DIY Bath Bombs
Fun
to make, and even more fun to use! We researched a lot of
recipes before we settled on this one, and we think it's the best.
Here's how to make it.
- 1
cup baking soda (sifted, if lumpy)
- 1/2
cup cornstarch
- 1/2
cup citric acid
- 1/4
cup epsom salt (optional)
- 2 1/2
tbsps. sweet almond, jojoba or apricot kernel oil
- 3/4
tsp. water
- 2
tsps. essential or fragrance oil
- small
spray bottle of witch hazel
Combine
and whisk dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.
Combine liquid ingredients in a separate small bowl.
Drizzle and simultaneously whisk liquid ingredients into dry
ingredients. As the oils are lighter than the water, that's
what you'll be whisking in first. When you get to the point
that you're adding water to the mixture, whisk a little more
vigorously: the water will start to react with the baking soda and
citric acid, and you want to make sure the fizzing is promptly
smothered so it doesn't get out of hand. Toss the entire
mixture several times by hand to make sure everything is thoroughly
incorporated. Pack firmly into molds and tap out onto a sheet
of waxed
or freezer paper. Very lightly mist the tops of the bombs
with witch
hazel for a nice hard outer crust. Let sit 8 hours or
overnight. Turn bombs over and lightly mist the bottoms with
witch
hazel. Let sit 4-6 hours or overnight, and you're done!
Tips and suggestions. Rounded molds are easiest to use
because the bombs will tap out easily. An old tea cup will
work
nicely. There are lots of fun things you can add
for color, if desired. 1/4 tsp. of tumeric, for
example, will give you a nice bright yellow, or you could
try adding food coloring to the liquid ingredients. Instead
of epsom salt, you could use 1/4 cup powdered milk or oat flour for
extra skin
conditioning. Have fun, experiment! If you want to
get the bath bomb ingredients ready before you actually plan
to make them, you can combine all the liquid ingredients in
the small bowl and all the dry ingredients except
the citric acid in the large bowl. Add the citric
acid only when you are ready to make the bombs. And
last, if
you have any scrapes or cuts on your hands, wear rubber or latex gloves
when handling the bomb ingredients. The citric acid will
sting a
bit if it comes in contact with broken skin.
And if that's not helpful enough, you can watch my totally hilarious bath
bomb making video!
Note: every ingredient except the citric acid can easily
be obtained at grocery and health food stores.
Citric acid is hard to find retail (and expensive
when
you do find it),
but it's readily available and economical to buy
online.
DIY Seaweed
Facial Mask
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to top
As I have "more mature" skin, the biggest skin problem I have is
dryness. Most of my body needs to be
well-moisturized.
My face is another matter, however. I
have combination facial skin. Oily in the center and
normal-to-dry everywhere else. Until now, I've never found a
satisfactory way to address both conditions with a single
treatment.
But I've been experimenting with a widely-used spa treatment that
really
seems to
do the trick. Seaweed facial masks can be beneficial for all
skin types, and are claimed to help detoxify, nourish, and rejuvenate
the skin.
It leaves
my skin looking and feeling great. Clean and clear with a
healthy
glow; smooth and toned, not tight or dry. Here's
the simple do-it-yourself recipe I adapted from a
number
of other recipes I researched. The
ingredients are easily available from any health food store, and it
makes enough for three or four masks. Recipe can be halved if
desired.
- 2 tbsps. sea kelp
powder
- 1 tbsp. aloe vera gel
- 1 tbsp. honey
- water or other liquid
as needed
- essential oil if
desired
Directions.
Combine sea kelp, aloe vera gel, and honey in small bowl and
stir with a fork to combine. (Tip: adding
the aloe
vera
gel before the honey leaves a coating of aloe vera on the
spoon that enables
the honey to slip off easily.)
Add water about a
teaspoonful at at time, stirring well after each
addition to break up any clumps and achieve the consistency of
a smooth thick paste. If you'd like to use something other
than water, you might try milk. Or
carrot juice. Or aloe vera juice. Although
essential oil is not necessary, it helps neutralize the scent of the
sea
kelp. I use a few drops of tea tree oil for its natural
antiseptic properties.
Apply the mask mixture to
your face. Wait 15-20 minutes, then
rinse off with lukewarm water and enjoy how healthy and fresh your skin
looks! And a special note to the men: the mask is great as a
pre-
or post-shave skin conditioner. Use before shaving and your
shaver or razor will glide easily and smoothly across your skin.
Use after shaving for maximum skin conditioning
benefit.
Et voila! The creature from the black lagoon is transformed!
It doesn't get rid of wrinkles, but it sure does make me feel
good. Clean, toned, relaxed, and radiant!
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With
the cold and flu
season upon us and the extra concern about swine
flu this year, little but critical precautions such as regular hand
washing are especially important. The Mayo Clinic recommends
plain soap (not
antibacterial soap!) and alcohol-based hand sanitizer for situations
where soap may not be available.
Making your own is easy. All you need is aloe vera gel, grain
alcohol, and tea tree essential oil.
- Mix
together 1/4 cup of aloe vera gel and 1/4 cup plus one
tablespoon of
grain alcohol. (It's important that the solution is at least
60
percent grain alcohol.)
- Stir
in five or six drops of tea tree essential oil.
- If
you don't care for the scent of the tea tree oil, add the same amount
of an essential oil you like to counterbalance it. We suggest
lemongrass, orange, or lavender as essential oils that are readily
available and blend nicely with tea tree.
Then
just pour the solution into an empty plastic bottle that will fit
inside your purse, briefcase, book bag or backpack, and you've
got your own personal hand sanitizer for convenient use
whenever you're out and about.
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