SCRUB A DUB DUB, YOU DON'T EVEN NEED A TUB!

With the tips previously covered you can now treat yourself to natural, healthy, easy treatments for your face, hair, hands, nails, and feet. You can even reduce your stress or wake yourself up with some great bathing tips, so what is left you may ask? Well, how about the complete, full-bodied spa treatment in the comfort of your own home? Try this. Turn the lights down low, light a candle or two, unplug the phone, shut off the computer, set some relaxing music on low and prepare to relax, soothe and rejuvenate your mind and body. With the following tips you can treat yourself like the queen you deserve to be! These treatments are more SPA like and definitely more time consuming than the ones for specific body parts, but YOU ARE WORTH IT! So schedule yourself a SPA DAY at HOME! General body treatments include scrubbing, wrapping, bathing, moisturizing, and massaging. So I will take these in order and offer you some tips and recipes for each. Let's begin with scrubbing. When you exfoliate, the fancy word for scrubbing, you rid the skin of dirt, oil residue, and dead skin cells. This is important because, with the layer of dead skin cells gone, your skin will better absorb the products used in the next steps of skin care. It also serves to stimulate and circulate lymph fluids, which help eliminate toxins in the system. The stimulating massage increases blood circulation and stimulate the production of the body's own natural oils. Full body exfoliation should be done daily for great body and skin health. When done properly, it is one of the easiest treatments to revitalize and energize your mind and body. *Tips for doing it properly*

• Do not abrade the skin. Be gentle, especially when first beginning. As you develop a rountine treatment, your skin will develop a resisitance and you will be able to apply more resistance without irritating your skin. Remember that the purpose is to affect the top most layer of skin, not the underlying tissue.
• Use the proper tools. This is body scrubbing, not face scrubbing. Use a mitt, a towel, a loofah sponge, or a stiff body brush.
• Use your tool in circular motions. Begin with the feet, ankles, then the legs. Then do the hands, arms, shoulders, and down your back. Then do your stomach and chest.
• Use a cool water rinse after you are finished and pat your skin dry.
• Use moisturizer after you finish.
• Be sure to clean your tool thoroughly with soap and water after each use. Hang to air dry where it will get plenty of air circulation. You do not want to grow bacteria!
• Exfoliate your body daily, spending at least 5 minutes on the process to obtain optimal benefits.
• Since this treatment is energizing and revitalizing, it is best performed in the mornings.

*RECIPES*

*Irritated or Dry Skin Body Scrub Take 1 ripe avocado, peel it, pit it, and mash it. Set it aside. Take 1/2 cup of almonds and place them in a blender or coffee grinder. Grind them until they are course. Make sure they are not too fine this is not a face recipe! Once ground, mix 1 cup of oatmeal, old fashioned, not instant, and put them into a bath glove or muslin mitt. Scoop the avocado up and rub it over your body with the almond/oatmeal filled mitt. Rinse with tepid water and pat dry, then moisturize. Oatmeal is well known for its anti-inflammatory, skin soothing, and anti-puretic (anti-itch) properties. It is also very rich in vitamin E. Almonds are a natural emollient and make a great exfolient when they are ground. Avocado pulp contains vitamins A,D,and E and posesses collogen rebuilding properties. Not to mention that the pit of the avocado makes a great natural massage tool for sore muscles, so make sure to wash it and save it for use after your scrub! *Revitalizing Body Scrub, especially for Dry, Flaky Skin you will need; 1/2 cup of course sea salt 1/4 cup of rosemary oil body-scrub tool Dip your body scrub tool into the oil and then into the salt. Rub over your skin as described in the tips section. Continue to dip and scrub until you have covered your entire body, then rinse, pat dry and moisturize. Rosemary clears the mind and revives, as well as increases blood flow, while the sea salts work great to exfoliate the skin's surface.

*Body Scrub In a bowl, mix 2 cups of coarse sea salt with 1/4 cup of apricot kernal oil, making a paste. Gently smooth on body, in the mannor described in the tips section, being sure to use the palm of your hand, flattened, applying firm, but un-abbrasive pressure. When you have covered the whole body, rinse off, using a sponge or loofah, pat dry and moisturize. The apricot kernal oil is rich in natural emolients, as well as vitamin A adn B. It is easily absorbed by the skins' pores. It leaves the skin very smooth and well moisturized, while the salt is a natural exfolliant.

Getting into Hot Water

Step Two to Facial Care is the STEAM. Steam opens and cleanses the pores, while increasing blood circulation to facial capillaries. Steam deep cleanses the skin. You should steam cleanse at least one time per week. Make sure that you clean your face prior to steaming. In other words,
there is a reason that steaming is step TWO. You want the steam to work on the deep pore grime, not surface dirt! If you are going to skip steps in your facial routine, make sure you at least moisturize after the steam.

***All steams, unless otherwise noted, require 1 gallon of ALMOST boiling water. Once the recipe is prepared, you will need to place a towel over your head and lean your face over the bowl, about 12 inches away, to absorb the steam and vapors. Don't forget to exercise extreme caution so that you don't scald your skin. If the inside of your nose feels like it is burning, wait a few minutes for the water to cool down before you try again.
Heat breaks down some essential oils, therefore you may need to allow the water to cool slightly before mixing in certain oils in order to maintain their full therapeutic value.***

*Rose Petal Facial Steam, for normal skin:

• Put 1 cup of fresh rose petals (roses are often treated to enhance color and increase longevity, so make sure that the ones you use are not chemically treated in any way) into a large bowl and pour 1 gallon of almost boiling water over them. Steam, breathing in the vapors, for 15 minutes, then gently pat dry.
  

Once you are done with the steam, you can use the left over ingredients to make rosewater. Simply strain the liquid from your steam and save the petals and water separately. Pour water into a medium saucepan and simmer over a low heat for about 30 minutes, or until there is about one cup of liquid left. Once it is reduced, pour this over the saved petals and steep for another 20 minutes, then strain liquid again. Discard the petals and pour the liquid into a glass bottle and allow to cool. You now have rosewater! Rosewater, a by-product of rose essential oil, has anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and toning qualities. It is a natural astringent that can be applied by cotton ball to the face.

*Rosemary Peppermint Facial Steam
This steam is not only helpful in opening the pores and extracting the skin's impurities, it is also known to clear sinuses and alleviate headaches.

• After the almost boiling (1 gallon) water cools slightly, add 4 drops of peppermint and 4 drops of rosemary essential oils. Steam for 10 minutes, pat dry.

*Oily Skin Sauna

• Add 6 drops of lavender essential oil to a gallon of almost boiling water. Steam for 10 minutes, pat dry.

Lavender is very beneficial for acne-prone skin, as it normalizes the secretions of sebaceous glands.

*Sauna for Blemished Skin

• Add 12 drops of bergamot essential oil to a gallon of almost boiling water. Blemished skin should not steam for longer than 5 minutes. Pat dry.

Bergamot oil is primarily used for its antiseptic properties. In a facial steam it reduces redness, irritations and puffiness.

*Ultimate Spa-Type Facial Steam for all skin types

• Add 2 drops each of bergamot, geranium, lavender and clary sage essential oils. Steam for 3 minutes, then pat dry.

This steam will promote peace of mind and relaxation, while cleaning and toning the skin.