Natural Cosmetics for the Body

Hand Treatments

Hand cream - melt in a double boiler 10 g of bee wax and 5 g of cocoa butter. Add 50 ml of some pure vegetable oil (jojoba, almond, sunflower etc.). Pour the mixture in a jar and let it cool. Then mix in the essential oils: 10 drops each lavender oil and bois de rose and 5 drops lemon oil. 
Hand treatment - in 50 ml of pure vegetable oil add lavender oil, sandalwood oil and cypress oil - 4 drops in total. Use this nourishing oil during your manicure: when you've removed the nail polish and filed your nails, massage hands with the oil. If possible, do this before going to bed, so the nourishing treatment can stay on your hands all night. But leave it on at least a couple of hours. Before applying the nail polish wash your hands because the polish won't go on properly if your nails are oily. 

Feet Treatments

Foot cream - melt in a double boiler 10 g of bee wax and 5 g of cocoa butter. Add 50 ml of some pure vegetable oil (jojoba, almond, sunflower etc.). Pour the mixture in a jar and let it cool. Then mix in the essential oils: 10 each rosemary oil and lemon oil and 5 drops sage oil. 
Foot bath - fill a pan with warm water and add some bath salt or 6-10 drops of some of the following essential oils: rosemary oil (improves circulation, relaxes tired feet), sage or clary sage oil (natural and mild antiperspirant), benzoe oil (softens hardened skin), lemon oil (refreshes tired feet), cypress oil (mild antiperspirant, refreshes tired feet), thyme oil (against fungus), juniper oil (antiperspirant). 
You can put a few marbles in the pan to massage your feet. Relax and soak your feet for about 20 minutes. Then rub your soles with a pumice stone and massage with the foot cream. 
Treatments against corns 
#1 - cut a smaller onion or an onion bulb into halves and put them in vinegar to stand for 2 or 3 hours. Before going to bed place an onion half on each corn and tie it to your foot. In the morning scrape the softened corn. If necessary repeat the procedure several nights. 
#2 - cut a fig-tree branch in the place where a leaf starts to grow and you will get a thick white juice. Apply this juice to the corn and it will soften. 
#3 - apply undiluted lemon oil, several times a day 

Baths

 Aromatherapy bath - for one bath dilute 10 drops of essential oils in 3 tablespoons of honey or 250 ml of milk and pour the mixture in the tub filled with water. For relaxation choose some of the following: lavender, bois de rose, petitigrain, geranium, sandalwood, chamomile, frankincense. Rosemary, geranium, juniper and lemon oil are all good for detoxification. Use lavender, basil and geranium to reduce stress. If you have a cold try eucalyptus, chamfer, sage, pine, thyme. There are many other essential oils and lots of combinations, you may want to consult a good aromatherapy book. 
bathBran bath - fill a small linen bag with bran and place it in the tub. Pour over with hot water and add enough cold water to fill the tub. You can add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil (if you have dry skin) or a little milk or some lemon tea (lemon tea is made by brewing 2-3 squeezed out lemon halves). 
Herbal baths - put 2 cups of herb(s) in a small linen bag or cheesecloth bundle. Let it seep in the bath for a few minutes. The bundle can be used to gently scrub the body. For a rejuvenating bath (eases tension, increases metabolism, aids in sinus relive and cold symptoms) take equal parts of yarrow flowers, elder flowers, mint leaves and rose petals. For a bath that soothes the skin and increases circulation choose comfrey and mint leaves and chamomile and lavender flowers. 
Milk & honey bath - mix 1/4 tablespoon of honey with 1 liter of milk and pour into tub filled with water. Relax for 20 minutes. Your skin will be soft as velvet. 
Milk bath - add about 1 cup of powdered milk to a tub of water 
Bath salt - in a jar mix 100 g of sea salt with 10 drops of essential oils. Cover tightly and shake the jar for a few moments. Leave it for several days, so the salt would absorb the oils. Bath salt or plane sea salt can be used for a salt rub: use damp salt and vigorously massage your skin until it turns slightly pink. This detoxification treatment invigorates, improves circulation, helps the body perspire and enables better sleep. However, don't use it if you have a rash or sensitive skin. 
 
 

Massage Oils and Body Lotions

Massage oils - To 50 ml of pure vegetable oil ad 25 drops of essential oils. The best vegetable oils for dry skin are avocado, hazelnut, walnut and wheat germ oil, for oily skin jojoba, apricot seed and peach seed oil. Other good oils are grape seed, peanut, almond. As for the essential oils, there are endless combinations. Here are only a few ideas to start with: to relax lavender, bois de rose, ylang-ylang; to increase blood circulation rosemary, orange and cinnamon; for oily skin bergamot, lemongrass, geranium, lavender, lemon; for dry skin honey, jasmine, frankincense, sandalwood, geranium, rose; for sensitive skin sandalwood, frankincense, chamomile, honey, rose. 
 Glycerin lotion - mix equal parts of rose-water and glycerin. Shake well before use. 
 
 

Deodorants

Baking soda - damp a cotton ball or cloth and sprinkle with some baking soda (sodium bicarbonate). Rub your underarm with it. 
 Turnip juice - make juice from turnip root and use it the same way as baking soda. It is also good against bruises. 
 
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