Wax and Bubbles

• Massage Oil:

What you will need-
-4 ounces of either apricot, sweet almond, jojoba, grape seed, or avocado oils
-50 drops of an essential oil blend or your choice
-Container with a flip top or pump tops

Bottle 4 ounces of either apricot, sweet almond, jojoba, grape seed, or avocado oils with up to 50 drops of either a relaxation oil blend or a citrus oil blend.

Sweet almond oil or apricot kernel oil provides a good balance of massaging time and absorbency time. Use jojoba or grape seed oils if you want a lighter carrier oil and quick absorbing oil that will create more of a friction and a heated massage from rubbing the oil into the skin. Avocado oil is a great carrier oil to use during the winter months.

• Body Scrub:

What you will need-
-1 cup sea salt or coarse sugar (smoother grain for the body, rougher grains for elbows, knees and feet)
-1/2 cup olive, canola, or jojoba oil
-50 drops of your choice of essential oil blends

Stir together the 1/2 cup of olive oil or canola oil which ever oil carrier you are using with this recipe with your essential oil blend of your choice. After the oils are combined, pour in the sea salt or the sugar. Stir with a wooden spoon till completely incorporated. Experiment with different types of salts and sugars till you get the grain you are seeking to use on your body or your feet. Scoop the mixture into a glass jar with a tight fitting lid, especially if you are going to keeping the mixture in your humid bathroom.

Calendula is known as the “poet’s marigold” and is among the most colorful herb flowers in anyone’s garden who plants them. It can be used in the kitchen, as well as the bathroom in many products from homemade to store bought. It has the ability to brighten any garden or flower pot where ever it grows.

The smell of Calendula mainly resembles the smell of honey to most, or a reminiscent of fresh rhubarb or angelica flowers.

Calendula can be used in vegetable dishes, salads-particularly egg salad, custards and puddings, herb butters, as well as some soups.

Here are some of the basic information about Calendula:

• Description: Hardy annual thrives in the cooler temperatures of spring and fall. Bears bright daisy like flowers, 1 to 3 inches across, on carefree 8-to 30-inch plants.

• Planting: Start seed outdoors 4 to 6 weeks before the average frost-free date; transplant 4-week-old seedlings outdoors. Or, sow seed directly into the garden as soon as the soil can be worked in the spring. Thin to 10 to 12 inches apart. Be sure and allow full sun, with a few hours of partial shade in very hot areas. Allow soil amended with compost. In hot climates, sow seed in late summer to early fall for bloom in fall or early next spring. Try heat-resistant cultivars such as ‘Pacific Beauty’.

Try this homemade calendula body scrub: Growing and cultivating Calendula for your own health is a great way to make all-natural products that you know what they contain. It’s even a great way to add all-naturally grown herbs into your cooking and meal preparing.

• Calendula Body Scrub:

1 cup Sea salt
1/4 cup calendula-infused oil
16 drops sweet orange oil
4 drops chamomile oil
1 tablespoon dried calendula petals
Glass jar with a tight-fitting lid

In a large mixing bowl, combine the sea salt, calendula-infused oil, and the essential oils. Stir together until well blended. Sprinkle the calendula petals on top of the mixture. Fold in the calendula petals into the oil mixture, be sure not to smash the petals too much. Spoon the scrub into your jars and allow to rest for 15 minutes before closing the lids.

Pomegranate (Punica granatum)
Native habitat: Caucasus region of western Asia and the Middle East, including percent day Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Pakistan.
Plant Type: Small tree or shrub
Growth Habit: Vase-shaped; standard varieties grow 6 to 20 feet; dwarf varieties 2 to 3 feet.
Growing Conditions: Does best in full sun; drought-tolerant once established; self-pollinating.

The pomegranate certainly has a long history of use. Originating in the Caucasus region, western Asia and Pakistan, the pomegranate was one of the first fruit tees spread by humans in pre-history. Ancient cultures brought it to the Mediterranean region and other warm, temperate areas. Iranian custom of giving pomegranates to young women as a wedding gift dates back to before Christ. The fruit is also known as the Garden of Eden’s “forbidden fruit,” but also the contraceptive of the ancient world. According to myth, the Greek goddess Persephone became bound to the underworld for one-third to one-half of each year, after she has taken a bite of a pomegranate. During this time(fall and winter), the earth was infertile. The length of the period of bareness was determined by the number of pomegranate kernels that Persephone ate.

Although controlled, clinical human studies still must be conducted, recent findings suggest potential against these disease:

• Breast Cancer: Pomegranate fruit extracts might suppress the growth of breast cancer cells. Fermented pomegranate juice and seed oil from the fruit seem to the be the most effective.

• Prostate Cancer: Pomegranate might slow progression of prostate cancer, possibly prolonging the survival and quality of life of prostate cancer patients. Polyphenols in pomegranate juice seem to inhibit the spread of prostate cancer cells.

• Oral and Colon Cancer: Pomegranate juice could inhibit the growth of human oral and colon cancer cells. Interestingly the effect of the juice itself is greater than the isolated polyphenol constituents, suggesting a synergy of the chemical components in the juice.

To prepare a pomegranate with a minimum of mess, cut off the top if the fruit into sections. Put the sections in a bowl of water and roll out the seeds with your fingers, discarding the rind and pith. Strain away the water. The seeds and aril (the juice sac that surrounds the seeds) can be eaten as is or added to your culinary creations. Fro juice, simply put the seeds in a blender and blend until liquefied. Pour through cheesecloth or a sleeve into a cup and enjoy. For use on the body, try this:

Sugar Pomegranate Body Scrub - For every two cups of pomegranate seeds or juice, add a tablespoon of sugar. For extra soothing power, add a tablespoon of rich honey which will give your skin a luxurious shine. Then add 2/3 cup ground nuts, 1/3 cup oatmeal, brown rice flour, whole wheat flour, enough water to make a paste. Scoop up the paste with your hands or a washcloth, and rub over your body.

Exfoliation - Wet your body before shower and take a little paste at a time on your palm. Apply these in a gentle circular motion to remove the dry skin and rinse off with water. Rinse thoroughly.

For ready-made pomegranate products check out Pomegranate Body.

Skin brushing and body scrubs are two exfoliating treatments that are of prime importance in taking care of your skin. Exfoliation removes dead skin cells and dirt from the body, and afterward the skin looks and feels vibrant, glowing and healthy. The skin’s absorbency is improved, so nourishing moisturizers containing essential oils and other nutrients will soak in easily.

Skin brushing is best done with a dry, natural bristle brush or an abrasive mitt. It is preformed with short, brisk movements, always in the direction of the heart, so that the circulation of lymph is encouraged. Skin brushing is ideally done before an aromatherapy massage or the application of body lotion. As part of an aromatherapy lymphatic drainage course of treatments, it is request that a person skin brush every day.

How to make a rejuvenating Body Scrub:

This body scrub is derived from a traditional Indian treatment for brides-to-be. The bride is scrubbed all over with a mixture of finely ground grains, before being massaged with aromatic oils. Doing this body scrub will leave you with invigorated, glowing skin and can be done before an aromatherapy massage. It is best to perform it standing on an old towel as it is a messy procedure.

You will need:

• b1 large handful of finely ground oats
• 1 large handful of ground almonds
• A bowl
• 1 tsp. of dried, finely ground orange peel
• 1 tsp. of rosehip granules
• 5 drops of jasmine or rose absolute essential oil
• Warm water
• A towel
• A soft body brush or small towel

1. Place the oats and ground almonds in a bowl and mix in the orange peel and rosehip granules.

2. Add the jasmine or rose absolute, together with enough warm water to make a fine, crumbly mixture.

3. Standing on a towel, take a small handful of the body scrub and rub it vigorously with circular movements all over your body. The scrub dries quickly, and most of it will fall straight off you.

4. When you have finished, use a soft brush or small towel to brush off any leftover crumbs. (Source: Natural Oils for the Skin)

Most of us, when we are in a rush, will grab a shower gel on the shelf of the super market. But, have you ever really taken the time to look at what you are lathering on your skin? Some products contain sodium laureth sulfate, or sodium lauryl ether sulfate (soap) and dye. And, for your information, sodium laureth sulfate, isn’t really soap. It’s a foamer. Made mostly of man-derived chemical combinations that make a foamy, sort of soap texture. Most people expect their body washes, face washes, and even their toothpastes to foam-up when they are using them. So man has made a cheap and easy why to do this.

These chemical combinations go down our drains and into out water systems. So instead of just brushing your teeth or washing off the summer sweat from mowing the lawn, or raking the leaves from the walk, we are actually going to end up drinking these “man-made” chemicals after they hit the water-treatment plant. How do we stop this? One way to acheive this is simple, stop buying products that contain these ingredients. If the market is down for the product the company will begin to suffer and eventually change their product ingredients. Of course this all in a perfect world.

Another way would be to use these products sparingly and to make our products that we use on a daily basis. One being a body cleanser. And here’s how:

2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves
1 cup fresh eucalyptus leaves
1 small cinnamon stick
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup mild liquid soap (can be found at health food stores nationwide)
1 tablespoon vegetable glycerin

Place the water and lemon juice on the stove and bring to a bowl. Place fresh herbs in a clean glass bowl. Pour the boiling water/lemon juice mixture over them, then allow mixture to steep for several hours until cool. Strain off liquid. Next, add the soap and glycerin and mix throughly. Store cleanser in a clena plastic container with a pour spout. To use, pour a dime-size amount of the gel onto an exfoliating sponge or wash cloth and gently massage your entire body. Rinse well with warm water, followed by a 30-second rinse-off of cool water. Do this routine especially in the morning during the winter months. It will not only wake you up but, but it will help keep your skin moist throughout the day during the winter months.

You can add fine grain sugar to this recipe as well and make your own body scrub. Or add salt and make a foot scrub. There is endless things you can add to this to make whatever you are needing for your specific body needs.

Don’t forget to ALWAYS label your products that you make.

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Do you have trouble waking up in the morning? Does a great cup of “joe” normally do it for you, or how about a good shower. Well, after your morning cup of coffee is brewed, why not bathe in it while you are in your shower in the morning. Sound crazy? Try this:

Wake-Up Coffe Scrub:

1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup pure turbinado sugar
15 drops peppermint oil (Menta piperita)
15 drops rosemary oil (Rosmarinus officinalis)
1/2 cup used coffee grounds from a freshly brewed pot

Apply to wet skin in a circular motion. Best to start at feet and work toward the heart. After scrubbing follow wash routine with your regular body wash routine.

Scrub contains oil so be careful not to slip when applying it in the shower. The product can be used daily and store up to two weeks from the day made, in your shower. Or stored two months in your refrigerator.

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