Your body is a miracle and a gift – be grateful for it. Don’t compare yourself with media images and start loving yourself.
You don’t need the most expensive products or a complicated beauty routine. Your body responds to the simplest steps. Many of these products can be made in your home, as I mentioned in one of my previous articles.
In just twenty minutes you can get the very best relaxing remedy to soak your stresses away. Then again, if you have only got three minutes to spare, a fast shower can rejuvenate every pore of your body.
True lovers of beauty rituals — the Japanese — prefer to shower first, using scrubs and aromas to cleanse, waken and renew the body, then step into a restful bath of oils and tonics that will pamper and nourish body and soul.
Cleanse — Take a bath or shower with a liquid soap that smells heavenly. Choose a fragrance you like and best suited to your needs.
To make it yourself – Use a bottle of inexpensive, unscented shampoo or liquid soap and add 25 drops of an essential oil of your choice.
If you cannot buy essential oils you can always brew herbs, flower petals or fruit peels the way you would brew tea. Let the ingredients soak in the water for half an hour before separating them by pouring the liquid through a sieve.
Scrub — Keep your skin soft and supple by using salt, sugar or a rough brush in the bath. Brush the product in a circular motion over your body. Give yourself smoother, brighter skin, better circulation and a super-charged lymphatic drainage system.
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This encourages healthy circulation to reduce cellulite. Overusing a scrub will make your skin tender or dry, so only do this once a week. To make it yourself — Mix a cup of honey with eight drops of vanilla essential oil.
Then add eight cups of brown sugar or salt. Stir the mixture until it holds together in your hand in a moist ball without dripping through your fingers. You can even flavour your scrubs with coffee or cocoa for body treatments that smell divine.
Moisture — Apply body cream straight after your bath or shower after patting (not rubbing) your skin dry with a towel.
This way your skin is still slightly damp, and extra water is locked in by the cream. Make it yourself – Put one cup of shea or cocoa butter in a saucepan and melt it on the stove over the lowest heat setting.
Add half a cup of olive oil and mix well. Take the pan off the stove and let the mixture cool for half an hour until it’s nearly solid. Then add one teaspoon of vitamin E oil and also a few drops of fragrance. Mix well.
Face facts — use a rich moisturiser which will nourish your skin and combat dryness during winter. Avoid toner or any products that contain alcohol.
For a more radiant look, remove dead skin cells by exfoliating two to three times per week. If your skin is particularly dry and sensitive, use a gentle scrub.
Opt for creamy soaps as harsh gel or soaps may strip skin, stripping surface oils that help to main the balance of your skin of its moisture and dry out skin further-(Soaps and detergents with a high Ph, notably SLS and SLES (Sodium laurel/laurel sulphate). Know your skin type and find out what extra products to use.
When you don’t have time, money or inclination to go to a spa, taking a bath is the easiest and cheapest alternative, and the results are as good. When you are tired and stressed take a long bath and turn your cellphone off.
Have a cup of herbal tea (chamomile) some bath oil/ essential oil/ and candles. Keep the water hot as this relaxes your muscles and helps ease any soreness.
Close your eyes and just drift away, sipping your tea. Stay in for at least 15 minutes. Let the calming effect of the herbs and hot water have time to work on your weary body.
The beauty secret of aloe — Aloe Vera helps in improving the absorption thus promoting better nutrients absorption and cleansing.
Aloe Vera is rich in electrolyte, polysaccharides and mono sac- charades and amino acid which help in preserving moisture and rejuvenating the skin collagen.
It can effectively reduce the appearance of wrinkles; make the skin soft, supple and elastic. Aloe Vera is rich in antioxidants which help in slowing down the ageing process of the skin. The appearance of the rough, dry, dull and freckled skin is a sign of aging.
For lovely legs — Use soaps that contain moisturiser to keep your skin hydrated. Splash your legs with water or mist it on lightly with a bottle before applying body cream.
For elbow and knees — Keep these rough parts constantly moisturised with body cream. If the discolouration is bad, consider using a brightening beauty cream.
For a sexy back — use a brush with a long wooden handle so you can clean and scrub your back. Mix a tiny amount of mint toothpaste and baking soda. Dap this on when you are home and sleep with it overnight.
Make small quantities at a time to avoid wastage as these homemade body products do not contain the preservatives that store-bought products do. Until next week. Stay fabulous.
