I think this Homemade Sore Muscle Soak would make a perfect gift for someone on your list! Or perhaps it would make a great addition to a spa basket you can make up?
I often find myself with sore muscles in the fall. I think it's because we're out hiking more and working outside more. 🙂 Because of this, I find it really nice to have a warm bath with some of my homemade sore muscle soak! This one smells delicious because it uses fresh mint and lavender (or essential oils). Here's how you can easily make up your own batch of homemade sore muscle soak:
¼ cup of fresh mint leaves, chopped OR 7-10 drops of peppermint oil
¼ cup of fresh lavender, chopped OR 7-10 drops of lavender oil
DIRECTIONS:
Begin by mixing your Epsom salt and baking soda in a bowl. Mix well.
Chop your herbs fine and add them to the mixture. Or, add your oils at this time. For the mixture you see here, I used fresh mint and used lavender oil in place of the fresh lavender.
Continue mixing well. The moisture from the herbs and oils may cause some clumping. This is not a big deal. Just use your spoon to break through the clumps.
Store the mixture in a glass jar with lid or air tight container. I like to let it sit for a few hours before using.
To use your homemade sore muscle soak, just pour it into a running bath. The lavender will help you relax and ease muscle tension, the mint will help revitalize, and the Epsom salt and baking soda will help with inflammation and pain.
When done, drain your tub as usual. You may wish to remove any larger herb clippings by hand to avoid drain issues.
This week, we’re going to touch on some of the items that can take up a lot of our budget if we let them: entertainment and beauty (Makeup, hair, spa). I happen to think that both of these things are important factors in a balanced life, but they don’t have to cost a lot!
So for today, don’t you think it’s time to spoil ourselves? I think so! I guess this one is mostly for the ladies, but here are some tips for beauty on a budget:
Make your own body scrubs
Take a cup of olive oil and about 3 tablespoons of sugar and mix the two together. You can also use coarse salt if you want something a bit more rough. Then apply to your body in circular motions for 2 minutes and rinse off. Your skin will be so smooth! You can also add a few drops of your favourite essential oil if you like! Here are some more of my favorite scrubs:
Grab an almost empty lipstick tube, dig out the remaining lipstick and put it on a plate. Next, put it in the microwave and warm it at 30 second intervals (don’t exceed 2 minutes!) until it’s slightly runny and then mix a few drops of moisturizer into the lipstick on the plate. (you may want to use a paper plate) Play around with the mixture to find the right consistency. Add more moisturizer for a more sheer shade. Quickly pour your new creation into a container that you have lying around or find one at the dollar store.
Turn Lipstick into Lip Gloss
Again with a nearly empty lipstick tube, squeeze a small amount of Vaseline into a ziplock bag and close the bag. Mash the two together and throw it into the microwave and warm for 30 second intervals, don’t exceed 2 minutes! When it’s slightly runny cut a small hole in the corner of the zip lock bag and squeeze the new lip gloss into a small makeup container.
An apple-cider vinegar rinse works like a clarifying shampoo and leaves your hair with great shine. Add a small amount to your hand then spread through your hair. Rinse.
Go For a Walk
It’ll make you feel wonderful and bring a nice glow to your cheeks!
What are your favourite homemade beauty treatments? Do you regularly do it at home or do you splurge and have your beauty treatments professionally done?
Do you love looking your best but find yourself with limited time and resources? If so, you could benefit from some creative beauty hacks! Beauty hacks are a great way to get glam without spending a lot of time or cash. Take a look at these 7 creative beauty hacks that you can start implementing into your daily beauty routine today!
7 Creative Beauty Hacks
1. Use your lipstick as blush.
Many blushes are of the creamy variety these days, much like lipstick. When you're in a bind you can use lipstick as blush just as easily! Start small as it is easier to add then to take away. Just dap a little lipstick on your fingertips and blend into the apples of your cheeks. Perfect!
2. Use Dawn dish soap to clean brushes.
Dawn dish soap is gentle on your brushes yet still cleans away make up, grease, and bacteria. Create a dish of warm soapy water, let your brushes soak for a few minutes, then rinse clean and allow to air dry.
3. Dry nails with ice.
A quick way to set nail polish is to dip your fingers in a bowl of ice water. The nail polish will quickly harden, reducing your drying time drastically. The polish may still be soft to the touch, so take caution. It will however be dry to the touch and won’t transfer.
4. Make faux eyelashes last longer by cutting them.
Chances are, faux eyelashes are too long for your eyelids. Instead, snip them in half and just use the segments on the outer corners of your eyes. Not only will you get two pairs out of one, but you might find this method looks more natural.
5. Behold the power of coconut oil.
Coconut oil is fantastic for removing eye make up, moisturizing skin, soothing rough feet and elbows, and it can even be added to your hair conditioner. Keep a jar of coconut oil on hand for these beauty uses and many others!
6. Reduce eye puffiness with hemorrhoid cream.
This is an old beauty pageant trick that works great! Add a few dabs under puffy eyes in order to soothe swelling and reduce redness. You will notice results quite quickly. Just take care to avoid getting any of the product in your eyes.
7. Use lemon juice.
Lemon juice can help lighten and brighten skin, lighten and brighten nails, and even lighten hair. Add a few drops to your moisturizer or hair products to achieve these results over time.
Keep these creative beauty hacks in mind when performing your daily beauty routine. You should find that they can come in handy often!
Do you have any creative beauty hacks you can share in the comments?
Throughout the year, and especially though winter, I like to use a sugar body scrub for an invigorating way to get rid of dull skin. I've used both store-bought and homemade sugar scrubs and can tell you that the homemade version works just as well and costs much less! You also can't beat the smell! Mmmm!
This winter, I made up a batch of Homemade Grapefruit Scrub. Grapefruit, because it just smells so fresh and delicious!
Are you ready to learn how easy it is to make a batch of homemade grapefruit scrub? Here we go:
4-5 4 oz. Jelly jars (Find them here, hereor here)
Directions:
Using a grater, grate 3 tbsp of grapefruit zest (I found it easier to grate prior to juicing.)
Once you have your grapefruit zest, cut the grapefruit in half and juice it for 3-4 tbsp of grapefruit juice.
Next, in a medium size bowl, combine the coconut oil, sugar, grapefruit juice and zest and mix well.
Add the scrub to your 4 oz. Jelly jars.
Print and cut out the labels and place on the lid; the metal ring will hold the label in place. **For a different look, you could use a hole punch to punch a hole in the top of the label; hook through with twine and tie around the lid.
Makes 4-5 4 oz. Jelly jars. The recipe can also be made smaller or larger depending on how much you would like to make. Stored in an airtight container, scrubs will last for about 6 months. If there is any separation simply stir the mixture.
Click on the image below to print these labels to use for your jars:
Directions:
