Minty Body Scrub

Winter weather can give you alligator skin! Well, not really, but it really can dry things out. Here's a recipe you can make in your kitchen that will help to moisturize and refresh your body.

Minty Body Scrub

1/2 cup fine sea salt
2 Tbsp. Epson salts
3 Tbsp. olive oil
6 - 8 drops peppermint oil
1 Tbsp. mint, fresh, finely chopped (or 2 Tbsp. dried)*

Place all the ingredients in a quart jar. Place a lid on the top and then shake until all ingredients are well blended. When ready to use, apply a small amount to moist skin. Scrub and rinse. Enjoy the tingly, minty feeling on your skin! Smile!

*If you don't have a good source of dried mint, try loose-leaf mint "tea" from the health food store.

A "Make It" Christmas: Felted Soap

Since I grew up in a teaching family, preparations for Christmas usually didn't start until school was out for the holiday.  Then our house turned into "Santa's workshop".  Each family member would get busy creating meaningful gifts for the others.  Mom's gifts usually involved a sewing machine or crochet hook, and Dad's his woodworking tools.  Sis and I enjoyed making glue, glitter, and fabric scraps into works of "art".  A "making it" Christmas was always the best!  Don't you love homemade gifts?  Sometimes ideas come too late in the season, but they are always useful for "next year" or "last minute" stocking stuffers.

Here's an idea from Earth Guild for making felted soap; perfect for a "make it" Christmas, this year or next!

Felted Soap A curious idea, but the result can be very pleasing. Make a bar of soap with a built in wash-cloth, good for gentle exfoliation. Materials A bar of soap (one that is round or has rounded edges will be easier to cover evenly; edges are apt to make thin spots) Wool roving or batts - it doesn’t take much (colorfast; rich colors should be checked to make sure they will not run) A stocking or piece of similar mesh or netting A ribbed mat, such as a washboard, a felting board, a sushi mat, a ribbed container lid, or a piece of bubble wrap (not absolutely essential, but useful to speed up the process) The Process Wrap a thin layer of wool around the soap in one direction. Wrap a second layer at right angles to the first. Wrap a third layer on top of the first. These layers can be all the same color, or not. Cover the soap as evenly as possible, paying special attention to corners and edges. Add wisps of wool in various colors and directions. Carefully put the wrapped bar in the toe of your stocking, or wrap it up snugly in whatever mesh or netting you are using. Gently dribble on warm water, till the wool is wet through. (If you are not using a mat, skip to the next step.) Gently rub the wrapped soap on the mat of your choice, all sides and all edges, for about ten minutes. It should lather up. Roll the bar around in your hands as if you were washing them. When the wool is well adhered to the soap, remove the stocking or mesh wrapper. Rinse with cold water. The cold will shock the wool and may give the felting process an extra boost. Rinse away the suds, squeeze the bar a little bit to remove water, blot on a towel, place on rack to dry. Between uses, the bar should be placed on a rack so that it can dry out.

© Earth Guild (You may reproduce this if it is unaltered and our name stays on it.)

Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize

It's that time of year; the time when cold weather arrives, creating parched, flaky, itchy, or cracked skin. Oh to have the flawless, perfect skin of our youth --- year-around! Aren't these young beauty queens pretty? I love their perfect skin.

Counteracting winter's dryness can be accomplished with special care. Wearing lotion on your feet and covering them with cotton socks to sleep in all night helps sooth cracked and weary heels. But hands can sometimes be more difficult to keep soft because we get them wet frequently throughout the day. Cracked, flaky lips are another problem when temperatures drop. A Haven for Vee has been experimenting with using white vinegar to rinse her face, and she says that it seems to have a skin softening effect. It's amazing how many things vinegar can be used for!

There are ways to help retain moisture in our skin. Flaky lips are sometimes caused by an allergic reaction to lipstick or other lip coverings. Once you've decided that's not the case, gently lift off the flecks and then apply a soft, wet and warm cloth between lips and hold there for about 30 minutes. It will sooth and apply moisture to this area. Although hot bubble baths are relaxing and may be inviting on a cold winter day, caution should be used if you have dry skin. Too long in a hot tub will leach moisture from your skin and make dryness worse. Adding bath oils may help, but a better solution may be to take a short, lukewarm shower and then gently pat dry. Rubbing briskly with a terrycloth towel will only make things worse. Lotions and body oils are all helpful in replenishing moisture, and are best applied for most effect within 15 minutes of showering. Hydrating from the inside helps as well. Pure water works from the inside, out.

There are many fancy products out there that can help. I have been fighting dry skin with Arbonne Night Cream (morning and evening), Body Serum, and Hydrating Body Lotion. They do a nice job, but don't necessarily fall into the category of 'economy'. Simple homemade remedies may do just as well. Vaseline is frequently used successfully by bargain hunters to coat hands, lips, and feet that are dry in an effort to retain moisture. Simple sugar scrubs made with baby oil and essential oils are a great way to smooth dry skin. Recently I've heard of an inexpensive little miracle worker called Smith's Rosebud Salve. Have you used it? It comes in a little aluminum tin and works not only on cuticles, but on hands, feet, and lips to help remedy chapping. It's even said to help with diaper rash. Developed in 1895, who says products need 'new technology' to be good!

Although those of us under thirty might not be able to retain the flawless skin of our youth, there are wonderful ways to take keep our skin soft and pretty without spending a fortune! Diligence and a little extra effort can give us happy skin year around. Now, if we could only turn back the clock a little bit. . .