1) Hand Scrub.  This can be very simple.  Grab some olive oil and sugar (white or brown).  Mix 1 part oil to 2 parts sugar.   If you have a lemon on hand, add a teaspoon of lemon juice.  Mix and apply to clean hands and scrub for a couple of minutes.  Rinse well and admire the smoothness.  You can also use 1 part baking soda (love baking soda!) to 2 parts liquid soap (castile, such as Dr. Bronner’s) and scrub your hands well.  This can be done on a weekly basis to keep skin soft and moist.

2) Nail Strengthener.  Make a balm of horsetail and nettle infused olive oil and beeswax.  Use 2 parts infused oil to 1 part beeswax (you can use carnauba wax if you’re vegan) and add a few drops of lemon and/or lavender essential oil (i.e., 2 ounces oil, 1 ounce beeswax, 8 drops EO).  The silica and vitamins in the horsetail and nettle will strengthen the nails and nourish cutilcles, especially if used nightly.  An alternative would be to use a few drops of body oil with organic oils like sunflower, argan, olive, and others.  These pure oils will sink into nail surfaces and cuticles to fortify your nails as well.

3) Hand “Mask”. Use 2 tablespoons of oatmeal and very hot water to make a paste consistency.  Add EOs like lavender, and a little aloe vera gel.  Apply in an even layer to clean, exfoliated hands and either cover in saran wrap or leave on hands while soaking in a bath.  Rinse and apply a few drops of oil to lock in the moisture.

What is your favorite way to pamper your hands?

So now I’m getting back into the swing of things, though I am a bit overwhelmed by my mile-long to-do list (only a slight hyperbole there).  There is nothing like crafting beauty products (and cooking!) to help you relax and keep things in perspective.

Lately I’ve been using an infused witch hazel I made as a skin toner.  Here is the recipe:

8 oz. witch hazel (I use one with 86% witch hazel, 14% alcohol)

1 heaping tbl. each: organic calendula, lavender, chamomile, and roses.

The alcohol content of the witch hazel helps preserve this blend quite well, and the cold infusion (without heat) occurs relatively quickly.  Simply place the herbs in a glass jar, pour the witch hazel over the herbs, shake, and in a few days it’s ready to use.

I still have mine infusing (going on 3 weeks now) and use a little from the jar on a cotton pad as toner.  I’ve recently strained out a bit from the jar and transferred it to a bottle mister, which I used while traveling.

I’ve noticed that this can be a bit drying (especially in the winter) so I’ve switched to using this only a few times a week rather than everyday as before.  The next time I will try mixing it with helichrysum, jasmine, and other herbs.  It’s really quite a refresher!  I love the scent and the feel.

What’s your favorite way to infuse herbs?  Do share!

P.S. Stay tuned for parts 3 & 4 of A Spa-tastic Holiday.

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So what’s a green beauty to do?  Here are some tips from a true story.

Last Christmas, my husband and I spent the holiday over my parents-in-laws’ place with a lot of other family members.  Unusual for our area, it started snowing Christmas evening and even stuck to the ground.  Having lived in New England and in the Midwest, it was no biggie for me, but it was for our city, which clearly was not prepared.  So we were forced to spend (forced sounds harsh — we enjoyed it!) the night at my parents-in-law’s.

I had absolutely NO beauty products on me, save for some lip balm and makeup in my bag.  So what did I do?

Bath/Shower:  I decided that I would wait till I got home the next day to shower.  Thankfully the snow melted so that worked out well.  I have very sensitive skin and cannot use commercial soap.  If I had to shower there, though I would’ve asked for a bath soap I gifted to my MIL in previous years (if she hadn’t already used it all).  If not that, I would boil and use a little oatmeal.  It’s a natural moisturizing cleanser.

Face:  Instead of washing my face that evening, I rinsed it with water only.  I was offered face cream but opted instead for an oil from the kitchen.  Safflower oil with added Vit. E.  It worked really well.

Teeth:  I used to get mouth ulcers all the time from the SLS in most toothpastes (even “natural” ones), so I use tooth soap, tooth powders and baking soda as a mouth rinse and occasional tooth cleanser.  Since there was baking soda in the house, I used it as a tooth cleanser and mouth rinse.  Yippee!

Hand/body moisturizer: My FIL had some Carol’s Daughter Love Butter that I used.  I think it might have a little fragrance, but I’m not that hardcore in these kinds of situations.  If that wasn’t around, I would’ve used a bit of safflower oil, since they were out of olive oil.

Other ideas:

If pressed and “stranded” without my products, I would use:

• Honey as a face masque/cleanser.
• Apple cider vinegar (or white vinegar) diluted with water as a toner.
• Baking soda as tooth cleanser, mouth rinse, and facial scrub.
• Olive oil as a moisturizer.
• Oatmeal soaked in hot, boiled water as a body wash.

But what if they didn’t have any of these ingredients?  What would I do?  What about deodorant?  What if I couldn’t leave the house to buy ingredients or products because of snowy, icy roads, as was the case here?

It’s truly not the end of the world if I have to use commercial products, and I don’t mean to sound needy or high maintenance, because I’m not.  It’s just for me it’s pretty much a necessity, because I have many sensitivities to chemicals in commercial products.  I get rashes, hives, skin tingling, mouth ulcers, etc. from them.

Not fun, and it takes a while for my body and skin to recover after.  If you’re not affected in these ways in situations where you have to use chemical-ridden products, consider yourself lucky because at least you’ll be mostly comfortable.

Have you ever been in a situation where you were without your products?   What would you use to stay green if pressed?

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So, on to our second part of the home spa series.  First, we talked about 3 facial treatments.   This post focuses on 3 body treatments.

Before we get started: For all of these treatments in this series, the costs are calculated for a one-time treatment.  The general guidelines for all posts in this series: use what you have, buy or get free samples of ingredients to try, and if you buy something to use for any of these treatments, try and buy something that you can use in a multitude of ways in cooking, baking, personal care, and more, such as baking soda, coconut oil, rosemary…you get the picture.  This way you’ll stretch your dollar the furthest.

1) The Luxurious Bath. Time: 35-40 minutes (including prep, and longer for more lux and relaxation!). Cost: 50¢ to $3.

I’ve mentioned a few times how much I love baths, but I always feel like I don’t have enough time to take one.  I like to take my time getting my bath water together and I want to feel truly relaxed when I soak.  So I take baths when I know I can relax, and sometimes I make myself do it.

Baths need not be enjoyed with expensive ingredients.  If you’ve had some leftover dried or fresh herbs from your facial steam, you can use those in your bath.  I love using Himalayan Pink Salt, but Epsom Salt works well, too.  I buy mine at my local DollarTree store, 2 lbs. for $1.  Here are some ingredients and tips to keep ingredients to $3 or less:

1/2  – 1 cup of sea salt or epsom salt.  Mineralizes the water and helps your skin release toxins and dirt.

1/8 – 1/4 cup of flowers or herbs.  Sensitive/dry skin: focus on chamomile, calendula, lavender, plantain, rose, chickweed, comfrey.  One, some, or all!  Normal/oily skin: rosemary, witch hazel, sage, burdock, nettle, lavender, rose, neem.  (Put in an organza or muslin bag, or use cheesecloth to prevent herbs from clogging the drain.)

In a pinch: Use a couple of tea bags (organic or all natural) from your kitchen.  Just steep them in the tub of hot water.  I always add hot water first and then cool down.  This helps herbs/flowers infuse in the water more fully, and also assists with melting and dispersing the oils and butters, which brings me to my next ingredient category.

2 tbl. to 1/4 cup of oils and/or butters.  You could always use a premade bath melt, but this is more basic.  It depends on how moisturizing you like your baths and how dry your skin is.  Start with a little and add more if necessary.  Recommended butters (organic and raw if possible, fair-trade is even better): shea, cocoa, kokum, raw cacao, mango, tucuma, cupuacu, murumuru, babassu (use sparingly, even more so than oils).  Some recommended oils in order of density/thickness: coconut, castor, olive, avocado, hemp, sweet almond, sesame, sunflower, safflower, jojoba.

In a pinch: Use whatever oil you have in your kitchen.  Have a hand or body salve or balm?  How about a lotion bar?  Cut or scoop out a tablespoon of that to add to your water.

Extras: You can also add in many things you have in your kitchen, such as oatmeal (great for irritated, itchy skin – boiled in hot water and strained if desired); baking soda (one of my loves, softens skin and so much more!); yogurt or milk (great lactic acid action, mask scent with herbs or EOs if you’re not into it).  Clay is also great in baths, but I tend to reserve mine for mixing up masques while in the bath, and I also love Dead Sea Mud.  Essential oils should be added sparingly.  I’d go for no more than 10-20 drops.

Experiment with these ingredients, but most of all, have fun putting it together and then relax once you’re in the tub.

2) The Body Scrub. Time: 15-20 mins. (including prep.).  Cost: 75¢ to $1.

This is one of my favorite recipes for a body scrub.  I experimented and got it down to where I like it.  Talk about silky smooth skin, and the scent is divine.  I added Rooibos tea one time and took it over the top.  Here’s the basic recipe without my variations.  It makes about 1/2 cup, enough for one, generous full-body treatment that leaves just the right amount of oils on your skin:

1/4 cup organic raw sugar (medium or avg. size granules) and 2 tablespoons of turbinado sugar.  I like the different levels of scrubbiness these different sized granules provide.  You can also use salts.

2-3 tbl. organic virgin coconut oil (depends on whether you like your scrub with more or less oil).

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract (organic is better in my experience — you can also use vanilla-infused oil)

Melt the coconut oil on low heat.  Mix all ingredients, scrub up, and rinse off.  Experiment with adding coffee grounds, some tea leaves, etc.  Use a different oil (olive, sunflower, etc.) if you don’t like the smell of coconut (though it does go away quickly, 30 mins. tops).  Make it to your liking, and use after showering.  I’d recommend this treatment no more than twice a week.

3) The Body Mask.  Time: 30-35 mins. (including prep). Cost: $3 to $7

This is the most expensive and the messiest of them all, but your skin will love it.  I’ve only done it twice but the results were amazing.

Ingredients consist of finely ground herbs, clays, foods (avocado, banana, etc.), basically anything that your skin will love.  I’ll leave the ingredients up to you with general guidelines:

• Do this after you have showered (turn the water off).
• Make enough product (3/4 to 1 cup) so that you have enough to cover your body.
• Stay in the tub/shower for 20-30 minutes while the mask does its magic.
• Find a way to occupy your time (Maybe read a book standing up after you’ve rinsed your hands?  I may try that next time…).

Tips:

• Do a search for detox recipes, moisturizing recipes, etc. to find out what ingredients are best.  There are so many different options and again, you want to go with what you have on hand as much as possible.
•  Make sure ingredients are finely ground or mashed well so that you don’t clog your drain.
• You can do a body wrap instead, which is pictured above.

So there you have it: 3 (really 4!) spa-tastic body treatments.  What body treatments do you give yourself and/or others?  What recipes have you found particularly amazing?

Photo credits: 1, 2 and 3

But I do believe in quality over quantity, so when I do post I give posts a lot of thought and research and try to avoid rambling (am I successful?) and quick, marketing-oriented updates that tell you about a new product or company.  Just as in my life, I endeavor to take a more holistic approach, to think beyond the surface and produce content that could potentially be referenced later.

Even now, I meant this to be a quick note for feedback, but there I go.  I want this blog to be useful, to matter, because that gives me the fuel to keep it going.  If there are any areas for which you’d like to see more content, please let me know.  If there’s anything working well or not working well, let me know that too.   Feel free to comment anonymously or to write me directly at scentualsoundtracks {AT} gmail {DOT} com.  I’m considering discontinuing this blog, but I have really enjoyed it and meeting you all as well .   If it is discontinued, I thank you all for reading, whether or not you have commented.

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Spa treatments have so many physical and emotional benefits.  Why not have a spa-tastic holiday season?  The following are some of my tried-and-true home spa treatments, those that I give myself and loved ones.  They would make great gifts for you or for a family member or friend this season, no matter what holiday(s) you celebrate, and even if you don’t celebrate any!  They are cost-effective and show someone just how much you care.

Also, if you’re not someone who enjoys giving spa treatments to others, you could instead put together a spa package with products and ingredients that they can use themselves.

All of these treatments will cost $5 or less (plus your time), as compared to $100 – $500+ for spas.  But first, let’s talk about putting together spa packages.

Spa Packages

If you don’t know about Etsy by now, shame on you!  No, but really, you should.  There are tons of organic and natural beauty artisans there, and some of the best fave been featured on this blog.  There you can find everything from soaps, to body/massage oils, to serums and facial masques, bath salts, you get the picture.  What’s more is that you can often customize products or place special orders for your giftees.  Use search words like: organic, natural, fair-trade, etc. to find what you’re looking for.  You can also include the type of product in your search, such as “organic body oil.”

The most cost-effective route, in most cases, would be to purchase and make products yourself.  There are tons of sites with natural beauty recipes, from bath salts, to oils, and facial masks.  Just do a Google search for what you’re looking for.  Set a budget for what you’re willing to spend, and use recycled (and sterilized) packaging for bath salts and other products you’ll make.

Ingredients

Essential oils can be found at sites like Vitacost, where you can buy them at a discount with free shipping for orders over $49.  (See this article on essential oils with the most health benefits.)  If you need them right away, you could also try Whole Foods or your local health food store, but they will cost more.  Other ingredients like bath salts, body oils, etc. can be bought in your grocery store.  Olive oil, epsom salt, sea salt, and more.    There are tons of things you can create with just a few ingredients.

12 Spa-tastic Holiday Treatments, Part I

In this series I include 3 facial, 3 body, 3 foot and 3 hand treatments.  Ingredients for each treatment are approximately $5 or less.  First, let’s discuss facial treatments.

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3 Facial Treatments

1) The Total Facial – Cleanse, Steam, Scrub, Masque.  Approx. Time: 1 hour., Total Cost: $5

Cleanse: Use a soap bar or liquid soap you already have.  If you have a drying liquid soap, simply add a bit of oil (like jojoba) and shake it up.  Just add a bit, i.e. 1 tablespoon per 4 oz. of soap.  It will be much more moisturizing this way.  Cleanse as you normally would.  If you have a dedicated facial soap that you use and already love, even better.  Cost: 25¢ or less.

Steam: First make sure that you have the herbs or flowers you need.  You can use those you already have in your kitchen, like sage, rosemary, thyme, and basil.  This of course will create an herbal scent.  For a more floral scent, visit a local health food store where you can buy herbs in bulk by weight.

All you need in a total of 2 tablespoons of herbs and flowers for a facial, so you can buy a teaspoon or so each of rose, lavender, chamomile, calendula, etc.   With buying such a small amount, the total cost should be $1.50 – 2.50 or even less.  Instructions for a facial steam.

Scrub:  Use a tablespoon of sugar or baking soda to one teaspoon of oil and or vegetable glycerin.  Again, you want to use what you already have on hand to control costs.  If you have aloe vera gel, use that.  Mix together and scrub gently.  (Feel free to add a few drops of essential oil if you have them on hand.)  Total Cost: 25¢.

Facial Mask: There are so many directions we can go with this.  Use fruits, vegetables, clays, egg whites, oatmeal, so many ingredients that you already have.  Avocados are probably one of the most pricey ingredients you can use for a scrub, but it is so amazing for the skin.  You only need 2 tablespoons at most of all ingredients.  Again, search Google for recipes.  And if you want to pick up items at your local grocery store, you can do that too.  Total cost: 50¢ to $1.50.

Tone skin after the total facial with hydrosol or a splash of the cooled facial steam water.  Then moisturize as you normally would.

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2) The Targeted Fix.  Approx Time: 10-15 mins.  Total Cost: 5-50¢.

For this facial treatment, you can choose a targeted facial area to work on.  Areas that require more of our time and attention are usually: blemishes, under-eye area, lips, and neck.

Blemishes: Do a quick blemish treatment by mixing a bit of clay (such as Bentonite) with apple cider vinegar and lavender oil (if on hand).  Leave on for 10-15 minutes.  Rinse well.  Another recipe is using a bit of diluted lemon juice on blemishes, or yogurt mixed with lemon juice.  Cost: 10¢ to $1 (Again, use what you have on hand if possible.)

Under-Eye Treatment: This includes dry under-eyes, dark circles, etc.  I can’t promise instant overnight results, but these areas will be pampered.  Use parsley (fresh, or dried in your spice cabinet) mixed with warm filtered water and a few drops of oil (such as olive) and apply to the area.   Leave for 10-15 mins. Also, sliced cucumbers are an old standby.  The next time you brew tea, save the tea bag and refrigerate.  Use that evening or the next day as an under-eye treatment (esp. green tea bags).  Leave on one eye for 10 mins. and then switch, turning the bag over for the 2nd under-eye.  Cost: 10 -50¢.

Lips: Do a gentle lip scrub to get rid of flaking skin.  Mix 1 tea. of fine white or brown sugar with 1/2 tea. of olive oil.  Add a few drops of honey or agave nectar if you have it on hand.  Rub this over your lips in a circular motion for a minute.  Then rinse off (or lick off ) and apply a little olive oil or lip balm if you have it on hand.  Cost 5¢.  Use what you have.

Neck:  Create a neck treatment with 2 tbl. milk (cow, goat, soy, almond, or others — organic if possible), 1/2 tea. cornstarch (non-GMO if possible), and a few drops of EO if you have them.  Apply to clean neck and leave on for 15 minutes or while you shower.  The milk gently exfoliates (if using milk with lactic acid), and all milks provide moisture and protein to the skin.  Cost: 15 to 25¢.

3) The Oil Cleaning Method (OCM).  The OCM is great for all skin types and can be customized according to skin type.  You can use oils you have on hand, such as Olive, but Castor, Grapeseed, Safflower, Jojoba, and others are great, too.  If you live near a health store where you can try samples, you could ask for a small sample of some of these oils to see what oils and oil-ratio work best for your skin.  Learn all you need to know about OCM at the link above.  Total cost (assuming that you take advantage of samples): 25 to 75¢.

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Set the stage for a relaxing experience by playing soft, relaxing music at a low volume, burning all-natural candles or incense, and dimming the lights. 

What are some of your favorite recipes and ingredients for home facials?  Do share!  Please comment if you found this post helpful and/or if you have suggestions.  I’d love to hear from you.

Next up I will share 3 body, 3 foot, and 3 hand treatments.

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Bellatrix, a fellow beauty/natural perfume blogger and reader of Scentual Soundtracks is conducting a natural perfume survey, and she is looking for your responses.

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When I first discovered natural and organic beauty, I admit I went a little crazy.  But for the last couple of years, my purchases have dropped significantly.  I found that I wanted to be more intentional about what I have and more conscious of how I use my products and my money.  In short, I aim to limit purchases and enjoy those that I do make while the products are their freshest and most vital.

Here is a list of strategies I use for maximizing my purchases (and my $) by staying on top of what I have.  This includes strategies for using up products, limiting purchases, and buying products that are multipurpose.

How to Use Up Products

• Make lists of things I want to use up in a certain period of time and stick to it. (This gets old after a while and I feel like I want to be liberated!  However, it can work for a month or two, and it has for me.)
• Focus on using the same product for consecutive days rather than jumping around from one to another.
• Revisit my stash and deciding what items I can use up. (This also limits repeat purchases.)
• Take partially used products with me to trips with the point to use them up while away.
  Repurposing items that did not work well for one area (i.e. face cream as body cream, body oil as hair oil)
• Give away new or gently used products to friends or family members.

Limiting Purchases

• Make things that I want myself, especially if I have most of the ingredients I’ll need.
• Avoid purchases of ‘simple’ products that I can make myself.
• Avoid overpriced products. (Quality is usually more pricey, but I have my limits on how much I will spend.)
• Weigh the pros and cons of each item and decide if I really want it, or need it.
• Being picky about ingredients and sellers: truly natural? organic? fair-trade?  preservative-free?  good, consistent feedback?  general shop philosophy?
• Resist sales from shops I’m not familiar with or whose products I don’t really want or need.
• Keep an inventory, mental or otherwise, of products and types of products I have to avoid repeat purchases.
• Buy fewer items (one or two) from a new shop or line to make sure I like them before buying multiples.
• Be reflective on what works well and what does not work well for me with certain ingredients, formulas, etc.
• Buy fewer, higher quality, and more effective products that I know will perform well rather than more products that are less quality.

Sometimes I feel that I overthink purchases to the point where I’m obsessive.  But I don’t go through this list bullet point by bullet point every time I make a purchase decision.  It’s just that these strategies influence my purchasing habits.  I’ve found that it really limits overspending and overstocking.

Case in point, this Black Friday I only purchased ONE item for $15.  ONE.  That is truly unusual for me, especially with all of the sales that were to be had.  I think it stemmed from realizing that the 20+ items that were in my cart on Etsy (as a sort of wishlist) were products that I already had in some other form, or didn’t really need at the time.

Sometimes, it’s about asking ourselves the tough questions that take the excitement out of the potential purchase and the huge sale that we’ve encountered.

I’d love to hear your thoughts and philosophies on these issues.  How do you decide on a purchase?  How do you maximize purchases while not taking all of the enjoyment out of them?

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Did you all have a good Thanksgiving?  We returned home from a wonderful visit with family.  Of course, the recurring theme here is that yes, I’ve been so busy that I haven’t had the time to post lately.

But I’m enjoying life and settling into a nice routine with natural and organic beauty.  I haven’t tried much of anything new either, which leads me to my next post — in the spirit of giving thanks –  on maximizing purchases and using up what we already have.

Stay tuned for that in just a few!

Autuman Equinox 2011 courtesy of inquisitr.com

burning more incense (all-natural and resin based, of course);

drinking more teas as well as a new coffee substitute drink that I love;

reading in bed before drifting off to sleep;

using body balms at night to lock in moisture for skin;

baking more goodies (like molasses chews and brownies);

watching favorite classic movies;

using pumpkin, spice, and chai bath and body products;

resurrecting the never dead, forever eternal frankincense and myrrh in every area of my life;

and, eating soups.

While some of these are not necessarily fall traditions, there are some things (like the last one on the list) that I do more often when it’s cooler.

What are some of your fall traditions or habits?