Lavender Recipes for Body Care

Easy DIY Instructions Using This Calming Essential Oil

© Maire Loughran

Mar 15, 2008
lavender flowering shrub, wikipedia commons
Lavender is a calming, antibacterial and antiseptic Mediterranean shrub that is classified as a mint. No household should be without this versatile essential oil.

Lavender is gentle on the skin and its scent is relaxing to the spirit. Lavender is also a wonderful antifungal and antiseptic essential oil. It has a sweet, refreshing floral scent. Use this extremely versatile essential oil to create the following beauty products:

Lavender Mouthwash:

To make lavender mouthwash, assemble the following supplies:

  • 1 tablespoon clear vodka
  • Two tablespoons rosewater.
  • 1 tablespoon fresh or dried lavender leaves.
  • 1 cup distilled or bottled water.
  • Heat proof glass bowl – preferably one with an indention for pouring.
  • Wide mouth glass jar and cheesecloth or cotton gauze for straining

Bring the water to a rolling boil. Place the lavender leaves in the heat proof glass bowl and pour the boiling water over the lavender leaves.

Let this mixture sit for a few hours until it is cool. Strain the mixture into the glass jar collecting the lavender leaves in the cheesecloth or gauze. Discard the lavender leaves.

Add the vodka and rosewater and shake well. Use this mixture to rinse your mouth after brushing your teeth.

Caution: Do not ingest.

Balancing Bath Salts

To make Balancing Bath Salts, assemble the following ingredients:

  • 8 ounces of finely ground Dead Sea salts. Dead Sea salts have a higher mineral content than generic sea salt and are famous for their healing and therapeutic properties. If you can not find Dead sea salt use sea or kosher salt.
  • 2 tablespoons of dried or fresh lavender.
  • 1 teaspoon each of lavender, bergamot and grapefruit pure essential oils.
  • Glass jar with top to use mix and store your sea salts.
  • Small muslin bag. You could also add your sea salt directly to your bath water from the glass jar. Just make sure the sea salt is completely dissolved prior to entering the bath.

Combine all the ingredients in the glass jar, replace the lid and gently shake. If you like, add more essential oil until the sea salt is scented to your personal satisfaction. The result is a luxurious natural formula that soothes your skin and removes old, dead cells. After a soak in the tub you will feel years younger.

Place about 1/4 cup of the sea salt mixture into the muslin bag and swish the muslin bag in your bath water. Most muslin bags are reusable so after your bath allow it to dry, empty any remains and save the muslin bag for your next balancing bath.

Relaxing Tub Tea

In a clean empty glass bottle combine 2 ounces of dried lavender with 1 ounce of crushed, dried juniper berries and 1 ounce of dried rosemary.

Place in a muslin bag and swish in your bath water. Just before you enter the bath add 10 drops of lavender pure essential oil. You can also sprinkle some dried or fresh lavender directly into the bath water.

Sources:

  • Dodt, Colleen K. The Essentail Oils Book. Storey Books, 1996
  • David Potterton, Editor. Culpepper's Color Herbal. Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., 2002

The copyright of the article Lavender Recipes for Body Care in Body Care is owned by Maire Loughran. Permission to republish Lavender Recipes for Body Care in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.


coarse sea salt, maire loughran
lavender flowering shrub, wikipedia commons
dried lavender, maire loughran
   


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