Arte Es Vida

2 cups water

1 heaping tsp finely chopped burdock root

1 heaping tsp calendula flowers

1 heaping tsp chamomile flowers

1 heaping tsp lavender flowers

1 heaping tsp rosemary leaves

1 tbs vinegar or lemon juice

Bring water to a boil.  Remove from heat then pour over herbs and steep for about 30 minutes.  Strain and add vinegar.  Use for the final rinse after shampooing.

1/2 cup water

1 heaping tsp of dried chamomile, rosemary, and/or sage

2 oz mild unscented shampoo

1/4 tsp chamomile, rosemary and/or sage essential oils

Bring water to a boil and remove from heat.  Add dried herbs, cover, and steep for 20 minutes; then strain and cool.  Stir tea into shampoo.  Add essential oil.  Shake well before using.

3/4 oz. beeswax, shaved

1 cup light vegetable oil, such as almond or apricot kernel

1 cup water or rose water, slightly heated

2000 international units of vitamin E

1/4 tsp geranium essential oil or six drops of rose essential oil

 Place beeswax and oil in a pan.  Heat on low until wax melts.  Pour warm water in a blender or food processor and turn on high speed (oil and water should be about the same temperature).  Slowly and steadily, pour the warm beeswax mixture through the hole in the lid.  After adding about three quarters of the oil, the cream will begin to solidify.  Stop adding mixture.  With blender or food processor still on, use a spatula to carefully stir cream around top edges back into the mixture.  Add the vitamin E and essential oils then continue adding rest of beeswax mixture.  Turn off blender or food processor.  Pour cream into wide mouth jars while still warm and liquid.

Note: To make lotion, use 3/4 cup poil and 1/2 ounce beeswax.

1/4 cup of coconut milk

1 tbs oil

1 tsp walnut or olive oil

Mix together the three ingredients for about 30 seconds.  Use your hands to scoop out the mix and massage it into your damp, freshly shampooed hair.  Gently cob through.  Leave it on for 15 minutes then shampoo again.  Follow with a light conditioner.

1 tsp beeswax

2 1/2 tsp shea butter

1/2 tsp essential oil (lemon, peppermint, cinnamon, etc)

Food coloring paste

Small container or tin

In a heatproof glass bowl, combine beeswax and shea butter.  Boil water in a saucepan on medium heat.  Place the bowl in the water, making sure water doesn’t get into the bowl.  Heat until shea butter and beeswax liquefy.  Remove bowl from heat and add essential oil.  Stir until mixture becomes slushy.  Stick a toothpick into the food coloring paste and add a drop at a time to the slush.  Scoop into container and smooth out top.

1/4 cup dry oatmeal

a tsp of honey

enough milk to make a paste

Mix together and apply to rough spots like elbows, knees, and back.  For smoother results, warm mixture in microwave on high for 15 seconds; let cool to touch.

I’m goind a big clean out this weekend (it’s a burst of post school energy) and I found a file full of “non-edible recipes”.  That is, homemade bath and body recipes!  Over the next few days I’m going to go through them all and post the good ones.  Many of these were collected over the past 15 years from a variety of sources, so enjoy!

Green Tea Spritzer

Boil a cup of spring water, then add 4 tsp of loose green tea leaves (or break open some tea bags) and 1 tsp mint leaves.  Let the herbal mixture stand for 10 minutes then strain and allow it to cool completely before pouring it into a spray bottle.  Use as a body spritzer when ever you need a piock me up (safe to use on your face!)