DIY: Natural Beauty Treatments for Hands, Feet

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DIY Treatments for Hands

Dry Hand Lotion

• 8 oz. unscented lotion (many sellers of natural products and aromatherapy products sell unscented lotion, shower gel and shampoo)
• 10 drops Patchouli
• 20 drops Sandalwood
• 5 drops Carrot Seed

The best way to blend the oils with the lotion is to pour the lotion into a bowl, add the oils and then mix very well. Once mixed, add the lotion back to the bottle.

Patchouli, Sandalwood and Carrot seed oils help aid with dry skin. The Patchouli and Sandalwood oils have a lovely rich scent when blended together. The Carrot seed oil is wonderful for the skin, but is a little harsh in aroma.

Borage and Evening Primrose are wonderful Carrier Oils for helping the skin. If you have either of these oils or can afford to get a small quantity, add a little to your lotion for to give your skin even more nourishment. It is always wise to do a skin patch test first on new blends first before using often to ensure that you do not have a sensitivity to the blend.

Luscious Lavender Hand and Skin Cream

If you work outside a lot this is the ideal answer to sore, chapped hands and weather-beaten skin.

• 1 tablespoon avocado or apricot oil
• 1 tablespoon almond oil
• 3 tablespoons lanolin
• 1 teaspoon oil of lavender

Put the lanolin in an ovenproof bowl and place in a roasting pan full of hot water. Pour in the avocado and almond oils and beat well to completely combine. Remove from the heat and continue to beat as the mixture cools and thickens. Add the oil of lavender.

Continue beating until mixture is thick and creamy and cool. Pour into a small pot, cover and store in the fridge. Vitamin E can be added by squeezing the contents of 2 or 3 capsules as the same stage as oil of lavender is added.

Moisturizing Aromatic Hand Cream

This is easy to make in your blender and suitable for beginners.

• 1 cup oil, such as Sweet Almond
• 1 cup warm water
• 3/4 oz. shaved Beeswax
• 50 drops essential oils, such as Lavender, Geranium, Rose or a blend of your favorites.

Melt Beeswax in oil on stove top, cool slightly, until warm to the touch. Add warm water to blender, turn on high, add Beeswax/oil mixture slowly. Mixture will start to thicken right away. Add essential oils as it blends. Spoon into clean jars. Refrigerate for longer shelf life.

Liquid Lavender Hand Soap

Put 6 tbsp. of grated castile soap and some water in a heatproof bowl and place over a saucepan of boiling water. When the soap has melted, stir in 5 tbsp glycerin. Remove from heat and stir in 4 drops of Lavender oil.

If desired, stir in a few drops of natural food coloring to color the soap. When cool, pour into clean bottles and seal with corks.

Quick, Easy Hand Exfoliator

Mix 1 teaspoon sugar with 2 teaspoons oil. Any unused cooking oil will do. Rub well into hands for a minute or two. Wash in warm water using a mild Soap.

For Dry, Chapped Hands

• 1 ounce ground almonds
• 1 teaspoon clear honey
• 2 teaspoons walnut or Sunflower oil
• 1 teaspoon Lemon juice

Mix all ingredients together into a thick paste. Rub a heaping teaspoon all over the hands for two to three minutes and rinse off.

Lady’s Mantle Hand Lotion Recipe

• 2 Tbsp of a strong infusion of lady’s mantle
• 2 Tbsp glycerin
• 2 tsp carrageen moss (Irish Moss) melted in a little hot water
• 4 Tbsp vodka
• 10 drops essential oil of rose or geranium

Stir glycerin into melted moss. Add essential oil to vodka, then blend into the glycerin mixture. Stir in lady’s mantle infusion, blend well. Pour into jar, cap tightly. Shake before using.

Lady’s Mantle Hand Mask

• 2 Tbsp finely ground oatmeal
• 1Tbsp lady’s mantle infusion
• 1 tsp avocado oil
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp glycerin

Mix all to form a smooth paste. Apply to hands at bedtime. Leave on for 1/2 hour, wash off and apply moisturizing cream overnight (wear gloves) Wash off in the morning.

Elderflower and Chamomile Hand Gel

This soothing yellow gel is excellent for softening hands without making them feel greasy.

• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tbsps dried Chamomile
• 2 tbsps dried Elderflowers
• 3 tbsps Glycerin
• 3 tbsps Arrowroot

Gather together and measure out ingredients. Assemble some small screw top jars for storage. Heat the water and add the Herbs. Leave to steep until thoroughly cooled. Warm the Glycerin in a double boiler, and add the Arrowroot. Stir well. Strain the infusion. Gradually add to the Glycerin and Arrowroot mixture. Stir until it is clear and starting to gel. Put into jars.

Cuticle Softening Oil

• 1 teaspoon Olive Oil
• 1 teaspoon Vitamin E Oil

Combine and massage into nails and cuticles.

Natural Cuticle Cream

• 3 tbsp paraffin
• 1/2 cup mineral oil
• 1 tbsp Coconut Oil
• 1 tbsp Glycerin

Slowly heat paraffin with the oils in a double boiler. Stir until blended. Add in the Glycerin and remove from heat. Let cool before using.

Heavy Duty Barrier Cream

• 4 Tbsp Unpetroleum Jelly (available in natural foods stores)
• 2 handfuls fresh Elderflowers

Melt jelly, add Elderflowers. Steep for 45 minutes, reheating the jelly when it solidifies. Reheat until mixture is liquified, strain through a fine sieve into a jar. Cool, then cap tightly.

Cornmeal Hand Mask

Mix 1/4 cup corn meal with 3 Tbsp. milk. Heat over low heat until a paste forms. Add 1 drop Almond oil. Let cool. Spread on hands, leave on for about 10 minutes. Rinse.

Hand Softener Recipe

Our hands get quite the workout over the holidays with all the extra cooking, cleaning, and dish-doing that comes along with them. This fabulous formula will soothe your hard-working hands and treat them right!

• 2 beaten eggs
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/4 cup almond meal (just grind the almonds in a blender)

In a bowl, whip together the eggs and honey. Add the almond meal and stir to combine. Scoop some of the mixture into your hands and scrub. Rinse.

Banana Hand and Foot Cream

Dry hands and feet will become smooth and soft overnight if you mix equal parts:

• Bananas
• Honey
• Lemon juice
• Natural margarine

Smear on hands and wear white gloves to bed. Wash off in the morning. For dry feet, smear the mixture on and wear heavy socks to bed, wash off in the morning.

Honey Hand Lotion Recipe for Extremely Dry Hands

• 3/4 cup Rose Water
• 1/4 cup Glycerin
• 1/2 tsp vinegar
• 1/2 tsp honey

Mix and blend well by shaking in bottle. Use often for soft hands.

Luscious Lavender Night Cream for Hands Recipe

If you work outside a lot this is the ideal answer to sore chapped hands and weather-beaten skin.

• 1 tablespoon Avocado or Apricot oil
• 1 tablespoon Almond oil
• 3 tablespoons lanolin
• 1 teaspoon oil of Lavender

Put the lanolin in an ovenproof bowl and place in a roasting pan full of hot water. Pour in the Avocado and Almond oils and beat well to completely combine.

Remove from the heat and continue to beat as the mixture cools and thickens. Add the oil of Lavender. Continue beating until mixture is thick and creamy and cool. Pour into a small pot, cover and store in the fridge. Vitamin E can be added by squeezing the contents of 2 or 3 capsules as the same stage as oil of Lavender is added.

Get your dried, organic herbs, organic essential oils, bulk spices, loose leaf organic teas and aromatherapy supplies at the place where we shop – StarWest Botanicals!

DIY Treatments for Feet

Rosemary, Lavender, Sage Foot Cream

This formula is perfect for dry skin on feet. Rub it in well after a softening foot bath. Use Beeswax granules as they dissolve much faster than solid blocks of Beeswax which have to be grated to melt quickly.

• 2 tbsps white Beeswax granules
• 2 tbsps Cocoa Butter
• 6 tbsps Apricot kernal oil
• 10 drops Rosemary essential oil
• 10 drops Lavender essential oil
• 10 drops Sage essential oil
• 15 drops Evening Primrose essential oil

Melt the Beeswax and Cocoa Butter in the top half of a double boiler over boiling water, stirring gently until the wax has dissolved completely. Warm the Apricot oil in another small pan and add it slowly to the first mixture, beating constantly. Remove from the heat and add the essential oils and Evening Primrose oil. Pour into small jars or tins and store in a cool, dark place to keep it fresh.

CocoMango Foot Bar

It’s made from a melt & pour base and people love it because of the scent and the fresh coconut it contains. It makes a great summer treat for feet.

• 1 lb (16 ounces) goat milk melt & pour base soap
• 1/2 cup fresh coconut, grated and toasted
• 2 ounces mango butter
• about 2 tablespoons coconut fragrance oil (optional)

1. First, grate the coconut into flakes. Fresh coconut is best but you can use packaged (which is already grated). Toast the coconut in a warm oven until it is golden brown and a little crunchy. Watch carefully to make sure you don’t burn the coconut. When it is golden, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool. Grind it in a grinder or food processor. Set aside.

2. Chop the melt & pour base soap into chunks and melt it over a double boiler. Stir slowly until it is nearly melted. Remove from heat.

3. In a separate container, melt the mango butter. Pour the melted butter over the melted soap base. Then, sprinkle the coconut on top. (The coconut will soak up most of the melted mango butter which will help prevent formation of a film on the underside of your bars of soap.)

4. Add the fragrance oil last and stir it all together. It will begin to cool and thicken. Once it is thick enough for some of the coconut to suspend throughout the base, pour it into individual molds. I use 4.25 ounce molds. Not all of the coconut will suspend in the soap; some of it will sink toward the bottom. This is OK because it will work itself into the soap as it is used.

5. For molds, you can use molds designed especially for soap if you’d like. I use Dole Fruit single serving cups, which make a nice and inexpensive bar that is easy to handle in the bath.

Luscious Feet of Fancy Cream

This is a really rich and thick cream to start getting those tootsies in tip-top summer shape! As always, aromatics are optional.

• 1.8 oz. shea butter
• 1 ounce sweet almond oil
• 1 ounce coconut oil
• 1.5 ounces emulsifying wax
• 1/2 ounce stearic acid
• 4.2 ounces distilled water
• 10 drops peppermint essential oil

Phase A: Place first 5 ingredients in a heat proof (I use Pyrex) 16 ounce glass measuring cup. Phase B: Place remaining ingredients except the essential oils in another heat proof 16 ounce glass measuring cup. Place each cup in a separate double boiler to warm the water in Phase B and completely melt the waxes in Phase B. When the waxes are completely melted, remove both Phases from heat. Use an electric mixer to combine the two Phases by pouring Phase A into Phase B in a steady stream. Feet of Fancy should form in just a few minutes.

Allow to cool for about 5 minutes before adding essential oil. Pour into clean jars and allow to cool for a few minutes before capping. Massage generously into clean feet. At night, you can cover your newly moisturized tootsies in some cotton socks and you will awaken with the softest feet ever. Enjoy!

Peppermint Footbath Recipe

Relief from hot aching feet can be obtained by adding 1 drop of Peppermint Oil to a bowl of lukewarm water (or sit on the edge of the bath with a few inches of water in the bottom) and let the feet soak for 15 minutes. Peppermint is very fast acting because it contains natural menthol, which is incredibly cooling.

This recipe is from “Aromatherapy For Women” by Maggie Tisserand.

Herbal Foot Bath

You’ll need:

• 1 cup sea salt or Epsom salts
• dried Chamomile, Sage and Mint, tbsp. or so each

Place the Herbs in a glass bowl or jar. Pour over 2 cups of boiling water. Steep for 15-30 minutes. In a tub, basin or large bowl add the salt with warm water–enough to cover your feet. Strain the Herbs out and add that infusion to the tub with the salted water. Soak your feet for 10-15 minutes. Pat dry and use a good lotion or salt scrub.

How to Make a Cracked Heel Balm

Very good for dry cracked skin – especially handy for cracked heels.

Base:

• 300 mls water
• 30 mls sago or tapioca

Boil together for approximately 20 minutes then strain and allow to cool. It will form a gel.

Use 150mls of this gel and add the following:

• 25mls wheatgerm oil
• 25mls Avocado oil
• 4 drops Rose oil
• 4 drops Tea Tree oil
• 4 drops Roman Chamomile oil

Ballerina Butter Recipe

• 30 grams peppermint hydrosol
• 20 grams distilled water
• 10 grams rose hydrosol (Bulgarian is my favorite!)
• 1/8 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1 teaspoon borax
• 4 grams  calophyllum inophyllum oil (also called tamanu oil)
• 16 grams almond oil
• 2 grams lecithin
• 4 grams vegetable emulsifying wax
• 4 grams mimosa wax (or substitute beeswax)
• 10 drops peppermint essential oil
• 20 drops spearmint essential oil
• 6 drops tea tree essential oil or manuka essential oil

Combine the hydrosols, water, xanthan gum and borax in a heat proof (I use Pyrex) glass measuring cup with a pour spout. Place the mixture in a slowly boiling hot water bath until they are hot, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Place the calophyllum, almond oil, lecithin and wax in a separate, larger heat proof container. Place the mixture in a hot water bath until the waxes are melted. Remove from heat. After stirring the oils/waxes together to make sure they are evenly combined, begin stirring the oil/wax mixture with an electric mixer on medium speed and add the water mixture as you stir. You will see the mixture begin to thicken as you blend it. Continue mixing until until Ballerina Butter is thick and rich. This should take about 5-10 minutes at most.

To use, massage into cleaned and freshly pampered feet and ankles to soothe and refresh.

Peppermint Lavender Foot Glow Scrub Recipe

The peppermint oil is nice and tingly and the lavender oil cuts it with a soft sweetness … the combination is very pleasant.

• 1 1/2 cups sea salt
• 1/4 cup sweet almond oil
• 2 drops peppermint essential oil
• 3 drops lavender essential oil

Combine the sea salt and almond oil and stir well to mix. If the mixture seems dry and does not hold well together in your hands, add almond oil by the tablespoon until you can scoop it comfortably. Add the essential oils last and stir well.

Rub Peppermint Lavender Foot Glow Scrub vigorously all over your feet and ankles. Pay special attention to your heels and the soles of your feet so they are thoroughly exfoliated. Rinse well with warm water and follow with a rich lotion or cream. Sleep in socks so the moisturizer is absorbed well into your skin.

Beach Sand Foot Scrub Recipe

• 2 Tablespoons Canola oil
• 2 Tablespoons beach sand
• 3-4 drops Rosemary oil

Combine and mix into a paste using a fork. Massage scrub onto feet, concentrating on problem areas. Rinse off with warm water and pat dry.

Taking Care of Your Feet in Winter

Winter is the time when our feet are always covered up. Sweaty feet, cold feet, uncomfortable boots, shoes that don’t fit, man-made boots and materials, so, take your shoes off. Sit back and work on those two feet and make them beautiful!

Now, more than ever, is the time to take care of those tootsies! Bones form the basic structure of our feet. There are 26 bones in each foot alone. Here are some good general tips for all feet:

* Wash your feet daily. Rinse off all soap and dry thoroughly, especially between toes.
* Trim nails straight across, and not too short. Don’t cut out or dig at corners.
* Do not trim, shave, or use over-the-counter medicines to dissolve corns or calluses
* Wear clean socks or stockings, changed daily. Don’t wear any that are too short or too tight.
* Wear shoes that fit.
* Wear shoes made of leather or canvas – not synthetics.
* Switch shoes from day to day.
* Use foot powder.
* See your doctor if severe problems persist.
* Get a manicure –Set aside twenty dollars or so to get a manicure AND pedicure. It is so worth it!
* Scrub those feet –Make sure you are exfoliating the tops, sides, and bottoms of your feet at least twice a week in the shower.
* Foot refresher –After soaking feet in warm water, massage feet with a mixture of 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 1 tablespoon crushed dried peppermint. Remove with a warm, damp washcloth.
* Hangnails –Pierce a 400 IU-vitamin E capsule and massage a drop into hangnail to soften and speed healing.
* For nails that are nourished from the inside out –Try supplementing your already healthy eating plan with MSM. This natural sulfur source from the sea speeds the growth of your hair and nails.
* Exfoliate your feet! –Use a loofah sponge to exfoliate tops, sides and bottom of your feet. Remember to scrub all of your toes too.
* After drying with a fluffy towel, apply your favorite moisturizer generously and then put on a thick (warm from the dryer) pair of socks on for a pampered feeling.
* Give your nails a break –Take off your acrylic nails and let your fingertips breathe. It will take a while for them to recover, but it is a healthier (and less expensive) way to maintain your nails.
* Bath Trim! –After showing or bathing, trim your toenails and smooth any rough edges with a file.
* Use a pumice stones on calluses and make it a habit to use a foot file on the bottom of your feet and heals at least once a week. This will keep your feet ready for any sandal at any time.
* Natural nail file –Use a popsicle stick to file your natural nails.
* To help your nail polish glide on –Dip a cotton ball in a facial astringent to remove any excess oil on your nails. Your polish will go on much smoother.
* Foot calluses –Always use a pumice stone. Do not use razors or other cutters.

Seasonal Healing is one of the best ways to remind ourselves that it is time to evaluate our health. Our moods and bodies change as the seasons change.

Natural Skin Care Based on Science

Your skin is the largest organ in your body. What you put on it can have a profound impact on your overall health over the long term. That’s why every ingredient in your skincare product needs to be carefully chosen … to feed your skin with essential nutrients.

Did you know that many skincare products contain only tiny amounts of certain active ingredients, just so they can add them to the label? Or that many popular and expensive skincare products can actually damage your skin?

Isn’t it time to learn more about what a truly effective Skin Care Line SHOULD do and SHOULD contain?
Why do we promote this?