Health.
The origins of the word are linked with those of wholeness and healing, and it is that complete sense of harmony, of being whole, that brings true health.

In a fast-paced lifestyle, staying healthy is a challenge. As our free time becomes more limited, we tend to utilize convenience products to save time and energy. The unfortunate flip side is that these 'convenience' products don't always have our best interests in mind. Scientific research has uncovered unpleasant side effects caused by common chemical additives in both food and cosmetics. Allergies to artificial flavourings, colorings and stabilizers are common.

Awareness of these adverse effects has prompted a revival of interest in natural products, organic foods and herbal remedies. The following recipes are made with natural ingredients and are as effective, if not more so than their commercial counterparts.

Despite the fact that these recipes are made with natural ingredients, safe handling guidelines should be followed when preparing them. Herbs and herbal products can have a profound effect on the body if used or handled incorrectly. Please read the General Guidelines for safety, and enjoy the wonderful, natural products that you make!

General Guidelines!
Essential oils are highly concentrated and should be treated with respect. Please be cautious when formulating with pure essential oils, especially cinnamon, mint, citrus oils, etc. which can cause mild to severe irritation if they come in direct contact to the skin. If skin irritation or allergic reaction occurs, discontinue use of that particular oil immediately! It is recommended not to use a particular essential oil regularly for more than three weeks at a time. Do not use the oil for at least a month before continuing use.

Some oils have a stimulating effect on the body due to their chemical make up. For example, if pregnant or if pregnancy is suspected, avoid the use of the following oils as they can stimulate the uterine muscles: basil, clary sage, fennel, hyssop, juniper, pennyroyal, peppermint, sage and thyme. These herbs are safe for pregnant women when used in cooking.

Citrus oils, especially bergamot, increase the skin's sensitivity to sunlight, so do not use on the skin shortly be exposure to sunlight.

If you suffer from epilepsy, it is advisable to avoid the essential oils of rosemary, fennel and sage, as there is a remote chance that these essences may trigger an attack.

"To take away freckles, wash your face, in the wane of the Moone, with a sponge,
morning and evening, with the distilled water of Elder-leaves,
letting the same dry into the skinne. Your water must be distilled in May.
This from a traveler, who hath cured himself thereby."

SIR HUGH PLATT, Delights for Ladies, 1659

Tea Tree Oil Toner
This is a soothing toner that discourages blemishes. Apply to the skin after cleansing. I have also found this formula to be soothing for bug bites and minor skin irritations and heat rashes.

3/4 cup witch hazel (or you can use 1/2 cup witch hazel and 1/4 cup vodka)
1/4 teaspoon tea tree oil

Combine all of the ingredients into a bottle and shake until well mixed. Apple with clean cotton pads or balls.

Wrinkle Smoothing Oil
The combination of oils help to smooth away fine lines and wrinkles. Use at night before bedtime for best results.

1 tablespoon almond oil
1 tablespoon liquid lanolin
1 tablespoon jojoba oil
1/4 teaspoon vitamin E oil

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir until well mixed. Pour into a wide-mouthed jar and seal.

Lavender Underarm Deoderant Spray
Combats underarm odor with a pleasant lavender scent.

1/4 cup vodka
2 tablespoons witch hazel
10 drops lavender oil
2 drops lemon essential oil

Combine all of the ingredients into a spray pump bottle and shake until well mixed. Shake before use.

Sugar Leg Wax
Instead of using harsh depilatory creams to remove unwanted leg hair, try using a natural sugar 'wax'. It works very much like expensive sugaring formulas. Do not use on sensitive areas like eyebrows, underarms, bikini, etc.

3 cups sugar
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup orange blossom water
1/3 cup glycerin

Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan. Heat over medium to low heat until sugar is melted. Lightly simmer until it reaches the softball stage. Pour into a glass jar or plastic cosmetic jar when somewhat cooled. To use, heat sugar wax in the microwave, stirring often to liquefy evenly. Guard against overheating to prevent burns! Before waxing, lightly powder skin area to be treated with talcum or cornstarch. This will ensure that the hair is removed and NOT the skin. Spread the wax in the same direction as the hair growth using a wooden popsicle stick or tongue depressor. Make sure to work with small areas at first. Place a cotton strip on the wax (strips can be purchased at any drugstore where hair removal products are found) and rub firmly. Pull the skin taught and pull the cotton strip quickly off in against the direction of the air growth. The strips can be reused several times. When finished, wash strips in hot, soapy water and dry for future use.

European Spa Salt Scrub
Salt scrubs are easy to make and are widely used at spas to revitalize energy levels and invigorate the skin. The salt scrub treatment will leave your skin silky soft, removing blemishes and rough patches.

12 teaspoons coarse sea salt
6 teaspoons fine sea salt
6 teaspoons epsom salts
1 teaspoon avocado oil
1 teaspoon aloe vera gel or seaweed extract (smelly, but great for the skin!)
1 teaspoon glycerin
10 drops lavender essential oil (or other essential oil of your preference that is skin-friendly)

Measure the salts into a small bowl, then add the extract, oil and glycerin. Stir until well mixed. Add the essential oil of your choice and place into a glass or plastic cosmetic jar. To use, wet your skin and rub the salt scrub into the skin. Rinse off for a silky, smooth skin!

Lavender Ointment
This is good for sunburned or chapped skin. This can also be used to help heal minor burns and cuts.

4 tablespoons olive or almond oil
3 to 4 tablespoons beeswax
3 teaspoons cocoa butter
2 teaspoons lanolin
10 drops vitamin E oil
15 drops lavender oil
15 drops sandalwood oil

Combine the oil, beeswax, cocoa butter and lanolin, and heat thoroughly in the top of a double boiler. Remove from heat and allow to cool till warm without solidifying. Add vitamin E oil, lavender and sandalwood oils and mix well. Pour into little pots or jars and allow mixture to cool before covering with lids. Keeps for 6 to 12 months.

Rose and Almond Hand Cream
This is soothing to dry and chapped hands.

1 1/2 teaspoons cocoa butter
1 teaspoon beeswax granules
2 tablespoons almond oil
3 tablespoons Rosewater
1/2 teaspoon borax
10 drops rose absolute (very expensive!) or 20 drops diluted rose essential oil

Melt the cocoa butter, beeswax and almond oil over low heat. Heat the Rosewater slightly and dissolve the borax in it. Whisk the Rosewater and borax into the oily mixture very slowly and keep mixing until the cream cools. Add the rose essential oil and stir. Keeps for up to 2 months.

Tea Tree Oil Toner
This makes an excellent powder to fight foot odor.

1/4 cup cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon tea tree oil
5 drops lavender oil

Combine all of the ingredients into a bowl and stir until well mixed and no lumps remain. Place the powder on a sheet of wax paper and air dry for twenty-four hours. When dry, remix the powder and store in airtight container.

Muscle Balm
Cooling muscle balms utilize menthol to provide relief from pain and discomfort. Menthol, a constituent of peppermint oil, creates a cooling, tingling sensation on the skin and causes the blood to rush to the area, oxygenating the muscle tissue.

2 tablespoons white beeswax
2 tablespoons cocoa butter
2 tablespoons palm oil
1/2 cup grapeseed oil
30 grams menthol crystals

Combine the grapeseed oil and menthol crystals in a glass measuring cup. Melt beeswax, cocoa butter and palm oil in a pot over low to medium heat. When melted, add the grapeseed oil and menthol crystal mixture to the pot while stirring. When the menthol crystals have fully dissolved, remove the pot from heat and stir until creamy and smooth. You may speed up the cooling process initially by placing the pot in a pan of cool water only until the balm starts to congeal at the bottom of the pot. Remove the pot and keep stirring until balm sets up enough to pour into glass or plastic cosmetic jars. Note: Decrease the menthol if analgesic properties of the balm are too intense. Add a small amount of peppermint essential oil for scent.


Healing Lip Salve
Use one part beeswax to four parts oil. Warm until blended. Add a few drops of essential or vitamin E oil if desired. Store in airtight pots or jar. Calendula oil is excellent base oil for salve. To make your own infused oil, simply warm the oil. (Use apricot kernel oil, almond oil or a good olive oil.) Place fresh or dried petals in a jar and pour in oil until petals are just covered. Infuse for a week in the sealed jar and strain.