Dream Soup and Life Stew

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Aromatherapy and Skin Care

Making Our Own Facial Cleansers

For centuries, women of all cultures made their own skin care and medicinal products. It is only in the last 100 years that most women have lost this useful knowledge.

This is a recipe for making a facial cleanser that will work with most skin types. It is taken from The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy by Valerie Ann Worwood. She says that all vegetable and nut oils can be used for cleansing as well as for nourishing the skin. The basic recipe is:

3 ounces Almond oil
4 ounces Ground almonds
2 ounces Spring water
6 drops Essential oil of your choice
2 ounces Cider vinegar
(we are going to try making it with less, some people just put a few drops in)

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Place all ingredients in a blender and mix for a good two minutes until a smooth paste is obtained. You could probably use a spoon or whisk and get the same results (with a lot of elbow grease!)

Use a spoonful of the paste and gently rub it into your face. Rinse with luke warm water. At first, it feels like the paste isn’t rinsing off. But don’t worry. After drying, your face feels soft and refreshed.

We have 5 essential oils to choose from and each one does a different job.

Lavender:
This is a very versatile and healing oil for the skin. You can use it for minor skin irritations as well as eczema. Lavender is also calming and relaxing.
Geranium:
This oil helps regenerate skin cells. It is also good for eczema and scars. The fragrance assists with nervous tension and depression.
Grapefruit:
Grapefruit assists with acne, congested and oily skin. Its fragrance is a stimulant and helps to reduce depression.
Rosewood:
Rosewood is an antiseptic and cellular stimulant. It is good for dry or mature skin, wrinkles and scars. Its aroma is calming and good for anxiety and sadness.
Tea Tree:
Tea Tree oil has been used by indigenous people in Australia for hundreds of years. It has strong antiseptic and antifungal qualities while still being safe for your skin. It is also helps to stimulate your immune system.

Use an essential oil that suits your skin cleansing needs and has a fragrance that appeals to you.

Warning:
Do not put essential oils directly on your skin. Only a few can be used directly. Most are too strong and should only be combined with other ingredients.

A leaf