Whether you are a Game of Thrones fan or not….. “winter is coming!” I always love the fall and spend time preparing for the colder months even if in our part of the country there seems to be less and less days spent battling much cold! This is the time to gather herbs and oils and make wonderful body products that are natural and will help you with skin and hair issues as the weather changes.
Last year I surprised my friends with my homemade Lavender Milk baths. So many were delighted to get such a simple and thoughtful gift. Over this year I have been thanked over and over for those milk baths, and it reminded me of a time growing up when almost everything we ever gave as gifts were indeed homemade! Going forward, I am making that a tradition now that my garden and experience has gifted me the opportunity to make homemade items that I once upon a time had no clue how to make and spent a lot of money accumulating. We live and learn!
During the winter months we need to moisturize more and scrub off dead skin cells too. I have put together a set of fantastic recipes that you’re sure to love. Each has the scents of autumn & winter that perfectly goes with this time of the year! They are easy to make items that you will perhaps want to duplicate and make for your friends. Best for all….most of the ingredients you already have at home and I’ll bet did not even know you could make from scratch and at pennies on the dollar compared to store bought and maybe less effective beauty products!
Let’s start with my Rejuvenating Nutmeg and Frankincense Rosemary Scalp Oil. This oil treats your senses as well as moisturizes your scalp. This should be made in a glass container that can be sealed and shook prior to use and stored safely away from where it can get broken.
You’’ll need: 4 tbs olive oil
4 sprigs of fresh Rosemary from the garden stripped off the stems
2 teaspoons of Nutmeg
8-10 drops of Frankincense
Glass container that seals
Mix all ingredients together and store under your bathroom sink. Shake and disperse into your scalp massaging into the hair. Wrap in a warm towel from the dryer and let sit for 15 mins then shampoo as usual.
Nothing says wintertime more than my Macha Green Tea and Pepperminty Sugar Hand and Body Scrub! Just grab a bowl from the kitchen, add 2 cups of white sugar and a packet of Macha Green Tea powder with 4 heaping tablespoons of coconut oil. Squish all that together and then add a generous dollop of peppermint oil! These are green and pretty and when tied with a red ribbon make perfect teacher gifts!
Lips and elbows need extra love too during the colder months and my Honey, Cinnamon and Brown Sugar Scrub is the best for taking care of those tiny spots! you can scoop this into little jars as well and make them into great stocking stuffers!
You’ll need: 6 heaping tbs of brown sugar
1/4 cup of olive oil
5 tbs of raw honey
2 tbs of ground cinnamon
Combine all ingredients into a bowl and then spoon into tiny jars for gifting!
Cleansing oils are all the rage and in the coming months I’ll be sharing with you my recipes for many different ones and their uses. My favorite Fall body oil is made from goodness in the garden and cupboard! I like the extra emollient avocado oil combined with simple ingredients such as teas and spices. This needs to sit for a week or so to infuse together and makes a nice bath oil that smells of fall and is good for your skin all over!
I recommend a sealable jar or bottle that can be easily poured into the bath. This one looks fantastic subside too! You’ll need: the bottle
10 oz avocado oil
two pods of autumn tea blend cut open and in leaves
3 tbs of vanilla oil
4 sticks of cinnamon
1 tbs of cloves
1 spring of mint from the garden
Combine all ingredients into the bottle allowing the cinnamon sticks, cloves, tea and mint to sit in there and be a part of decoration. Place cheese cloth over spout of bottle and pour into warm bath!
Another fantastic way to use fresh Rosemary from the garden is with my sea salt soak! These are super easy to make and also can be bottled for jarred up to make beautiful and memorable gifts! In order to make my French Lavender and Fresh Rosemary Sea Salt Soak you’ll need : 2 cups of Kosher Sea Salt (I like the rocky kind)
4 tbs of dried lavender seeds
4 springs of fresh rosemary stripped off the stems
20 drops of lavender oil
Combine all ingredients together and set beside the bath tub. Use 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of sea salt soak per each bath.
I hope each of these recipes makes it into your fall and winter kitchens and hopefully into the expecting hands of your friends and family. They are all lovely in their own ways and whether you need moisturizing, sloughing, cleansing or scrubbing…there’s always something fresh to find in your kitchen and garden to whip up and enjoy!
Happy Finds!
