Spoil Me: Herbal Spa Recipes
CALLUM MOSTYN
Here are a variety of simple home beauty and relaxation remedies. Part of the goal is to keep it simple - to provide easy recipes you can throw together using things from your fridge and cupboards. You won't always have the same things though, will you? Building up a collection of potions means you should be able to whip something up everytime. Plus variety is the spice of life - and that goes for your skin in some ways too. Different times of the year, the month, the week will call for different treatments. In winter you want to nourish and protect the skin from chapping and wind burn. In summer you need to moisturise and lessen the damage of the sun.
Parents rarely have the time to spend caring for themselves as they should. Skin and body care are classic victims of this - something I learnt while looking after my nieces. Before then, I never quite understood the "lack of time" excuse. Yet caring for yourself is crucial to helping you not only care for others, but continuing to feel great about yourself. The better you feel internally, the more energy you have, and the better able to deal with those temper tantrums and confusing examples of child-logic. Feeling good internally is based in part upon feeling good externally, looking after your skin and hair. The majority of these recipes are simple homemade products. And by simple I mean a maximum of three ingredients, and a maximum time factor of five minutes to make!
You can also incoporate a little spa day to look forward to at the holidays. When Summer is in full swing, the days are long and hot, and dry skin abounds. Ther are recipes here concocted in honour of the Earth Mother who is carrying the unborn Sun King. They are designed to help moisturise and pamper overstretched, itchy, dry skin. (Mind you, you don't need to be pregnant to enjoy them!) In honour of the Midsummer King and his Consort, Lady Earth, there are recipes that focus upon ingredients of the summer, when, like the earth herself we are in need of revitalising moisture and soothing treatment. When Winter nears, along with dry, aging skin, tightness, and flaky, itchy patches, you can have a little Samhain Spa. Focus on more enriching, soothing, moisturizing treatments, ones that will help your skin resist the negative effects of winter so that you can relax and enjoy all the fun. On the Equinoxes you can balance out your skin as you balance out your soul with a home facial.
Cleansers & Exfoliators
Exfoliation with Strawberries or Papaya
Cleaning your skin is all very well, but you also need to repair the damage it suffers from exposure to the elements and pollution - and poor diet. Sloughing away the accumulated dead cells, smoothing out the bumps, and wrinkles - while life should leave its mark upon your body, life is not an enemy here to carve you up. Life is a lover whose touch should reveal your soul. Certain fruits will help:
Papayas contain the enzyme papain and certain nutrients that help restore skin damaged by premature aging. Strawberries are filled with nutrients that help remove the toxins from your skin and heal injuries, blemishes, and acne.
Once a week mash papaya into a pulp and smooth it over your face - if you wish, you can mix a little honey and oatmeal into it, but it's not necessary. One other day a week repeat with strawberries - and a little yoghurt.
Tomato and Milk Cleanser and Peel
How does a creamy tomato soup sound for cleaning your face? Decidedly odd, I bet. Still, it's actually very very beneficial. Tomatoes are rich in vitamins A, B, and C, as well as minerals such as potassium and magnesium. Add the antioxidant boost and you have a powerful tool in your home beauty care. This particular recipe also performs a mild peel through the actions of the lactic and fruit acids. This helps slough off impurities and roughness, and acts to exfoliate while cleansing:
Process the tomato into pulp and strain to remove seeds and skin. Add the juice to the milk, cover and store overnight in the fridge. Lay cotton pads or a light washer liberally soaked in the liquid over your face and neck and leave on for 10 minutes. Rinse away with warm water. Because of the type of cleansing offered by the Tomato and Milk Cleanser, it's important to soothe the skin with a gentle herbal steam.
Skin Scrub
The best time to exfoliate your body is towards the end of a shower. Your skin is damp and soft, making it easier to smooth away dead cells without damaging the skin through harsh scrubbing. You need:
Tip corn meal onto a washer and smooth it over your body. Use gentle circluar motions as you massage it over every inch and then wash off. This will make your skin feel silky smooth.
Deep Cleaning with Honey or Yoghurt
One of the banes of a city dweller's life is smog. It's also becoming problematic for us country livers. The damage it causes your skin is quite substantial. The first step to remedying that and regaining that fresh glow is deep pore cleansing. You need 2 tablespoons of:
This works best if you alternate between the two. So honey today, yoghurt tomorrow. Try to never skip cleansing - even if it's simply a warm washer.
Take a warm washer and lay it over your face for a minute. Gently rub the skin with a circular motion. Then rub the honey or yoghurt (warmed is wonderful) all over your face and upper neck. If you're planning to shower, use it on your chest and hands too. Take a couple of minutes to rub it in, then rinse off with warm water.
Honey is antibacterial, so it not only helps draw out the dirt, but kills what bacteria is left - preventing pimples and blackheads. It also softens and rejuventates the skin. Yoghurt is filled with lactic acid - this helps dissolve dead skin. Those stories about Cleopatra bathing in milk to keep herself young are true - dairy products have a restorative effect upon the skin, nourishing it beyond belief.
Healing Honey Moisturising Cleanser
Honey is a universal panacea. Try this mask to restore moisture to dry, flaky skin. You need:
Mix the honey and milk thoroughly - I like to warm the honey a little as it makes it easier to stir into the milk when it's more liquid. Use a very warm washer, laid over your face, to open the pores. Then apply all over the face and leave to do its magic for 20 minutes. Wash off with warm water, and apply a light moisturiser.
Lotions & Toners
Moisturising Lotion for Dry Skin
Rough and itchy dry patches are a common bane in pregnancy and summertime - worse when the two are combined. This lotion makes an effective instant cure-all. You need:
Mix all ingredients and apply as needed to dry patches. Massage into the skin and leave for 10-20 minutes before rinsing off with warm water. Do not scrub while rinsing.
Moisturising with Ripe avocado
After any cleansing process it's important to moisturise. Although your skin will respond to the cleaning by producing moisture it starts out deep and gradually works its way to the surface - by which time your fragile skin can be dry and damaged anew. A rich moisturiser that benefits all skin types is avocado:
Avocado is rich with fatty acids that help moisturise and heal skin - use this 2-3 times weekly after cleansing. One the other days a simple moisturiser will suffice.
Cucumber Toner and Moisturise
After cleansing your skin it is important to tone - this helps restore the correct pH balance and close the pores. Avoid alcohol-based toners as they dry out and destroy the delicate facial skin. If your skin is oily, then use an astringent toner such as witchhazel. Otherwise stick to cucumber juice - puree and strain. Keep in the freezer in an icecube tray and defrost a cube each morning for use through the day as needed. Toner can refresh tired skin, soothe irritation, act as a mini-cleanser if in a hurry, and prepare your skin for moisturiser. Use a cotton pad soaked in toner to gently wipe over your face in upward motions. Follow with a moisturiser suited to your skin and the time of day - lighter in the morning, heavier at night.
Cooling Nourishment with Yoghurt and Orange
Citrus contains wonderful Vitamin C and AHAs - perfect to help cells heal, while also cleansing and nourishing. You need:
Mix the two together and then smooth over face and neck with gentle circular motions. Relax for 15 minutes (great way to start a bath), and then rinse off with warm water (if in the bath, the yoghurt and orange juice will work their wonders on your body).
After-Shower Body Toner
Even though we rinse off in the shower soap residue remains. The soap unbalances the Ph of the skin and this is one of the causes of skin break-down in harsh weather. To help counteract this, mix 1/4 cup of white vinegar with 1/4 cup of water. Soak a washer in this and wipe down your skin, quickly rinse under water without rubbing, and step out of the shower.
Masks
Rose Face Mask
Roses have the wonderful ability to cleanse and soothe both oily and dry skin, making them ideal for combination and problem skin types. Pregnancy often results in hormonal changes to the skin and this mask is ideally suited to deal with that. You need:
Strip the rose petals into the hot water and let soak for 20 minutes. Crush with a fork and mix in the rosewater, yogurt and honey. Apply the resultant paste to face and neck and leave for 5-10 minutes before rinsing off. This makes a very relaxing mask while soaking in the Buttermilk Bath. Rinse the mask off into the bath and let the vitamins and minerals work their magic on the rest of your body. Finish off with a brief rinse in warm water to remove any leftover petal fragments.
Apple Mask
Follow the steam with an Apple Mask to draw out deep buried dirt and other nasties. At this time of year the apple plays a dominant role in ritual, magic, and spirituality. Known for its rejuvenating properties, the apple is the fruit of immortality and beauty. Try this recipe:
Stir all ingredients together and mash with a fork to create a pulpy mush. Smooth this over your face and neck and relax for ten minutes and then wash off. The nutrient rich apple feeds your skin while the oatmeal cleanses and heals it. The honey heals fight any bacteria and the milk nourishes. What a pampering treat for autumn-stressed skin.
Coffee Facial
Coffee is not usually what we turn to to clean our skin - a stimulating brew that perks you up, yes, but deep clean your pores and firm your skin? You'd be suprised at what coffee grounds can do for you. Try this once a week:
Mix the ingredients together and then massage into face and neck (avoiding eyes and lips). Allow it to dry - 15-20 minutes and then rinse and moisturise.
Face Mud
Mud has a long history as a wonderful enriching and softening ingredient for skin care. Try this mask - it is wonderful for all skin types. You need:
Mix the dirt and water into a liquid paste and then add the dairy. Apply in a thick layer over the face and upper neck, using gentle circular motions. Relax for 15 minutes, while it dries, and then rinse off with warm water.
BATHS
Salt Soak Bath
Soaking in a hot bath helps draw toxins to the surface of the skin where the water then washes them away. It also relaxes the muscles - which is why it leaves you feeling so enervated. It's important when taking a soak to remember a few things. Always have plenty of room temperature water or warm herbal tea to drink as the heat makes you sweat a lot and you need to replace the lost water. Soak for over 20 minutes - anything less and it will dry your skin. Taking that extra time allows your skin to begin taking in moisture and fully benefit from whatever you've added to the water. In this case, we're talking salts:
In a bowl stir the salts and baking soda until well-blended. Store in an airtight jar indefinately. To use, add 1/4 cup while the bath is filling and then add 2 tablespoons of glycerin and the essential oils just before you turn off the tap.
Bathtime with Milk, Oatmeal and Honey
On those rare occasions when you can find the time to relax in a bath, think about using some home products to vitalise your skin:
Oatmeal is known for its incredible healing and soothing properties when it comes to skin. It's wonderful tossed into the bath - although a bit gritty! Try placing 2-3 tablespoons in a small bag - or use a washer and secure it into a bag with a rubber band!
Add a cup or two of full cream milk, and a tablespoon or two of honey and relax in the warm water.
If you want a scented bath, skip the commercial products and add a few drops of essential oil just before you turn off the tap. Any earlier and most of the fragrence will evaporate. 3 to 4 drops of lavender, rose, or roman chamomile will work wonders.
Most importantly, enjoy this time to pamper yourself.
Buttermilk Bath Powder
This is a gentle, moisturising bath powder - an interesting twist on the more usual bath oils and salts. Rich in milk fats, this powder will leave your skin rejuvenated, and is safe to use with your baby too.. You need:
Mix the ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight container. Use 1/4 cup in the bath, or a tablespoonful in a baby tub.
Lips
Beeswax Lip Balm
Blend and pour into a small screw-top jar. Let set and use.
Hair Care
Honey-Milk Conditioner For Oily Hair
Combine the hot water and sage, and let set for 10 minutes. Strain the liquid, and discard the sage. Add the remaining Ingredients to the strained liquid, and mix well. Apply to freshly shampooed hair, let set on hair for about 2 minutes and rinse off with warm water. Makes about 1/2 cup.
Honey-Pollen Shampoo
Place the ingredients in a screw top jar, cover and shake well. Makes about 1 1/4 cups.
Honey Treatment for Very Dry Damaged Hair
Stir for a minute or so until the mixture is smooth. Apply to freshly shampooed hair, and let soak in for 10-12 minutes. Rinse off with warm water. Makes enough for 1 application.
Blond Hair Highlighter
Soak the Irish moss in the water for 5 minutes. Then simmer for several minutes over low heat until the mixture is thick. Add the remaining ingredients. Apply to freshly shampooed hair and let soak for 3-5 minutes. Then rinse off with warm water.
Honey Herbal Hair Conditioner
OR
Place all the ingredients in a screw top jar. Shake well and let set for 1 hour. Strain to remove herbs, discard the herbs and pour the liquid back into the jar. Makes about 1/2 cup.
Rosemary Scalp Conditioner
To help fight winter dandruff and condition hair, why not mix up this simple potion? Boil four cups of water with eight large tablespoons of dried thyme for 10 minutes. Strain and cool. Use a quarter to rinse hair after a shampoo and rinse. Don't wash out and don't condition. Instead follow it up with:
Mix the ingredients thoroughly. Place a drop on the fingertip and gently massage into the scalp where needed. Use a comb to part hair into 1-inch portions and work from hairline back across scalp. This will alleviate dry, tight skin, itching, and flaking. I find it works best if used after washing hair and towelling dry. After massaging it into scalp, comb it through hair and then dry and style as usual.
Chamomile and Rosemary Hair Care
Chamomile relaxes and soothes while glycerin retains moisture making them wonderful ingredients in a shampoo. Instead of stripping the hair and scalp of natural oils, they gently cleanse the dirt and excess oils away. Rosemary stimulates and revitalises. After washing your hair will be soft and clean, and your scalp moisturised. You need:
Steep the tea bags in 1 1/2 cups of freshly boiled water for 15 minutes. Remove and add the soap to the water. When the flakes have softened, slowly stir in the glycerin. Decant and keep in the fridge - use within a week.
Mix the oils together well and then work into toweled, damp hair, massaging the scalp thoroughly and combing the oil through to the ends of the hair. Wrap your head in a warm towel and relax for 45 minutes and then wash out thoroughly.
Mouthwashes
Minty-Rosemary Mouthwash
Talking of breath fresheners, why not whip up a batch?
Boil the water, add the mint, rosemary, and anise, and steep for 20 minutes. Cool, strain, and then add the myrrh - store in the fridge.
Hand & Foot Care
Strawberry Feet
Perk up your tootsies with this luxurient and yummy recipe. It will relax the muscles, stimulate circulation, and restore skin condition to the feet (also works wonders on the hands and decolletage). If you have any overripe berries, this is a great way to use them up Using a fork, mash up 10 hulled strawberries with 2 tbsp of olive oil, 1 tsp sea salt, and 1/2 tsp very finely chopped almonds until it forms a thick paste. If you accidentally overmash and it becomes runny, add 1 tsp cornflour to thicken it up. Massage into feet (and hands) and relax for 15 minutes, then rinse off in warm water, pat dry and moisturise
Feet Care with Peppermint and Tea Tree Oils
You don't need to be a parent chasing small children to understand about sore, sweaty, tired feet. We all have experienced that. This spray is a wonderful remedy. Mix up a batch, put it in the fridge and use whenever your feet start to cry out for some loving care. If you can get a foot massage with 2 drops of essential peppermint in a tablespoon of almond oil afterwards, all the better!
Shake it up in a spray bottle. Some people like to add a 1/4 cup of vodka but I find it's not necessary if you chill the spray.
Honey Hand Cleanser
Combine the ingredients and mix until smooth. This may be used to remove dirt from the hands and fingernails, and is less drying on the skin than soap and water. Makes enough for 1 application.
Hands of Avocado
Of course what would any winter herbal advice be without something for the skin and hair? Dry and lifeless is not the look. With the constant exposure to dry heated air and chilly winds, hands suffer a lot. An old tried and true remedy is to rub in two thin coats of rich moisturiser, and then slip on a pair of cotton gloves before bedtime. You can also massage a drop of olive oil into each nail, cuticle, and fingertip to condition and protect your nails from becoming brittle.
Blend the first three ingredients together and slather generously over the hands. Leave on for 15 minutes and then rinse clean. Smooth on a thin layer of the emollient cream afterwards. The avocado mixture sloughs off dead skin cells while also moisturing.
Overnight Hand and Foot Replenishment
With the drying effects of winter, and the constant washing many parents end up doing, hands and nails suffer. Add to that the horrid things we do to our feet - synthetics in socks, artificial inners in shoes - and I bet your fingers and toes are dying for some attention:
Pour all the oils into a bottle and seal. Shake thoroughly to blend. Wet your hands and feet in warm water, shake off the excess, and then pour a teaspoon of oil into your palm. Rub it all over your hands and feet (and elbows and knees if you feel inclined). After rubbing it in thoroughly, use a rough washer to remove the excess oil - and give a brisk, stimulating massage to the skin at the same time. Pull on some cotton socks and gloves (if you have them) and relax for at least 1/2 an hour. Or go to bed (in which case, don't rub off the excess with the washer)! Your skin will love you if you do this every couple of days.
Eye Care
Eye Care with Potato
So often we forget our eyes - yet they work hard all day, and certainly show the signs of poor care, hard work, and lack of sleep. These are some simple treats you can use to pamper those windows to the soul:
Potato is incredible when it comes to the eyes. Grate and then refrigerate about 4 rablespoons. When you take that bath with your orange juice and yoghurt mask, plop the potato over your eyes and relax. Probably best to discard the potato into a bowl before you rinse your face however - not that wonderful in the bath!
This will also help lighten up those dark circles, and alleviate itchy tired eyes. If potato doesn't appeal, try a thick slice of cucmber on each eye, or cotton pads soaked in chilled skim milk.
Wrinkles
Wrinkle Treatment with Banana
Although wrinkles are a natural part of life, and without them people tend to look rather odd, there are wrinkles we shouldn't have. Those ones from being up late with a screaming child. Frown lines from dealing with toddlers. Crows feet from squinting as you cheer on your little soccer hooligan. A way to combat these and help your skin retain (or regain) its youthful elasticity is with the ordinary banana:
Cream the banana and then spread over the face and relax for 15 minutes. Rinse off with warm water and feel the glow.
Herbal Steams
Herbal Steam
Chamomile, mint, or calendula work equally well for this recipe:
Toss the herbs or teabags into the hot water and cover. Let it seep for 2-4 minutes, and then place face above the water and steam for 10 minutes. Use a towel to create a tent so the steam is trapped and able to bathe your face.
Herbal Remedies
Sinus Troubles
Stuffy noses, head colds, runny eyes - all part and parcel of winter time and very very annoying. How can you enjoy all the fragrant aromas of the Solstice dinner with all the trimmings if your nose is all blocked up and your throat all raw? Truthfully, you can't. Unfortunately, we haven't yet found a cure for the common cold - the best bet is to boost your immune system with healthy foods, stay warm but not overheated, ensure the air in the house gets freshened periodically by opening up a door or two, and drink lots of water.
As for the symptoms, there are some things you can do to combat those.
A stuffy nose arises when an irritant enflames the sinus tissues - they get all swollen and blocked up. This can - in turn - affect the ears and your balance, the mouth and taste, and the throat. The easiest way to work on a stuffed nose is to make it run - yes, I know that's an icky thought, but at least the germs and mucus are then leaving your body. It also helps to clear out any irritants in your nasal passages contributing to the stuffiness, such as dried mucus. So grab an onion, slice it open, and hold it up to your face. I know that sounds horrid, but it really works quickly. It's the principle behind menthol lozenges - irritate the nasal passages to unblock the sinuses - and it's a lot quicker.
Once your nose is unblocked, use eucalyptus oil (in a burner) to keep it that way. And eat hot spicy foods. What better excuse to dig into a tasty Thai curry? The hot spices have an added benefit - in your congested state your sense of taste is greatly reduced and most foods taste bland. This often leads to a disinclination to eat. Digging into a hot and spicy chicken soup however offers flavours your poor palate can appreciate.
The other thing I recommend is saline for the sinuses. While it won't clear up the congestion in and of itself, it does provide soothing relief (especially if you chill it first) and it helps kill the nasty bugs and wash out the gunk. This in itself will alleviate some of the congestion.
Mix the ingredients together and use a dropper to squirt a few drops up each nostril whenever needed. If you have a very congested head and are totally stuffed and glugged up, you may need to really clean out the sinuses. Start by mixing up a double batch, warm it to blood temp, lie down on a bed your side with your head over the edge, and gently drip saline into one nostril, allowing it to drain through the other and your mouth. Once you have dripped half the batch through one nostril, roll over and repeat on the other side. This will thoroughly flush out the sinus cavities. Sounds disgusting, I know. But this is very effective - it's called a neti. And if your sinuses get that bad, this will not seem anywhere near as unpleasant as it sounds right now.
Tummy Trouble
Now that your nose is functioning, what about your stomach? All the rich food and overindulging of the season can cause a fair amount of discomfit. Get in the habit of having a plate of herbs at the table - aside from looking and smelling pretty, they provide a tasty way of settling the stomach and promoting digestion post-meal. Parsley, basil, mint, carraway, and anise seeds are all good ones to use. Aside from helping settle the stomach, they also help clean the breath. All that dairy, fatty food, and sugar will lead to a build up of nasty plaque and make your breath a little less than fragrant. Try and boost your fresh fruit and vegetable consumption, and keep up the water. Hard to remember to do in the middle of winter when faced with traditional roasts and such.
Seasonal Affective Disorder
With winter comes shorter days. The reduced sunlight and overcast skies can bring us down emotionally and leaving us prone to bouts of SAD. A simple remedy to help combat winter depression is increasing your dairy consumption. SAD is partially caused by the lack of sunlight, and the body clock falling out of synch with the sun's rhythm. Milk contains soltriol (a form of Vitamin D) which may trigger the release of mood-boosting hormones that can keep us tuned into the sun's natural rhythm, and this aids in fighting SAD
Peppermint Gel
The aloe and peppermint in this work to relieve tired muscles and reduce swelling in the legs. You need:
Mix the aloe vera, cornstarch, and witch hazel in a container and heat on high in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds for 1-2 minutes. Let cool, stir in the peppermint and store in an airtight container in the fridge.
