Thursday -- Spa Day

 Here are some great recipes for a spa night to work on your hands and feet.  These and others just as wonderful can be found at www.SpaIndex.Com. 




 Feel free to visit and check out the rest of the recipes there.  Let me know if you like any of these, won't you?

Avocado Hand and Foot Treatment
Mix together 1/4 to 1/2 mashed fresh avocado, 1 egg yolk, 1 teaspoon honey, 1 teaspoon rice bran, and 10 drops of oil of evening primrose. Gently massage this treatment onto your hands and feet, and leave in place for 20 minutes. Rinse. This natural treatment will revive your dry, wrinkled and rough hands, feet, elbows and knees. The avocado and egg nourish the skin with proteins and oils; the rice bran exfoliates dead skin cells; the oil of evening primrose contains precious gamma linolenic acids, essential for healthy hair, skin and nails. Consider purchasing a small jar of Oil of Evening Primrose capsules from your health food store. Open one, and voila...you have the ingredient for this.
Apricot Oil-Lanolin Cuticle Cream
1/2 tsp apricot kernel or emu oil
2 tsp lanolin
1 drop essential oil of your choice (optional)
Melt oils together, add essential oil, pour into jar or small pots and let set. To use, massage into cuticles.
Cuticle Cream
1 T. fuller's earth (a natural clay substance)
1 tsp. olive oil
3 drops lavender essential oil
Mix into a paste and put into a sterile ointment jar or small pot. Massage into nails and cuticles.
Cuticle Softener
1 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. vitamin E oil
Combine and massage into nails and cuticles.
Strawberry Hand and Foot Exfoliant
Strawberries have a purpose here; they contain a natural fruit acid which aid exfoliation.
8-10 Strawberries
2 tablespoons Apricot Oil (you may substitute olive oil)
1 teaspoon of coarse salt, such as Kosher Salt, or Sea Salt
Mix together all ingredients into a paste, massage into hands and feet, rinse, and pat dry.
Here's what a journalist had to say about this recipe:
Store-bought vs. homemade: trying natural alternatives

By Crystal Chow for Knight Ridder Newspapers
April 19, 2005

(KRT) - What price beauty? Is it really worth shelling out $10, $20 or more for things like exfoliators and masques? Even if you scream "Yes!" you still might think about creating such products at home. Ingredients are usually right at hand, with preparations costing pennies per application. It's a natural way to be nice to Mother Earth, too. But can DIY glamorizers stand polished toe to toe with the store-bought stuff? We had one tester per treatment find out.

TREATMENT: Hand, foot exfoliator: 8-10 ripe strawberries, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Mix together all ingredients, massage into hands and feet, rinse, then pat dry. (www.spaindex.com)

IS GREEN GREATER? "My skepticism was sky-high initially. Why would I want to use strawberries as a beauty product rather than eat them? But wow! This treatment really made a difference -- my hands were definitely softer. A caveat: The mixture is lumpy and messy, so apply in the kitchen and don't wear good clothes."

OH, MY ACHING FEET


1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tsp. of Aloe Vera
1 teaspoon wheat germ oil
20 drops of peppermint Essential Oil
20 drops of eucalyptus Essential Oil

Mix together and massage feet gently with this soothing ointment, or, add to a basin of very warm water, and soak.  Finish by lightly dusting the feet in corn starch.

Thursday--Spa Day

Image by stevendepolo via Flickr

Everyone has them, everyone uses them; but how many really take care of them?  Feet, I mean.
I think if more people took proper care of their feet, they would in turn become healthier and happier.
Nothing can ruin your day like feet that hurt.  No one likes to have dry, cracked skin on their feet.  Here are some Natural Foot Care Products for you to try:

The skin on your feet needs to be taken care of in the same manner as the skin of your face. You need to clean it, exfoliate it and moisturize it like you would any other part of your body. There are a number of foot care products available in the market. But you can make your own natural foot care products at home. These products are simple and easy to make and use naturally available material. Given below are a few simple recipes of natural foot care products.

Lime Cleanser

Ingredients:

• Paper towels
• Lemon juice

Take a bowl and mix half water and half lemon juice. Then dip paper towels into the mixture and apply on to your feet. This will soften, smooth and remove odors from your feet. This recipe does not contain preservatives and requires refrigeration. The shelf life of this product is approximately one week.

Strawberry Foot Exfoliator

Ingredients:

• 8 strawberries
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil or safflower oil
• 1 teaspoon of kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon finely chopped almonds

Mix all the ingredients together and make a paste of it. Do not blend too much as the strawberries have a lot of water and this will make the paste too watery. Massage it onto your feet, rinse off and dry your feet. This foot care product has no preservatives and has to be refrigerated. Shelf Life is about one week.

Relaxing Foot Lotion Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon almond oil
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon wheat germ oil
• 12 drops eucalyptus essential oil or fragrance oil

Put all these ingredients into a dark colored bottle and shake it well. As and when you require rub into the feet and heels. Store in cool dry place. This recipe does not contain preservatives and requires refrigeration. Shelf life is approximately one week.

Make and use these simple natural foot care products at home and they will keep your feet healthy and beautiful.

These were found at this site along with many other recipes and tips for healthy, happy feet!

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Thursday--Spa Day

I love when I find a recipe for a skin care product I use frequently, but find very expensive.  One of these things is the Biore pour strips -- very expensive but necessary!  Imagine my excitement when I found this recipe and tried it, only to discover that this works just as good if not better and only costs pennies!  That to me is a miracle in the making.  So, here is the recipe.  Try it, you'll like it!

Homemade Biore Pore Strips

Make your own homemade pore strips, similar to Biore

After a week of wearing makeup,  washing your face, moisturizing your face, and slathering all sorts of things all of it, a homemade pore cleanser can be the perfect remedy for big, clogged pores and lackluster skin.  The homemade pore strip is a quick homemade beauty remedy that is easy to make and will yield wonderful results.

• 1 Tbsp Knox Unflavored Gelatin
• 11/2 T Milk
• Makeup brush (preferably large eye shadow bristle brush)
• Water
• Witch Hazel or Toner

1. Mix milk and gelatin in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 10 seconds.
2. Using a clean make-up brush, apply thin layer of water and Gelatin mask to problematic areas, staying clear of the eye area. 
3. Let mask dry for 10-15 minutes.
4. Gently tear off film once it's hardened.
5. Rinse off skin areas, making sure to remove any excess film.
6. Follow by applying a toner or witch hazel

Here is the link to the original article for this recipe. There are many more homemade and Budget Beauty Articles posted there for your enjoyment, too.

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Here's a great idea for an evening spent with your daughters.  Help them to enjoy natural beauty and natural goodness. Cleansing the face is something we all do regularly.  Why not teach our daughters how to do this simple thing in a fun way and spend quality time while doing it?

Try this out during the holiday rush--take some time just for yourselves--to pamper and relax your mind and body!

Apple Face Mask, excerpt from The Natural Beauty Book
By Anne Akers Johnson

Mask are intensive treatments and should be limited to your once-a-week routine. Choose one that is well suited to your skin.
Facial Mask Basics
1. Before applying a mask, find a place where you can lie back without being disturbed. Spread a towel out where you will rest your head in case your mask drips.
2. Choose and prepare a recipe.
3. Pull your hair back off your face. Pull long hair back into a ponytail.
4. Wash your face so it's nice and clean.
5. Run a washcloth under warm water, squeeze it out and hold it over your face for a few seconds to dampen your face. If you've just had a steam, skip this step.
6. Apply the mask all over your face and neck (if you like), avoiding your eye area. Lie back and let the mask work for 10-15 minutes. If it starts to feel itchy or uncomfortable, less time is OK.
7. If your mask is particularly chunky (like oatmeal) use your washcloth to gently wipe it off your face, shaking the bits of mask into the trash (this is the trick to avoiding clogged drains). Once it's mostly off, rinse your face in warm water.

Apple Face Mask

Ingredients

1/2 Apple, grated into a bowl
2 t Honey
1 T Uncooked, regular oatmeal

Directions

Step 1: Grind the oatmeal into a flour in a clean coffee grinder or food processor if you have one. Unground oatmeal is OK too, it just makes the mask a little messier.
Step 2: Combine all the ingredients.
Step 3: Lie back and gently press small handfulls of the mask onto your face. Rub it along the sides of your face, then let it sit for 10-15 minutes before removing and rinsing.


For more homemade beauty projects like these, check out The Natural Beauty Book: Create Your Own Natural Spa Experience by Anne Akers Johnson.

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DIY Pedicure: Treat Your Feet to a Spa Pedicure at Home

 With the holidays coming up and money being spent for gifts, we sometimes forget to pamper ourselves or we simply let things like pedicures and manicures slide, even though we know we feel better and look better when we take care of ourselves.

This article was written in May for the summer season, but I think it is just as applicable for the upcoming holiday season.  Maybe a "girls night" for Mom and daughters during the holiday rush season will be the start of a wonderful holiday habit.  Maybe a gift of a home pedicure for the Dad or sons may teach an important message on self-care and esteem while showing them how much you love them.  In any way, this is a great idea for this holiday season and I firmly support the plan that we all try this during the holiday madness that has become Christmas.

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Spa Pedicure at Home  |  Spa Pedicure

An at-home pedicure is an inexpensive DIY spa treatment to get your feet ready for summer. Learn how to give yourself a home spa pedicure with these steps, tips and homemade spa recipes for pedicure treatments.

Home Spa Pedicure Step 1: Remove old polish

The first step in a home pedicure is to remove any old polish from your toes. Use nail polish remover to remove any remnants of old polish. If your old polish has stained your toe nails or your nails have a yellowish tint, soak a cotton ball with hydrogen peroxide and apply to the nail. Leave on for a few minutes and then wipe off.

Home Spa Pedicure Step 2: Trim toenails
Use a toenail clipper to cut your nails straight across. Your toenails should not be longer than the end of your toe as this can lead to ingrown toenails. After clipping, file straight across and only in one direction. Going back and forth with a nail file damages and weakens your nails.

Home Spa Pedicure Step 3: Soak feet
Once you have trimmed your toe nails, prepare a foot bath for your home pedicure. A pedicure foot bath is not only relaxing, but is an important step for softening calluses and cuticles. Add epsom salts and essential oils to your foot bath or try this homemade spa recipe.

Homemade Foot Bath Recipe
1 C. Buttermilk (slightly warmed)
½ C. Sugar
6-7 C. Hot water
A few drops essential oil of your choosing (optional)

Milk can be substituted in this homemade spa foot soak, but buttermilk is better because of the higher concentration of lactic acid which works to soften feet and remove dead skin. The glycolic acid in the sugar also helps exfoliate your feet. Essential oils are optional, but here are some suggestions: Peppermint oil for invigorating feet, Lavender for soothing your senses, or Tea Tree oil if you have any problems with foot fungus. You can also put marbles on the bottom of your foot bath and rub your feet along them for massaging action during your foot soak. Soak your feet for 20 minutes or so and then pat dry.

Home Spa Pedicure Step 4: Cuticle Care
After your home pedicure foot bath, your cuticles should be nice and soft. Use an orange stick to gently push back the cuticle. If necessary, use cuticle remover lotion to help with pushing back your cuticles. Don't cut your toenail cuticles, as the cuticles protect your feet from infection. If you have any excess skin on the sides of your nails that needs trimming, you can trim it with a cuticle trimmer.

Home Spa Pedicure Step 5: Scrub Feet
Next give yourself a refreshing spa foot scrub to help remove dead skin and calluses from your feet. If you have access to beach sand it makes a wonderful scrub. If not here is a homemade spa foot scrub recipe.

Homemade Foot Scrub Recipe
1/2 C. Table Salt (or ¼ C. Salt and ¼ C. Sand)
2 Tbsp. Oil (Olive, Almond, Coconut, etc.)
2 Tsp. Liquid soap (bath or hand or even shampoo)
A few drops essential oil of your choosing (optional)

Mix together and massage well into your feet. Rinse well. After scrubbing, you can follow up with a pumice stone to help smooth calluses and rough spots. Avoid using razors or other methods that cut off calluses.

Home Spa Pedicure Step 6: Foot Mask
This step is optional, but if you want to give your feet some extra pampering, try a spa foot mask for superbly soft and smooth feet.

Homemade Foot Mask Recipe
1 Ripe Avocado
¼ C. Honey
1 Tbsp. Oil (Olive, Avocado, Almond, etc.)

Mash ingredients together, apply to dry feet and wrap in plastic. Plastic bread bags or vegetable bags work well over your feet, even if they look a little funny. You can cover the plastic wrap with socks if you wish. Relax for at least twenty minute and then rinse feet and pat dry.

Home Spa Pedicure Step 7: Paint toenails
Use nail polish remover to wipe toenails and remove any excess oils that may remain from your home spa foot treatments. Nail polish does not adhere well to oily nails. Use cotton balls to separate toes when painting. Packing peanuts also work great as toe separators. Apply a base coat, allow to fully dry and then apply two top coats. If you decide not to apply color, use a nail whitening pencil and run it under the tips of your toenails for a French manicure look.

Home Spa Pedicure Step 8: Moisturize
Rub a light foot or hand lotion into your feet and enjoy your soft, smooth, beautiful feet. If you do your home spa pedicure at night, apply a heavier lotion, cover with cotton socks, and leave on overnight.

Use these tips and recipes to give yourself a spa pedicure at home and you can save money and have beautiful feet for summer.

To read the original article, click here