Very rarely do we take time out of our busy schedule to sit back and indulge ourselves for a few minutes. Usually, a soothing cucumber mask or an oatmeal, almond and avocado body scrub are fleeting fantasies during the day. As soon as the stoplight turns green or a telephone shrills ten we must snap out of the calming thoughts of spa indulgences and return to our daily grind or screaming, whiny kids (or husbands) and demanding bosses sending emails on your blackberry after 6 pm every five minutes asking about the status of an overdue project…….
This is for the woman who can’t get away to a spa but can luxuriate at home with recipes for lotions, oils, rubs, scrubs, wraps and cuisine. You can also use these treatments for a romantic night at home with you and your sweetie (with no other men around, you’ll be surprised to see how much the man in your life enjoys being pampered) or have an at-home spa party with you and some girlfriends. If you are not inclined to personally concoct these simple recipes, then you can go to a store that sells beauty treatments with some of these ingredients or look for a spa that has treatments with some of these ingredients.
Coconut Oil Hair Conditioning Clay
This is a both a deep cleanser and deep conditioning treatment. The clay will remove dirt and hair product residue from the shaft while nourishing the scalp. Use a gentle white clay since the red and green clays might be too harsh on the hair.
1/2 cup jojobo oil
2 tablespoons coconut oil
4 tablespoons powdered white clay
1 cup distilled water
In a small saucepan, heat jojobo and coconut oil until melted on low heat untill melted. Remove from heat and slowly add water in the form of a paste. Apply a palm full of treatment to your hair.. Cover hair with a cap and let stay in for 15 minutes. Shampoo hair as usual.
Coconut Body Scrub
This is great to do in winter when elbows and feet are especially crackly.
1/2 cup coconut oil ( gentle melted in a saucepan)
1/4 cup coarse salt
1 lemon
Combine ingredients and vigorously scrub on feet, hands, elbows etc.
Ginger and lemongrass are highly rejuvenating. Ginger is typically cultivated in Southeast Asia. The citrus-y scent is very uplifting.
I cup fresh lemongrass, cut up into stalks or 1/2 cup dried.
1 3 inch long piece of ginger root grated
1 cotton sheet, cut into 3 inch wide strips.
1 plastic sheet or shower curtain liner
1 or 2 blankets
Place lemongrass and grated ginger in a pot filled with water. Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes. With a strainer , scoop out as much ginger and lemongrass as possible. Put the strips in the water, wringing out the water as much as you can each time. Start wrapping yourself with the strips snugly starting with your legs and work up to the torso and then arms. Lay in the tub for 15 minutes, wrapping yourself in a blanket for warmth. Remove the strips and then take a shower to rinse off any ginger or lemongrass.