up these concoctions meant to make your body as soft as your hair. Their smells are known to lift the spirit, but lavender also is known to calm the nervous system and act as an antiseptic and analgesic.
Peach Lotion (for dry or normal skin)
· 1 Peach
· 4 drops tincture of Benzoin (known to be STRONG sensitizer)
· 2 oz. coconut or sweet almond oil
· 1 1/2 oz. orange flower water and 1 or 2 drops orange oil
Wash, drain, mash and then strain the juice from one peach through muslin or cheesecloth. Add to it four drops of tincture of benzoin, 2 oz. coconut or sweet almond oil, 1 1/2 oz. orange flower water and one or two drops orange oil. Beat together until it is fluffy and pour into a clean 4 oz container. It will keep for a longer period if you store it in the refrigerator. Use the lotion to moisturize your skin whenever it feels dry.
(Source: Jeanne Roses book, Herbs & Things)
Lavender Hand and Foot Wash
Use this wash to relieve red and inflamed hands and feet.
· 1/2 cup dried Lavender Flowers
· 1/2 cup finely chopped Fresh Sage
· 2 cups of water
· 8 drops of Lavender oil
In a saucepan, combine lavender flowers, sage and water. Simmer, covered, on low heat for 20 minutes. Strain mixture through cheesecloth and let cool. Discard the solids, retain the liquid. Add Lavender oil, shake to emulsify, and then apply to hands and feet with a soft wash cloth or cotton pads. Repeat as necessary, or desired.
(Source: spaindex.com)
