Indulgent Bathing

Enjoy the indulgent, healing powers of essential oils in the bath.

Placing essential oils into the bath enhances to soothe, calm, relax or rejuvenate the body by allowing you to breathe the amazing aromas as well as absorbing the oils through your skin.

Since essential oils and water don't mix it is advisable to dilute the essential oils in an unscented liquid soap for a bubble bath, combine the oils in bath salts or mix with a carrier oil such as Jojoba or Sweet Almond and add as a bath oil - the results are the same no matter how many combinations you try - bathing is a luxury you shouldn't be without!

Water temperature can be used to compliment essential oils - for a refreshing bath use cool water with Rosemary or Peppermint essential oil. For a restful sleep, use warm water with Lavender essential oil. Try to avoid hot baths as the heat will make your skin perspire and therefore less likely to absorb the benefits of the essential oils. Hot water also dehydrates the skin. A warm or cool bath enables the oils to surround your body and will penetrate your skin and diffuse them into the tissues.

Breathe deeply, relax and enjoy this little bit of heaven - indulge!

Here are some essential oils to try:

Calming Bath (evenings): Lavender, Chamomile, Sweet Orange
Stimulating Bath (mornings): Lemon, Rosemary, Peppermint
Muscle Relief: Juniper, Rosemary, Lemon, Eucalyptus
Cold and Flu Symptom Relief: Eucalyptus, Lavender, Peppermint
PMS Symptom Relief: Clary Sage, Lavender, Bergamot

Soothing Bath Oil:
8 ounces Jojoba or Sweet Almond Carrier Oil
5 drops Geranium Essential Oil
10 Drops Lavender Essential Oil

Stimulating Bath Oil:
8 ounces Jojoba or Sweet Almond Carrier Oil
5 drops Juniper Essential Oil
10 Drops Rosemary Essential Oil

Flower Garden Bath Oil:
8 ounces Jojoba or Sweet Almond Carrier Oil
6 drops Rosewood or Geranium Essential Oil
4 drops Ylang Ylang Essential Oil
4 drops Lavender Essential Oil
1 drops Patchouli Essential Oil
Optional: Add dried flowers

Beat the Winter Blues Bath Oil:
8 ounces Jojoba or Sweet Almond Carrier Oil
5 drops Geranium Essential Oil
10 drops Sweet Orange Essential Oil

Use the Bath Oil blends within 2 months of preparation.

Make sure to label your blends and include a card if you give them away as a gift. Bath Oils are not only beautiful to look at they may also be used for massages. They make wonderful gifts for someone whose life is very stressful and needs to unwind with a long, luxurious bath.

Enjoy!!

How To Give Your Baby A Massage

Infant massage is a wonderful skill to learn. You want to connect with your baby in the most natural way possible. Touch is an excellent way to bond and infant massage allows you to build a bond in the most gentle, soothing way.

Infant massage has many benefits to both you and your baby. Besides encouraging important bonds between you and your child, massage helps your baby relax, build trust, and become healthier.

Getting Started with Infant Massage
Before you get started with your baby prepare the area you will give the massage. You want to be sure it is completely comfortable and relaxing for baby and for you.

Deciding where to give an infant massage
Select a soft area for your baby. This could be on your bed (put yourself between your baby and the edge) or it could be on the floor. Try some soft blankets or a sheepskin on the floor.

If it hurts your back to be on the floor you might try creating a soft surface for your baby on a counter. Then you can stand beside your baby. Or try a low counter and pull up a chair for yourself. As always, be very cautious because babies are wiggly!

You will probably want to place an extra blanket washable over the surface you are working on. This will protect the surface from any oil that may rub off your baby and your hands. If you choose to massage baby diaper-less it will also protect from accidents.

Temperature and Lighting
Make sure that the room you're giving the infant massage in is warm. Your baby will be undressed down to the diaper or completely naked. You want to make sure that he is warm enough.

Infants and young children are not as good at regulating their body temperature as adults are. Newborns and premature infants have an especially hard time regulating body temperature and need you to be sure they are warm enough.

If you feel like your baby is getting cold cover the areas you're not massaging, leave a cap on baby's head, or pick up and cuddle your little one skin to skin for a few minutes.

Try to make the lighting low. Bright lights will irritate your baby's eyes. Muted daylight is wonderful. At night you might try a low lamp.

Choose Your Oil
When you give an infant massage you'll want to rub a little oil onto your hands. Do not use "baby oil." Baby oils are usually a mineral based oil that actually rob your baby's skin of moisture and clog pores. Use a plant-based oil.

You can choose oils that have quite a few different bases or you can use a simple oil from your kitchen. Olive oil, almond oil, and sunflower oils are very gentle for your baby's skin. You may prefer an oil that has been mixed for massage or scented naturally. Lavender massage oil is very soothing to baby.

You and Baby - Giving the Infant Massage
Undress your baby to the diaper, or take of the diaper if you'd like. Make sure that your baby has been fed and feels good. You may be able to use massage to calm your fussy baby, but as you are both learning about infant massage it is best to do it at a time when your baby is content.

Use light but confident touch as you massage your baby. Babies do not want the deep pressure that you might like. They do like for you to use long and firm strokes.

Begin at your baby's legs. This is an area that baby is used to having touched. It's a good place to start with. You can begin with the feet and work up the body to the top of your baby's head. Rub your baby's feet firmly and use a "milking motion" up the legs.

After your baby's feet and legs move on to the stomach. Use firm and gentle motions. Begin on your baby's right side (your left) and massage from the hip-bone up to the belly button. Then massage from the same hip-bone and over across the belly button. Finally begin at the hip-bone, move up, over, and across the belly button and back down to your baby's left hip-bone. This is often called an "I Love You" massage because you first stroke is an "I" shape, the second stroke is an "L" shape, and the third stroke is a "U" shape.

After the tummy gently massage baby's chest then move on to the arms and hands. You can use the same "milking" motion on the arms and gently but firmly rub the palms of your baby's hands.

Next you can go to the face, brushing gently all across tension points to help relax your baby. Do not use any oil on your baby's face. Finally turn your baby over and work on massage the back. Remember to use firm but gentle strokes.

Re-apply oil whenever needed to help smooth over baby's body. You may wish to learn even more strokes to give baby a longer, soothing massage.

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Gift Giving for Men and Women

Now’s the time to start thinking about what to give as Christmas gifts. Why not make your own Gift Basket and watch the joy of those lucky people receiving one.

Spa, bath, and pamper gifts are the perfect choice for birthdays, retirement, anniversaries, weddings, thank you, sympathy, or for no reason at all! When a trip to the Day Spa just doesn't fit in the schedule, spa gift baskets, pamper gift baskets, and bath gift baskets provide a relaxing Day Spa indulgence without ever leaving the house!

Next time you’re about to settle on a spa set, stop shopping and create your own instead. Your recipient will appreciate your originality and they’ll get even more relaxation out of the contents because you haven’t just given them new beauty products, you’ve given them the fun of making them too! As an added bonus, they’ll feel great knowing the products are all natural and environmentally friendly.

Revive and rejuvenate the body, mind and spirit with a soothing selection of spa and pamper products. Indulge his or her senses with nourishing lotions, relaxing bath salts, hydrating body scrubs and much more. Now anyone can have a relaxing day at the spa, in the comfort of his or her own home. So why not give someone the ultimate pamper gift they’ve been dreaming of?

Additions to gift baskets can also include a lovely mug, some dried herbs (from your garden) for tea, a picture frame, a soft, plush stuffed toy – the list is endless and adds an extra special personal touch to the basket. It shows the receiver that you really do know them and know what they like or need.

Include the ingredients or recipe and let the receiver make their own spa products.

Here are a few Basic Ingredients to start with:

1 basket
1 lemon (skin, hair, bath)
1 cucumber (skin)
oatmeal (skin, bath)
olive oil (hair, feet, perfume, oils)
honey (skin, hair, bath)
essential oil (bath, perfume, oils)
avocado (skin)
powdered milk (skin, bath)
chamomile tea bags (undereyes, bath)

Optional additions:

Fresh peach, apricot, or mango
Strawberries
Epsom salts
Yogurt
Cornstarch
Almond meal
Corn meal
Baking soda
Sea salts
Fresh or dried flower petals
Vitamin E capsules

Enjoy!