I think we can all agree that the holiday season is a time filled with stress, packed schedules, long to-do lists, hectic travel, prepping for company, primping for parties and loads of kitchen time for all the holiday baking and feasting. Twinkly lights and tired eyes. So this month, take a nice long hour or two for YOU. No one else. Just you. I promise after this yummy, aromatic, soothing, ahh-inducing spa sesh at home you will feel cleaner, smoother and less stressed than when you woke up. And your face and body skin will have a sparkly snowflake glow too. So dive into this snow bank and freshen up with a few of my favorite DIY beauty recipes for winter.
Get in the kitchen and prep a few non-food recipes for my DIY Winter Wonderland Spa at Home.
Three recipes in all! They smell so amazing you will truly want to lick you face. And it is OK if you do since the ingredients are all healthy kitchen ingredients you probably already have on hand! The sugar cookie scrub will leave you swooning... Let your beauty break start now!
Print this - you can also add this to homemade gift sets:
And to complete your natural hour of pampering, grab some fresh beet slices for "beet lipstick & blush" :)..
Three recipe blends below: peppermint, pumpkin and sugar cookie.
Sparkle Scrub before blending:
Totally gift-able too! Package all the ingredients in little jars and containers you can find at craft stores. The coconut oil and sugar scrubs can be placed in jars, but the pumpkin should be given in a can. Strip off the label and place you own crafty version. Or just do the coconut-sugar scrubs as your gift.
Lets begin! (follow below or on the printable card image above)
Bonus Tip - Coconut Oil: Did you know that coconut oil makes a wonderful natural makeup remover? Yes! I now keep two jars of virgin coconut oil in the house. One for cooking and one for beauty. To remove makeup, just spread a small amount on the makeup and wipe away with a gentle/soft tissue or cloth.
So wipe off any makeup and have a au natural day - grab the coconut oil and lets begin.
Kathy's DIY Winter Wonderland Spa at Home
Grab these:
* virgin coconut oil - at room temp, soft and buttery
* organic brown sugar - coarse or fine crystals (if using coarse, allow the sugar to melt into pumpkin to soften a bit when mixing)
* organic white sugar - fine crystals
* cinnamon
* pure vanilla extract or real vanilla bean seeds
* unsweetened pumpkin puree (canned or boxed or homemade)
* agave or maple syrup
* peppermint essential oil (or eucalyptus essential oil)
* coarse sea salt
* towels & wash cloths
* 2 chamomile tea bags
* face oil - try argan oil
recipe 1: face/body
Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookie Sparkle Scrub
2 tablespoon coconut oil
2 tablespoon white sugar
3 drops real vanilla extract
recipe 2: face/body
Pumpkin Spice Brown Sugar Scrub/Mask
3 tablespoon pumpkin
2 tablespoon brown sugar
dash of cinnamon
1 ½ tablespoon agave
optional: 1 tablespoon coconut oil for a silkier scrub
recipe 3: feet
Salty & Nice Peppermint Foot Scrub
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 tablespoon coconut oil
3 drops peppermint extract
Prep:
* Fill three tiny bowls with the recipe ingredients above. No need to "stir" them just yet. Just toss ingredients in a bowl (1 pumpkin, 1 peppermint, 1 sugar cookie) and set aside until needed.
* Wet one washcloth, roll and place in the freezer.
* Boil a mug of water, soak chamomile tea for five minutes. Squeeze tea bag and remove. Cover mug and set aside. Place wet used tea bags on a plate and place in fridge.
Let the spahh-ing begin:
1. Fill bathtub with hot water, add 3-4 drops peppermint or eucalyptus oil and a handful of salt. You can use kitchen salt or even better, a giant scoop of epsom salts. Add any bubble bath if desired. Grab the peppermint scrub bowl and start polishing those toes and heels. Carefully climb into your hot peppermint bath and soak for ten minutes. Warning: coconut oil makes feet slippery! Use caution.
2. Step out of tub (carefully) and pat yourself dry with a towel. Grab the "pumpkin" bowl and start mixing the ingredients with a spoon to combine. Apply pumpkin. In a circular motion, scrub pumpkin spice sugar mask all over body and face. Yes this is a bit messy but thank goodness pumpkin easily dissolves in water so no drain clogging. Tip: Apply pumpkin in a closed shower so you do not get it all over your bathroom. Scrub scrub scrub into your skin for a few minutes. Apply an extra layer of the pumpkin as a mask to your face. Rinse pumpkin from body (not face) in the shower. Dry off. Allow the face mask to sit for another five minutes or longer. Go grab those chilled chamomile tea bags and place over your eyes. Wrap yourself in a robe or towel and chill somewhere cozy while you wait.
3. Step into another hot shower and wash the pumpkin off your face. For an extra energizing step: take a cold shower for one minute, a hot shower for one minute then repeat for five minutes. This gets the blood flowing!
4. The last scrub is vanilla-tastic! Apply the sugar cookie scrub all over your body from head to toes. You can even use this scrub on your face, just be very delicate when scrubbing. And make sure you are using fine crystal sugar for this one. Let the scrub sit on your skin for oa few minutes then lightly rinse off in a warm shower. You do not want to wash off the oils, just a light rinse.
5. Dry off with a towel, your skin should be silky smooth and smell like cookies, vanilla, pumpkin & spice. 🙂
6. Grab the chilled towel from the fridge and wipe down your face for a cooling burst of winter freezer frost. Pat eyes with cool cloth for de-puffing power.
7. Finish off by applying a few drops of face oil to your face for that snowflake winter glow. Argan oil is my new favorite face oil! You can now add any other beauty products you use at home. Apple cider vinegar is a cheap and easy toner!
8. Re-heat that chamomile tea you brewed, add lemon and optional sweetener, wrap yourself in something cozy and chill for as long as you'd like. No thinking (or cell phones) allowed. Or sip some matcha tea. Or minty hot cocoa. Your choice. This is your hour.
Oh and remember to breathe. Deeply and with intention. Feel the stress melt away and winter wonderland thoughts fill your calmed mind.
For extra sensory calming, take a deep breathe inhaling that peppermint or eucalyptus essential oil.
And again, be careful! That coconut oil makes thing slippery 🙂 But your skin will thank you.
Disclaimer: If you have sensitive skin proceed with caution and ask your dermatologist if these products are OK for your skin. Do a patch test of the scrubs on your arm before using all over or on your face. And obviously, all brands will vary. For best results use high quality extra virgin raw coconut oil and always use all natural spices, pumpkin and vanilla. Be aware of any food or skin allergies you may have, as with all beauty products.
