Lavender benefits and uses.

Lavender is used in many natural bath and body products, in different forms. It is highly prized in the natural beauty market. Here are just a few ways to use lavender in your natural beauty world.....

DRIED IN SACHETS:
As a relaxing herb, dried and placed in small pillows or sachets pinned to ones pillow, or sewn in a sleep mask it is said to promote sleep naturally, and aid in mild insomnia.

BATH BOMBS, BATH SALTS
Grind up the dried bud in a coffee bean grinder and add it to bath bombs and bath salts. It transforms the bath treat into a simply lovely, extraordinary luxury bath.  You can add lavender essential oil to the mixture as well to enhance the aroma. This is said to not only relax and promote good sleep, but aids in headache relief naturally.

1 to 2 cups of epsom salts for a standard sized tub,  and up to 10 drops of lavender essential oil in warm water bath is known to help with muscle aches, restlessness, and promote circulation as the magnesium (naturally occurring mineral in epsom salt) and lavender soak in.   Just so you know, epsom salt baths are not for everyone. Generally they are not recommended for people with heart problems, high blood pressure or diabetes, so always check with your Dr. if you have any health issues.

ANTI BACTERIAL properties of lavender make it a great addition to homemade soap recipes intended to aid in acne relief as it inhibits the bacteria on the surface of the skin.  You can also rub a drop of lavender essential oil on minor bug bites to disinfect, aid in itch relief and promote healing.
ANTI FUNGAL: For a foot soak to help in fungal relief such as athletes foot, add a few drops in warm soapy water.  For a refreshing, regenerating foot soak, add 1/2 cup epsom salt to warm water and lavender.

HEALING: The anti bacterial and anti fungal properties in lavender ward off infection and help reduce scarring and promote healing, so go ahead and use it on cuts, scrapes and insect bites.

FACIAL STEAM:  Do a natural beauty facial steam with lavender essential oil. Pour hot water in a bowl, add a few drops of lavender e.o. to water, drape a towel over your head to trap steamy-lavender mist on your face. Cleanses, promotes circulation, anti-bacterial help for acne.  I like to add green tea to a lavender facial.   More info on facial steaming and a green tea recipe.

SOLID LOTION BARS:
If you make solid lotion bars, try lavender essential oil in them. I keep one on my nightstand and use it before bed to help promote sleep.  The natural oils and butters in the solid lotion pair splendidly with the natural lavender oil to make a skin nourishing, health promoting lotion bar.

I bought my last lavender from a farm in Oregon where it is organically grown. It is by far the most fragrant variety I have used, and very affordably priced. I pinned it in a sachet to my pillow and just barely roll the buds around and the fragrance is intense!

If you'd like to purchase this same lavender click  HERE.

This is an informational blog post, it is not meant to diagnose, or replace the advice of your doctor.


Some sources and more good info:
Medical News Today
WebMd
Everything Lavender

Merry Christmas !

Merry Christmas 

from my family to yours !

We thank God for His unspeakable Gift,

His Son, Jesus Christ.

In whom we find forgiveness of  sin, healing of heart and body, and HOPE !

Natural facial care: Cleansing Grains

All natural Cleansing Grains are a way to naturally cleanse your face without harsh chemicals, and skin drying detergents. All natural goodness, simply applied, leaving you with glowing youthful skin.

Serving two purposes in one natural product, these hugely popular grains are becoming well known in the natural beauty world.   Not only can they be used as a lovely cleanser, but also as a
beautifying, de-tox face mask that does not strip natural oils.

The various grains, botanicals and oils used in each recipe allows for individual skin needs.

At Natures Home Spa we have found them to be an AMAZING product.   From problem skin to normal/combination skin to maturing skin, Cleansing Grains are a unique and extraordinary natural skin care product.  One step cleansing.  How easy is that.

First, the desired natural ingredients are gathered.  This can include botanicals such as rose petals, rose hips, lavender etc.  Clays can be added.  Grains like oats and gram flour are added along with skin nourishing oils like Tamanu, rose hip, carrot, sunflower, jojoba etc.  Ground almonds, etc.

This combination cleanses, exfoliates, and nourishes skin. 

Why exfoliate?  Exfoliating helps the natural process of skin renewal as it removes the dead, dry skin cells, dirt, and oils that clog our pores, stimulating cell regeneration,  and increasing circulation. Skin is softer and smoother looking and feeling, as well as healthier, enabling it to perform it's duties in detoxing and protecting our face. Facial skin is now prepared to absorb and be nourished by the natural ingredients of the grains.

What exactly are Cleansing Grains then?  They are a unique recipe of collected natural ingredients ground together to create a lovely powdery-grainy product, that you hydrate with water and apply to your wet face.

You massage it in and rinse off as a cleanser,  or you leave it on for a few minutes  to dry, then

simply rinse off. 

Skin is left cleansed, de-toxed, hydrated and most importantly not stripped of it's natural oils. 

HOW TO HYDRATE and ACTIVATE GRAINS:

Simply use water or...

You can get creative and can hydrate your grains with milk, or fresh fruit like mashed banana, peaches, strawberries for your own individualized facial mask.  Cultured milks like yogurt, sour cream and buttermilk also make a nice hydrator.     

HOW TO USE:

CLEANSER: You put a scant 1/4 tsp in the palm of your hand, add a few drops of warm water and mix in your palm. Apply to damp face. Massage in, rinse in warm water, ending with a splash of cool water.

MASK:  Use  1/4 - 1/2 tsp grains in palm or small ramekin sized bowl, mix with desired hydrator, (water, milk etc)  massage into skin, allow to dry, rinse off. 

Natural grains, herbs, botanicals, and oils are a lovely way to cleanse, restore, heal, and keep your skin healthy An ounce  will cleanse your face 22 times to my count !   You will be astonished after one use,  your skin will feel soft, hydrated and healthy.

Enjoy,  Anna

November Soap Give-A-Way Winner: Chris Bronson, from Az.

                  CONGRATULATIONS TO:   CHRIS BRONSON FROM ARIZONA !

Chris your name was chosen for this months soapy give-a-way! 

 Contact me to choose your soapy prize!

Thank you everyone for your participation,  please try again in the new soap give-a-way in January !

Anna

RMS Titanic Soap reproduction

Here at Natures Home Spa I have been researching and working on recreating the original soap recipe of the luxury soap exclusively given to the First Class passengers on the RMS Titanic owned by White Star Line in 1912.

Originally called Vinolia, this soap was given to those considered to be the richest, most prominent
people of their time. As they were used to the best, the Titanic owners naturally wanted them to
have the best soap as well.

This soap was an expensive soap for it's time.  Priced at .35cents and scented with lemon
and rose, it was not a soap affordable to the common class.  History shows it as being
a soap supplied to Queen Elizabeth.

This soap is made in England today, with the same shape and scent as the original, but it appears
the recipe has changed from the original as the company changed ownership over the years.
It version now contains petroleum oil.

I set out to reproduce as close as I could the original recipe.  After much research, this is my version of the famous vintage soap used on the R.M.S. Titanic.  My bar is rectangular, the original was oval.

Take a step back in time and experience what a privileged traveler on the worlds most famous ocean liner would have.

A small piece of history:   The ad below is the exact reproduction of the ad published in the
April 6, 1912 edition of the London Illustrated News, 9 days before the fated Liner sunk.
This ad was never printed in color or in a variation of the original here and is now in public domain.

You can view or purchase this soap in my Etsy shop, where each soap is labeled with this vintage ad,
and comes with a brief description of the soap and it's journey.

Enjoy,   Anna

New Soaper Shout-Out and Soap Give-A-Way !

Melissa from sunny California USA is a new soaper that recently made some awesome soap with recipes from Natures Home Spa. They came out so great that I had to share them, and it gave me an idea....

If you make any recipes from this blog, PLEASE contact me via comment or contact box found on the right (scroll down), and I will be happy to share your lovely natural bath and body creations.
Also, creativity of your own is totally acceptable ! Look at Melissa's adaptation of my "Mocha Cafe". Love it.

If you are a new soaper and just want to share your soap pictures and story, contact me, I'd love to blog about them!

In addition I will enter you into a blog-give-away of one of my newest natural soaps, Melissa you are entered!

You also can enter for soap give-a-way simply by leaving a comment below !

Great job Melissa, thanks for sharing your lovely soaps!

To enter your own creations please leave a comment or use the contact box on the right of blog post to send me pictures!

Winner will be drawn November 30th 2013.

Frankincense and Myrrh Soap: How to use Frankincense resin in your homemade soap

Frankincense and Myrrh, two ancient resins still used today that bring to mind the costly gifts given to the Christ child some 2,000 years ago.  

 I have long wanted to use these in a homemade soap recipe.

This particular soap I made has fragrance oil and essential oils in it.

You can use Frankincense resin, also known as tears, in your homemade soap.

Here's how:

1) freeze your Frankincense tears over night

2) grind them into a powder in a coffee bean grinder or other electric type grinder

3) you can now use this powder directly in your soap batter, or dissolve it in hot water 

Frankincense is used in wrinkle creams, lotions, emulsifying scrubs, and ointments as it rejuvenates the skin, perking up older skin, as an astringent for younger acne prone skin, and a calming, soothing effect overall.

FYI:  Frankincense will dissolve in water or alcohol.  Hot water dissolves it quicker.  A higher grade of Frankincense will still be a bit gummy in the center and opaque in color.

Soothing Bath Fizzy Bomb

Updated 9/6/16  Feeling the need to relax, I got out the ingredients to make a new bath fizzy bomb recipe.  I wanted a soothing, skin softening fizzy bomb.. Here's what I came up with.....

First I chose a warm and cozy-up fragrance, Black Raspberry Vanilla. Perfect.  

Then I chose my ingredients:  Citric acid which is an organic acid from citrus fruits that neutralizes the trace metals in water making it S O F T !

Then baking soda which is known to soften skin naturally as well as soothe. Love it. It is the combination of the citric acid and baking soda which causes the lovely fizzing in a bath bomb.

Corn starch which is another natural skin soother, and makes the water just a bit creamy.

Epsom salts another lovely skin soother and muscle relaxer that packs a magnesium punch!

Just a small amount of grapeseed oil was added to bring extra moisturizing, not greasy at all.

HOW:

Whatever size batch you choose to make, keep the citric acid and baking soda at a 1 : 2 ratio. Meaning if you use 1 cup citric acid, you need to use 2 cups baking soda. To that I add 1/2 cup corn starch. Blend dry portion well.
The liquid portion is .3 oz water, .3 oz witchazel, 1.3 oz grapeseed oil, .4 oz fragrance (optional)
Combine all your liquids and drizzle into your dry mix as you stir with a whisk.
A pastry cutter works good too. Mixture should be the consistency of damp sand
and hold together after squeezing it in the palm of your hand.
Put mixture into your mold, and pat down. Pop it gently out and allow to dry overnight. You can sprinkle dried rose petals in the bottom of the mold before adding mixture for a home spa feel!

If you make bath fizzy bombs, try this variation, you'll love it.  If you'd rather not make these goodies yourself, you can purchase them in my Etsy shop.

Tea Tree and Orange Soap acne and blemish recipe

Today I am sharing my Tea Tree and Orange blemish bar recipe that I created for my teens. It is a Hot Process homemade soap recipe that is made in a crock pot, cooked the old fashioned way.

100% natural soap that can be used on the face without fear of drying. There is a certain amount of toning, astringent here, but not the sort of drying out that actually causes the oil glands to produce more oil, hence the cycle of breakouts.  Filled with skin loving and nourishing as well as healing oils, butters and essential oils. All the natural glycerin is left in homemade soap, leaving in the natural moisturizing benefits. Commercial soaps remove this natural wonder, leaving you with a bar of detergent.  Now, I'll tell you why I made this formula....

First the recipe: 
7.8 oz  olive oil (best oil for your base in a soap recipe. Hardens bar. Mild, gentle cleanser.) (30.8%)
6.5 oz  lard  ( hardens the bar and is very moisturizing, does NOT clog pores ) (25.6%)
5 oz  coconut oil  ( hardens bar, boosts lather ) (19.7 %)
1.5 oz  avocado butter ( Top notch moisturizer. On a scale of 1-10, it is a 9 ) (5.9 %)
1.5 oz  castor oil ( fabulous skin conditioner, boosts bubbles ) (5.9 %)
1  oz beeswax  ( antioxidant, antibacterial, holds in moisture, protects and softens skin) (3.9 %)
1  oz grapeseed oil (nice conditioner, has the ability to absorb quickly pulling other oils under the skin)
1  oz canola oil (hardens the bar better than sunflower oil, does not clog pores, stretches your olive oil)

8.35 oz distilled water
3.35 oz lye  (superfatted at 6% using Brambleberry's lye calc)

NOTE: my olive oil was infused with fresh rosemary, here's how to do it, it's not hard.

2 tsp Bentonite clay     ( An effective healing clay, with a fine velveteen feel. Odorless.  Absorbs
      and removes toxins and impurities. )

1 oz    (or less .5 oz )   Tea Tree essential oil also known as melaleuka oil, a powerful antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal oil that has the awesome ability to kill the bacteria that cause acne development. You can actually dab Tea Tree directly on a blemish.

 .5 oz   Orange essential oil  is anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, helps promote healthy, smooth skin as
  well as helps with acne and dermatitis. Improves skin tone and texture. Vitamin C is great for your    skin. Refreshing, uplifting scent!

Total oil weight:  25.3 oz
Yields:  37 oz of soap

Ok, our heavy hitters here are our Avocado butter, beeswax, Tea Tree and Orange oils. Along with the rosemary infused olive oil. If you don't want to make the infused oil, you can use Rosemary essential oil, just switch out a little of the Tea Tree for it.  Keep the total essential oils around 1.5 oz.

I mixed the Bentonite clay in a little of the oil, using a small frothing wisk to get out all clumps, and added it back to the melted oils. I then Hot Processed as normal. I added my lovely essential oils after the cook. I hot processed this specifically so I could add my essential oils in after the cook, after the lye had been neutralized to ensure full benefits of the oils.  This is a very aromatic bar, quite strong. 

This quality of a specialty blemish bar in any store would be quite pricey.  If you make it yourself you save money, and get a superb quality of natural goodness for your skin. Unbeatable.  So, if you have not Hot Processed soap yet, and been thinking about it, give it a try!

Here is a link to a tutorial I made on making Hot Processed crock pot soap, using only 3 oils. It is a great, bubbly, moisturizing recipe that I think you will love! 

Note:  You should always run a  recipe through a lye calculator before making it, or if you change a recipe in any way, please run your new recipe through a lye calculator before proceeding.  I use Bramble Berry's lye calc.

This is my personal soap recipe I use for my family. Not meant to diagnose or treat any skin ailment, I am not FDA approved! ha!

Any questions ?  Just leave a comment.  Enjoy !  Let me know if you make this wholesome bar!

      Anna 

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Natural Living Link up at Jill's Home Remedies 

Sandalwood Rose Rain soap

     Highly aromatic, this one! Lovely rose and sandalwood combination. Rich. Enticing and exotic.

Sandalwood is the rich and aromatic wood from the Santalum tree, highly cultivated. The Indian and the Australian are the two most noted varieties in this genus.

The interesting thing about Sandalwood is that it will keep its fragrance for decades, literally. That is unusual in a fragrant wood. It is a beautifully fine grained, yellow wood. It's East Indian wood source is becoming scarce making it very pricey.

In this recipe I used a fragrance oil blend that was infused with natural essential oils of Cedarwood, Patchoulli and sustainably harvested Sandalwood. Woodsy, musky and softened with the rose fragrance oil made a lovely rich exotic bar.  Very aromatic.

The "pencil line" you see is a dark cocoa. The almost indiscernible white creamy line is finely ground Jasmine rice. Soft and silky, not grainy.   Just a lovely Spa bar made with fresh Arizona rain and enriched with unrefined Shea butter for that additional luxury!

You can find this bar in my etsy shop.

One in a Mel'lion Shout Out !

I have tried One in a Mel'lion's soaps in the past, a gorgeous Sun Dried Tomato kitchen soap, so when Mel did a Fall Soap Give-a-Way for her Pumpkin Oatmeal homemade soap, I entered and crossed my fingers! And was tickled pink, (or pumpkin) that I won!

As a natural soap maker (Soaper) myself, I LOVE to try other Soaper's creations. It's kind of like having someone else make dinner for YOU. Know what I mean?  I so enjoy a good bar of homemade soap, ahhh....

Along with the awesome natural soap, I received two handmade Fall Leaves print washcloths.
Seriously, these washcloths are so soft,.... you know the kind that is SO absorbent and soft and fluffy, these are those!  I'm going to designate one for my facial cloth. Mine, mine, mine.

Her sewing creations are super nice, strong stitching, no skimping on fabric quality here.

   Really nice lather !

 Pumpkin, oat-y          scent.
        Love it.

      Thank you Mel from

   One in a Mel'lion

Pumpkin Puree in Homemade Soap Recipe

      Updated: 9/16/16 - Yes, you can put real pumpkin into your homemade soaps!  It makes a lovely bar of rich, creamy goodness. Make your own puree from fresh pumpkins, or pumpkin from a can.

originally published 8/22/13 updated 9/16/16

 Warm, homey and with a scent reminiscent of crisp fall mornings and toasty evenings at home.

I used canned pumpkin puree, yes, the kind that you make pies from. This was pure pumpkin puree, not the variety with spices added.  I made this hot process method in a crock pot and added the pumpkin at trace with a TBL of  honey. Frozen fresh goats milk and Arizona rain water for my liquid. (You can use all water for this recipe if you choose.)

vintage pumpkin seed package

This makes a hard, bubbly, moisturizing bar of soap.

Rich and creamy.  Absolutely decadent!  The lather is light tan.  I put real spice lines of ginger, and just a touch of cinnamon and cardamon. (optional) Spices alone are not strong enough to give a good scent when the soap is done, so I added some pumpkin fragrance oil. The result is a heavenly smelling, decadent bar that just makes you feel good to use.  You will love it.

__________________________________________________________________________________

2 oz beeswax

2 oz castor oil

12 oz coconut oil

12 oz olive oil
12 oz palm oil

2 oz canned pumpkin

1 TBL warmed honey at trace (optional)  FYI ... honey darkens the color of your soap

1.5 oz  to 2 oz  fragrance oil added after the cook. Strength of scent is your choice. 

5.5 oz lye   (6% superfatted using SoapCalc ) Always use gloves and glasses when working with lye (sodium hydroxide). I recommend long sleeve shirt as well, and an apron.

15.2 oz of liquid  ( I used 5 oz of frozen goats milk and 10.2 oz water)
__________________________________________________________________________________
NOTE:  You do not have to use goats milk if you don't choose too. 
You can use buttermilk or cow milk.     Freeze it first. 

frozen milk cubes

Always freeze your milk in cubes, this keeps temps down so your milk does not scorch. Next add water to milk cubes so that your total amount of milk and water is 15.2 oz
Then slowly pour your lye crystals into frozen milk/water,
stir until dissolved. 
It will turn orange, this is normal when using milks.

Don't want to use milk in your recipe at all? No problem...
Simply use the full liquid amount of 15.2 oz as water. This does not change the rest of the recipe.

I've noticed that using purees in my HP soaps makes the soap take a bit longer to get done,
this is normal. Relax and read a book, but don't walk away from a crock pot of cooking soap!

Always run a soap recipe through a lye calculator before making it yourself.   Be safe.

If you don't want to make this fresh Autumn soap yourself, check out my etsy shop. 

    Enjoy,  Anna

Fruit and Oatmeal Soap

   For a great fall inspired soap, I paired fruit preserves and oatmeal, and came up with a really great bar of soap.  The lather is fab.  And the soap is sooooo mild.  Warm with just a hint of fruit.

You can use your favorite basic soap recipe and add fresh fruit puree in at trace and blend well.

I added 3oz of berries pureed  in 40oz of oils.  And 2 TBL of finely ground oats.

Tip: use fresh or frozen fruit, not jarred preserves or jam..... I tried it CP and the soap stayed soft due to the citric acid in the fruit preserves. I won't make that mistake again.

For my liquid I used some creamy goats milk and a bit of Arizona rain water, my fav.

I added strawberry FO just to give it a bit of a fruity scent, as the fresh fruit scent does not come through the soaping process. You can do this Hot Process or Cold Process. Pictured is my HP batch.

Guest blog from: Prescott Primitive and their Soy Tarts

Ok, these are just too cute. Little melty soy men, "Grubbie Babies" from Prescott Primitives, a cottage industry started by my sister that makes these little cuties along with a whole line of other rustic, primitive homey treats.

"Grubbied up" with a blend of aromatic spices, rubbed into the soy, ready to melt in your tart warmer.

   Hey y'all! This is Margaret from Prescott Primitives and we are launching our Fall and Winter line! We specialize in primitive and country home goods that are hand crafted and made with the "best of class" materials. Our soy warming tarts, for example, are made from the highest quality soy wax and scented using perfume grade fragrance oils. All wrapped up in a crisp cello bag, tied with homespun and a little rusty collector charm!   We think they're pretty special and we know you will, too.

  Anna here, and thank you Margaret for sharing these adorable tarts with us. I used "Prairie Praline" scented tarts today in my house, and the scent was incredible. Strong with a great scent throw. The smell was warm, cozy, inviting, homey, comfortable, you don't want to leave the room honestly. With a caramelized brown sugar, yummy buttery vanilla, and nutty candied pecans.

Prescott Primitives is a featured artist in my etsy shop, find their

"Grubbie Babies" there.

Where real comfort comes from.

"Ah! There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort."  Jane Austin

Simple pleasures surround us everyday.    The ordinary is foundationally extraordinary.   Keeping
things "real", getting back to the basics of simple living, slowing down the hectic pace our lives
take on.  Realizing what really matters in life.  For me, what matters in my daily life is indeed my home, which means my family and God. Yep, the simple but profound action of placing God at the center of my home and family brings the stability and peace in life that I crave. No matter what your home condition may be at this moment, there is hope, hang on and invite the One who created hearth and home in!

For family fun today I am inviting my grown daughters over to join me and their lovely teenaged sister in making Bath Fizzy Bombs.  Easy to get ingredients, quick and fun to make together, and so lovely for the bath. If you'd care to join us, here are a few different recipes you may like to try.   Enjoy a few stolen moments away from the business of life to spend with those you love!

Fizzy Bomb with bath oil. recipe
Fizzy Bomb no oil, not slippery in tub.

Have a great day!  Enjoy!     Anna

Japanese Mochiko, rice flower soap

Fresh and clean, this soap smells like spring air. Mochiko is Japanese for rice flower. Smooth, creamy and skin nourishing.

Made with moisturizing and nourishing skin loving oils and butters like Olive, Coconut, Shea butter,
castor, and soybean/palm this soap not only smells delightful and is great for the skin, it is a beautiful pure cream color with large bubbly lather.  Just gorgeous.

I wrapped it in homemade tea paper. Yep, real vanilla tea right in the paper.

Smells like a dream, you don't even wanna open it!

Soap Packaging Inspiration and a great hobby, Papermaking

For all my Soaping friends, here is a simple and inexpensive way to package your beautiful homemade soap. It looks elegant, and is "gift ready".

Plus, inspiration for a new hobby for all those creative ideas floating around in our heads!

I wrapped this soap in 5 1/2 x 8 1/2"  sheets of paper.  Wrapped present style.  Tied with natural rafia that I picked up at the Dollar Store. And accented with a sticker I made through Vista Print, but  you can make using Avery sticker sheets and printing yourself.  The ingredients are typed out using Word on my computer and glued on the back.   

For display at Farmers Market, etc, simply have a bar wrapped in cello at the forefront for folks to see the actual soap.   Or, make a cigar-band of natural paper to wrap around the center for more visibility.

These sell themselves as pre-wrapped gifts.  Beautiful boutique quality and look. Just lovely. And the soaps scent comes through nicely.

This particular paper is something I make homemade, using real rose petals. Making paper yourself is not difficult AT ALL !  Here is a link to "Paper Alice" who makes incredible paper using botanicals in your backyard. This video shows you the basics.  All you need is a blender, a frame you can make yourself, and scrap paper to recycle.  This next link shows you how to add things from your own yard

Make paper from your backyard botanicals by Alice Rusk.

It is basically free to make your own gorgeous paper to wrap your soaps in, or to make cigar-band style labels for your soaps.   The results are anything but ordinary. 

Use colors and additives to compliment your branding:   Making a Green Tea Soap? Add tea leaves to your paper and wrap!  Lemongrass or Peppermint? Add fresh cut grass blades or real peppermint leaves to your paper.  Stunning.  

It is not as hard or time consuming as it sounds. Give it a try! You just may find another creative outlet that you end up really enjoying.  Especially us "Soapers" , we really do love natural products, and creativity, don't we!

Honey Beeswax Natural Soap

Made with local Arizona honey and beeswax, this natural soap is a moisturizing treat for your skin!

Living in Arizona USA, I've learned to appreciate any moisture my skin can get! I've formulated the recipe for this soap to be moisturizing and soothing with a great lather.


Beeswax: has emollient, or softening and soothing properties and helps the skin retain moisture.

Honey: A natural humectant, meaning it attracts moisture, keeping it locked inside, close to the skin.
Honey is known to aid in retaining elasticity without drying out your skin. A natural antioxidant with natural antimicrobial properties.

Coconut oil:  A beautiful natural emollient, moisturizer, conditioner and protector of our skin.

Castor oil: Great conditioner and moisturizer. It is unique in the fact that it is almost entirely composed of ricinoleic fatty acid found in no other oils and possesses an affinity for water molecules, which means that it attracts and holds moisture in the skin, a humectant.

Olive oil:  Keeps the skin soft and supple with its conditioning and moisturizing properties  as it attracts external moisture to the skin.

Soybean/Palm oil blend: lends a silky feel, cleans well and is mild, high in linoleic and oleic acid.

This was a fun soap to make, I used bubble wrap to create the honeycomb effect on top and bottom.

If you don't want to make this soap yourself, you may order from my etsy shop.

Enjoy,   Anna

Grapefruit and Sugar Facial

Bring summer indoors with the fresh citrus scent of grapefruit ! Cleansing, Toning, Moisturizing in an all- in- one recipe for a fresh face facial.

You can't help but feel uplifted with grapefruit's natural happy scent and glow it gives your face.

 

This recipe is almost too easy! We've been using it at my house all month and my teens are seeing a definite improvement in their skin.  My ( more mature ) skin feels SO soft and fresh after using

this simple, yet effective home facial.

Grapefruit is high in vitamin C which is essential in collagen production in the skin. 

Sugar is a natural exfoliate that removes dirt and sebum from the skin, unclogging pores. Giving you a fresh faced glow by removing dead skin cells. Sugar is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) whose natural glycolic acid protects, moisturizes and helps to condition the skin.

I take a cup of sugar, put it in a clean plastic jar, then pour in grapeseed oil, gradually, a tablespoon at a time until you get the desired texture. Some folks like a lot of oil, some less. Your choice.

Then take the juice of 1/2 small grapefruit and begin to add it to your sugar mixture, stirring all the while, stop pouring when you get your desired texture. If too juicy, add more sugar.  You will see some sugar melting.  That's it.  Store covered in frig for a week.

I choose grapeseed oil for my facials because it is a light oil, and is not greasy. It absorbs quickly into your skin and does not clog pores. Easy to find in your grocery store oil aisle.
If you prefer a heavier oil try olive.

Yes, you can use grapefruit juice in place of fresh grapefruit, absolutely.

Don't scrub your face harshly with any facial scrub, just gently massage into your skin in circular movements, and rinse off with cool water, pat dry.

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Frugal Days Sustainable Ways 

Chocolate Lavender Cinnamon soap from Canada

Tamara, a soaping sister from Canada made the most intriguing soap, when I saw it, I immediately loved the shape and had to find out how it was molded!  

Using a quart sized (1 litre) milk carton was all it took!  I love discovering new ways to mold soap with things available right at home. 

When I said intriguing soap, I meant it. Tamara used a skin loving base of oils; coconut, olive and avocado  and  added

the fabulous benefits of chocolate!  Chocolate syrup, chocolate and cocoa powder, along with cinnamon to spice it up.  The final touch: lavender essential oil.  I bet this smells amazing.

A beautiful, natural homemade soap. Thank you Tamara for sharing your lovely creation with us!

Natures Home Spa is branching out..... debut of "Petals to Paper"

Petals to Paper  is a new addition to Natures Home Spa, that I am excited to introduce you to!

Taking fresh or dried flowers, and turning them into keepsakes for you to treasure. A unique way to capture timeless memories.

Here's how it works:  simply send Natures Home Spa (me) your special flowers, or petals from your wedding, bridal shower, baby shower, special anniversary, prom, graduations, you get the picture, flowers of sentimental value.  You only have to send a few for the magic to happen!  

I send you back one of a kind keepsake paper sheets, handmade and embedded with your petals.  

You can make cards, special bookmarks, journal covers, scrapbook pages, matt photos, use in any project that utilizes paper. Possibilities are as vast as your imagination. 

A one of a kind way to make a gift that evokes special memories of a person, or time, or event in which it is associated.     

To give as a gift as a unique memento, or to cherish for yourself.

I'll show you an example:   When Melissa G. from California got married in her sunny west coast backyard, her sister gave her a Tea Party themed bridal shower complete with dozens of roses!   What a great sis! Unable to throw them out after they served their lovely purpose, Melissa dried them out in her attic.  Then sent me a bag full, plus some lovely lavender from her special day.  It doesn't take much.

The transformation is truly lovely to behold!  Something to hold on to and remember a cherished moment of time.

Ok, these are indeed artisan custom made, but are not "custom made" priced.

  To inquire about a custom order send me a message: Natureshomespa@gmail.com

No order too small.

Sheets come in 11 x 8 1/2"   and    8 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches

USA handmade, I ship international

See tab PETALS TO PAPER above for more info and photos.

Fresh Papaya Face Masks

It's Papaya time! Summer and papaya just go together. The sweet scent, the bright color, shouts summer's natural goodness !

Papaya is popular in spas around the world and for good reason. Rich in vitamins C and E and 

enzymes (papain and bromelain protein dissolving enzymes found naturally in papaya) that gently exfoliate and help smooth the skin, papaya is a first class natural facial ingredient.

Make your own mask at home and save money.  I've listed a few different ways you can use papaya in a natural face mask. My favorite is just plain papaya!

 How To:  Mask #1

You can make it simple by peeling, de-seeding and cutting up your fresh papaya, and putting it in your blender or food processor until a smooth, paste type consistency.

Apply to face and neck, leave on for 10 -15 mins. It dries fairly quick. Rinse first with warm water then finish with a refreshing cool splash.  You can use a soft wash cloth to take this off or just rinse.

Mask #2

Mix papaya in blender with warmed honey and oatmeal, leave on 10 -15 mins. Rinse.

Mask #3

Mash or blend ripened papaya.

 Add  honey and yogurt to papaya. Blend well.

Options: 

To lighten and brighten skin you can add some lemon juice. Though papaya itself is a natural lightener.

To calm, hydrate, nourish and refresh add homemade rosewater.

Morgan and her papaya love.

Thank You Susan (from Essential Traditions.com) for featuring this post on 
Living Green Tuesdays!
  
This post linked with:

Like a mustard seed blog
A Humble Bumble
Growing Home blog
Watch Out Martha!
Living Green Tuesdays Link up
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