Lifestyle Choices

To energize and stimulate

Use: ginger, rosemary, lavender, peppermint, cinnamon, clary sage in: living rooms, dining rooms, playrooms, games or fitness rooms, halls and stairs.

For warmth and security

Use: ylang ylang, clary sage, tangerine, lavender in: living rooms and bedrooms.

To refresh and uplift

Use: sandalwood, lemon, rosemary, rosewood in: living rooms, studies, kitchens, work rooms.

For romance

Use: ylang ylang, jasmine, geranium, sandalwood in: bedrooms, living rooms, bathrooms. (more…)

Bathing should be a pleasant ritual that should treat your mind as well as your body. There are a number of useful prebath techniques and tools. They are important because they can prepare your skin and body for taking the plunge and ensure you get more benefit from bathing.

A Loofah

A dry, rough-textured sea gourd that you soften by wetting it, the loofah is rubbed against the skin to slough off dead cells and to increase circulation. You can buy loofahs in their natural state (about fifteen inches long) or sewn into gloves and bands of terry cloth to be used as scrubbers. (more…)

There are a number of ways of using plant essences for beauty. You can dilute them in oil and apply them to the face and body for skin treatments. You can use them in the same mixture on the face, at the back of the neck, and on the base of the spine for their effect on the psyche and nervous system. You can inhale them directly from the bottle or breathe them in the form of steam from a humidifier or pot of very hot water to which a few drops of essence have been added. They can also be used in your bath but always in the minutest quantities—ten to fifteen drops. Some essences will be absorbed into the skin more rapidly than others, depending on their volatility and the carrier oil in which you have put them.

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In France, where the care of breasts is almost a national institution, they have developed a number of more or less effective salon treatments (some more, some less) that involve exercises to strengthen muscles, hydrotherapy to improve circulation and absorption by skin, and finally the application of creams and oils containing the essential oils of plants and other substances such as embryo and placenta extracts. Although most of the Western world pooh-poohs the idea that such treatment cando any good, there are thousands of French women whose exquisite breasts would belie this skepticism. (more…)

Bubble Bath Oil

This is a nourishing and softening oil and children love it.

250 ml (1 cup) good quality soap, grated

1 litre (4 cups) boiling water, into which 6 sprigs rosemary or lavender, approx 20 cm long, have been steeped for 15 minutes

25 ml (2 tbsp) witch-hazel

50 ml (4 tbsp) glycerine

12,5 ml (1 tbsp) wheatgerm oil

few drops lavender oil (more…)

Natural Mouth Cleansers

Several herbs freshen and cleanse the mouth and teeth very effectively.

Fresh sage leaves rubbed over gums or chewed are very refreshing and cleanse the breath too.

Mint Breath Fresheners

25 ml (2 tbsp) chopped mint

5 ml (1 tsp) finely crushed cloves little egg white

Mix mint and cloves with a little egg white. Roll into tiny balls. Store until dry. Chew a mint freshener every now and then. (more…)

Skin facial steaming is another great treatment to use about once a week. It causes the skin to perspire, which helps loosen grime, dead skin cells and hardened sebum. The heat also increases the blood supply, bringing more oxygen and nutrients to the skin, and the steam helps hydrate and relax the pores. Overall, skin steaming can help your skin feel more radiant with a softer skin tone and a clearer, more vital colour. Avoid steaming if you have broken capillaries in your face — compress instead. (more…)

Massage stimulates the blood flow to rejuvenate your skin, it stimulates the lymph fluid to clear wastes away and it improves your skin’s tone and texture. Once a week give your skin a treat and massage it. We pre-mix a facial massage blend and have it on hand for ready use.

Take 10 ml of a massage base oil (carrier oil), and blend with 5 drops of your chosen essential oils in a dark glass bottle (these can be purchased from a pharmacy or aromatherapy shop). Shake before use. Keep the bottle in a cool place away from sunlight. This facial blend will last you for about five massages, then assess your skin and its needs and make up your new 10 ml blend. (more…)

You may well be aware of the benefits of massage. Massage increases circulation, promotes sleep, reduces stress levels, increases muscle tone, promotes elimination of toxins and waste, supports weight loss, increases skin pliability and enhances well-being - to name but a few. Imagine if you could do this every day. Well, you can, and it only takes a few minutes every morning to do it.

How would you feel if we told you we both have a full body massage every day? Well, it’s true, and we have been having these massages every day for the past 14 years - not once have we missed a day! It is the ultimate skin treatment. We love it and cannot imagine life without it. Having a daily full body rub or massage is a great insurance policy for your overall health. The important thing to remember is to ensure the products you massage your body with are natural and full of essential vitamins and minerals. Also, it is important to make sure this is a good body rub, not some airy-fairy tickle! You want your body to wake up, feel alive and be ready to get into your day. You may have guessed by now that your daily body massage is performed by YOU!

A little note: how do you feel when you stand naked in front of a mirror? Are you horrified, pleased, shocked or rapt? If for some reason you cannot stand in front of the mirror every morning and say: ‘Wow - I look and feel great: then you definitely need to take on the daily body massage routine! (more…)

Hand and foot care

It is common to spend a lot of time and money on our face and hair and to neglect our hands and feet. Hanging off the end of our limbs, they go about whatever we put them through and it is only when they are injured or sore that we tend to pay attention to them.

Hands are exposed to all sorts of things from weather to harsh soaps and detergents, various foods, gardening and washing and all the other 101 tasks they perform. Feet have to carry around your whole body weight all day, they are often squashed into ill-fitting shoes and endure all sorts of harsh environments like sand, rocks, salt water, swimming pools, gymnasium showers - you name it. If you have ever taken the time to give your hands or feet a manicure or pedicure, you know how good it feels to pamper them a bit. (more…)

Like the skin, the hair reflects inner health and well-being. If you are eating well, getting adequate sleep and feeling good about yourself, chances are your hair will show this. Medications, ill health, stress and fatigue can all affect lustrous, healthy hair, leaving it dull and hard to manage and making you feel that you’re having a ‘bad hair day!’Regular visits to the hairdresser can do wonders for your soul! It’s time out and there is nothing nicer than having your hair washed by someone else. But keeping hair healthy does not have to take a lot of time or money. Treatments at home are also effective and beneficial. (more…)