Healthy and Green Living » Bath & Shower

Make Your Own Nourishing Seaweed Spa Bath

Annie B. Bond — Wed, 07 May 2008 20:00:26 +0000

Having a long soak in your own bathtub filled with a rich infusion of mineral-rich seaweed is, I imagine, almost as balancing, nourishing, and purifying as soaking in the Dead Sea or hot mineral springs. Seaweed baths are one of the most divine experiences you can give yourself at home.

Try this relaxing, deeply beneficial bath once a week. You’ll feel refreshed, your skin will thank you, and you’ll be able to face the week feeling more nourished, grounded, and recharged. It’s easy!

How Make a Seaweed Spa
For my baths, I use about 3-4 ounces of dried seaweed�half kelp and half dulse. Kelp is very abundant in calcium, potassium, iodine, iron, and magnesium, and dulse is also rich in minerals and has a very high Vitamin A content.

Ten wet pounds of seaweed dries out to about one pound of seaweed, so in a sense I am giving myself a bath with about 2.5 pounds of wet seaweed. I buy seaweed at my local health food store, or online at
Maine Coast Sea Vegetables, where the cost is about $20 a dried pound (enough for four to five rich baths). If you harvest your own seaweed, gather it from the water of the ocean, rather than from what’s washed ashore.

When using dried seaweed, fill muslin bags, large tea infusion balls, or old stockings cut off at the knee with dried seaweed. (The bags are needed to keep the seaweed from going down your drain.) Boil water in a large pot, add the seaweed, and steep for half an hour or so. Pour into the bath (seaweed in its bag and all). Fill the bath with water as hot as you can stand it. When using fresh seaweed, just add it to the bathtub as it is filling with very hot water, making sure to remove it before you open the drain at the end of your bath.

A slight gel or film from the seaweed will softly coat your body while you soak. Once it dissolves and you don’t feel it on your skin any more, you know your bath is done and you’ve absorbed the seaweed’s benefits.

Seaweed baths are considered very therapeutic because of their very high mineral content. Some call these baths iodine baths, since the iodine content of 1/3 of a cup of seaweed is more than 2,000 times the RDA�recommended daily allowance. I feel my thyroid stimulated from seaweed baths, just like when I do the thyroid-stimulating headstand pose in yoga. Seaweed baths also reportedly benefit other organs, including the adrenal glands, because of its vitamin K content, and helps maintain hormone balance.

Caution: Those with high blood pressure or other health problems should consult their doctors before having a hot seaweed bath.

Using Essential Oils to Boost the Bath

Annie B. Bond — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 16:00:41 +0000

Essential oils are natural substances extracted from flowers, herbs, fruits, trees, and grasses through a special distilling process. Many of these oils have been found to contain healing properties. Some are also known to affect the nervous system and can elicit either a calming or stimulating effect.

ESSENCES THAT SOOTHE
Basil: Helps ease muscle aches and pains. It is also used in skin toners.
Bergamot: Possesses antitoxin agents. Effective against acne and blemishes.
Cedarwood: Possesses antitoxin agents. Good for oily skin.
Chamomile: Helps skin conditions such as dermatitis, psoriasis, acne, and herpes.
Clary sage: Good foraging skin and varicose veins. Also known to have aphrodisiac qualities.
Cypress: Helps alleviate bruising, muscle cramps, and broken capillaries. Believed to help control cellulite.
Geranium: Helps ease breast tenderness and swelling.
Hyssop: Helps ease dermatitis, eczema, and acne. Helps reduce water retention.
Jasmine: A softener for dry, sensitive skin. Also believed to have aphrodisiac qualities.
Lavender: Helps soothe inflamed skin.
Mandarin: Good for scars and stretch marks. A great skin toner.
Marjoram: Has extra-strength calming qualities.
Neroli: Good for scars, stretch marks, sensitive and aging skin. Believed to have aphrodisiac qualities.
Patchouli: Helps soothe skin irritations. Good for aging skin and varicose veins.
Peppermint: Soothes muscle aches and pains. Helps constrict capillaries.
Rose: Good for aging skin. Believed to have aphrodisiac qualities.
Sandalwood: Good for dry and aging skin. Believed to have aphrodisiac qualities.

ESSENCES THAT ENERGIZE
Eucalyptus: Possesses antitoxin qualities. Helps heal blisters and other skin irritations.
Ginger: Helps fight congestion; improves circulation.
Grapefruit: Helps fight muscle fatigue and jet lag. Noted for its cleansing effect on the circulatory and lymphatic systems. Also good for oily skin.
Juniper: Known as a detoxifying agent. Also good for oily skin and blocked pores.
Lemon: Helps lighten skin pigmentation.
Lemongrass: Eases muscle soreness, bruising, and athlete�s foot. Good for aging skin.
Pine: Helps fight eczema and psoriasis.
Rosemary: Eases sore muscles. Good for oily skin.

How to Create a Spa Sanctuary

Annie B. Bond — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 15:00:09 +0000

Instead of spending a fortune at your local spa, why not consider these simple steps for turning your own bathroom into a place for balance, centering, healing, refreshment, relaxation and renewal?

It isn�t difficult: All you have to do is trust your senses. Choose the most soothing colors, sounds, scents and more to make your bathroom the spa sanctuary you need for the good of your body and soul.

SIGHT
Tranquil aquamarine is a great color for the bathroom. The blue of sky is a restful choice too, because it is a clear and calming color. Green is a very healing color, and it contains a revitalizing quality�the energy of new life. And white, pure and pristine as it is, represents cleanliness in almost every culture. Choose a color to meet your deepest need.

Light is important. You can draw attention to the outdoor light entering the room by hanging sun catchers in windows and opening shades and curtains wide for natural light. If your bathroom isn�t private, try using half-curtains on just the bottom half of the window, so natural light comes streaming in the top.

Towels and shower curtains can have a comforting, all-natural look. Organic cotton or hemp shower curtains are the very best choice, since plastic shower curtains made from PVC emit compounds which can interfere with healthy hormone functioning.

TOUCH

The cleansing feel of water against your skin is so sensual. Cooling off with cold water on a hot day refreshes the senses, stimulates circulation and reduces inflammation. On a cold day, warming up with a warm shower or bath is womblike and may evoke deep memories.

Dry your body with the soft, welcoming luxury of a towel made of high-quality 100 percent combed cotton. Hold a wooden brash in your hands, enjoy a few drops of pure essential oil in your tub water, and feel the steam of the hot bath before you step in. Most of all, spend time enjoying the feel of water against your skin.

You can also tingle your sense of touch underfoot. Natural fiber mats or rugs feel best on your bare feet after stepping out of the shower or tub. The key to a good bath mat or rug is for it to be absorbent and skid-resistant. You�ll want to wash them frequently, so make sure the ones you purchase are washable. A natural fiber rug with a nonslip backing is ideal, because the natural fiber absorbs more water than a synthetic fiber, and the nonslip backing feels secure on the floor.

SOUND
Few sounds are as calming as falling water. Filling a bath or running a shower sounds like a waterfall. After you turn off the water, the quiet is welcome. Listening to music can be nice in the bath, but just letting your mind go still�without much stimulation�can be a treat.

SMELL

The ideal bathroom for health and revitalization is a room with the scent of clean air, rather than a chemical stew of fragrances from personal care products, cleaning product fumes, additives in grout, and a host of other odors from commercial products. If you desire fragrances, choose natural plant essences.

NATURAL BEAUTY

The most popular spas are built and furnished with all-natural materials. Bathrooms that reflect the natural world help you to feel connected to the Earth. Here are some suggestions for introducing natural materials to your bathroom:

Plants give a sense of fresh air, natural beauty and herbal wisdom. They also absorb positive ions, replenishing the healthy negative ion balance. Try introducing real potted plants if you have enough light, or use dried plants such as potpourri or wreaths. Even images of plants (especially water flowers like lily pads) on cotton shower curtains, paintings, or photos, or flowers make of silk can help connect you to nature.
Line windowsills and bathtub decks with shells, pebbles and stones you�ve collected from oceans, rivers and mountain paths. Just looking at sea shells can open your imagination so you can �hear� the crashing of waves on the shore, feel the heat of the sun and the sand on your toes.
Stones and crystals can be powerful memory triggers when you see them. Rose quartz, for example, is supposed to be the vibration of unconditional love, and water seems to respond positively to that vibration. Choose a crystal you are drawn to and place it in the tub.
Images of animals and wildlife can transport you to another place and another way of thinking.

Organic Honey Cream Bath

Annie B. Bond — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 13:00:34 +0000

This is an ultra-luxurious, hydrating bath blend formulated to moisturize the driest of skin. The combination of emollient cream with soothing, healing, humectant honey feels great on parched, irritated skin. Relax and let this honey cream bath soothe your skin.

Recommended for all skin types, especially dry, dehydrated, environmentally damaged, sunburned or windburned skin.

Submerse your entire body for 20 to 30 minutes.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup heavy cream or half and half
� cup raw honey at room temperature

Pour the cream and the honey together directly under running bath water. Swish the water with your hands to mix before getting into the tub.

Use: As desired
Follow with moisturizer
Prep time: Approximately 5 minutes
Do not store; mix as needed
Yield: 1 treatment

The Natural Manicure

Annie B. Bond — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 17:00:04 +0000

Nails can be beautiful without polish. I once had my nails “done” in a natural way at a salon for a television show where my hands would be very visible. I’ve outlined, below, how it was done.

The fumes from the solvents in nail polish can be overwhelming, and they are not good for you. There are few environmentally safe nail polishes or nail polish removers on the market. Some still contain toluene (toxic) and formaldehyde (a known carcinogen), and dibutyl phthalate (DBP), a hormone disrupter.

There are some toluene and formaldehyde-free varieties, but there are none without petroleum solvents of some sort. Petroleum solvents are long lasting in the environment, and they are stored in body fat and passed on in breast milk. For more about DBP, and for a list of DBP-free nail polishes, read the Environmental Working Group’s report.

File, wash and soak nails, soften cuticles, clean and shape cuticles
File in one direction only, and always do this when your nails are dry. Wash your hands and soak in warm water or a fruit acid solution such as buttermilk or organic apple cider vinegar, before applying a cold-pressed fruit or nut oil into the cuticle area near the half-moon at the base of the nail. Use the blunt end of an orangewood manicure stick to gently push the cuticles back from the nails.

Sand and buff nails

Dry your hands completely. Sand and polish the top of each nail with a fine pumice-stone sand stick to remove any ridges. Do the same thing with a fine-grit block. Once the ridges are removed, smooth the top of the nail with a smoothing file and a buffing chamois. You’d be amazed at how shiny your nails will look following these steps, almost as if you were wearing a clear polish. You can choose a more natural, less-shiny matte finish if preferred, by not using the finest grade buffing files.

Moisturize

Massage your hands with a moisturizing cream or lotion.

Homemade Bath Bonbons

Melissa Breyer — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 13:00:22 +0000

If only there was a silver bullet for the perfect bath. Something absolutely pure that infused the bath with emollients and natural fragrance. Something that didn’t have sneaky toxic ingredients (like parabens and synthetic fragrance) and didn’t cost a fortune. Oh, wait, there is! Homemade bath bonbons, and you can easily make them with kitchen cabinet ingredients.

Like many kids, my daughters have sensitive skin. I spent ridiculous amounts of money on very expensive all-natural bath products for them�money that was going down the drain since my youngest daughter was still a mess of itchiness post-bath. So we threw open the kitchen cabinets and started playing around with coconut oil, cream, honey and other ingredients known for their salubrious effect on skin. My daughters think this is intriguingly gross (slimy! sticky! lumpy!) and hence, they adore it. So it’s become part of our nighttime routine: We mix up a batch of homemade bath goop, the girls soak, and then step out of the bath like soft, glowing, little goddesses.

And then there was the bonbon bonus. I started noticing that my hands were exceedingly soft after their bath. Of course, I needed to ditch my commercial bath products too. So I took the plunge and started playing around with a few bath concoctions of my own. Here is my favorite formula.

INGREDIENTS
9 tablespoons virgin coconut oil (see note)
3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons baking soda
3 tablespoons sea salt
3 drops ylang ylang pure essential oil (optional)

Since coconut oil has a melting point of 76 degrees F, the temperature of your oil will make a difference in the method you use. Coconut oil does not need to be refrigerated, but once you make the bonbons keep them there so that they don’t melt. You can’t start with refrigerated coconut oil because it is very hard, so start with room temperature.

If your room temperature is above 76 degrees, the oil will be liquid�you will need to stir in the ingredients and then pour the mix into an ice cube tray, mini muffin tin, or similar receptacle. Then refrigerate until hardened, remove (you may need to briefly set the container in warm water to release the bonbons) and store in a jar in the fridge.

If your room temperature is below 76 degrees, the coconut oil will be softly solid (as opposed to hard solid like straight from the refrigerator). You can mix the ingredients and then scoop by rounded tablespoon onto a baking sheet or plate to chill in the fridge. Once hardened, remove (you may need to set the sheet or plate in shallow warm water to release the bonbons, or line the sheet with wax paper first) and store in a jar in the fridge.

Dissolve one or two bonbons in your bath, get soft. Makes 12 bonbons.

Note: Coconut oil is commonly used in food, but has been used as a skin moisturizer for centuries by people living in the tropics. Studies show that it imparts significant improvement in skin hydration and increases skin surface lipid levels. Buy virgin coconut oil, which is unrefined, and if you can find it select a fair trade brand. Coconut oil is available in health food stores and some supermarkets.

Banana Body Sugar Scrub

Melissa Breyer — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 13:00:36 +0000

Too many bananas in the fruit bowl? Skip the banana bread and feed your skin instead with this luxuriant yet simple homemade banana body sugar scrub.

Bananas are a natural for body care. Their creamy pulp is luscious and soothing, and works well as a carrier for other ingredients. Banana is nourishing and moisturizing and can be used for gentle exfoliation and skin-tightening.

In this simple formula, bananas and sugar are combined for a wonderfully aromatic and gently exfoliating body scrub.

INGREDIENTS
1 ripe banana
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
� teaspoon pure vanilla extract or your favorite essential oil (optional)

Mash ingredients together with a fork into a chunky paste. Do not overmix or it will become too watery. If you want a banana scrub for your face, reserve some of the banana and mash it separately without sugar.

In the shower, before turning the water on, slather the sugar mixture and gently massage over your body. For your face, gently massage plain banana there, avoiding the eye area.

Rinse off with warm water.

Amazing Health Benefits of Epsom Salt Baths

Melissa Breyer — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 08:46:04 +0000

Many of us are deficient in magnesium, and by simply soaking in a relaxing bath with magnesium-rich Epsom salt we can boost our levels of this important element. “Magnesium,” you might wonder, “what’s the big deal?” Find out the importance of magnesium and discover the many surprising health benefits of using Epsom salt in your bath.

We all know about the importance of iron and calcium, but what about magnesium? It is the second-most abundant element in human cells and the fourth-most important positively charged ion in the body. Surprisingly, it helps the body regulate over 325 enzymes and plays an important role in organizing many bodily functions, like muscle control, electrical impulses, energy production and the elimination of harmful toxins.

According to the National Academy of Sciences, most Americans are magnesium deficient, which the academy says helps to account for high rates of heart disease, stroke, osteoporosis, arthritis and joint pain, digestive maladies, stress-related illnesses, chronic fatigue and a number of other ailments. Who knew?!

Americans’ magnesium levels have dropped by half in the last century due to changes in agriculture and diet. Industrial farming has depleted magnesium from soil and the typical American diet contains much less magnesium than that of our forefathers. And in fact, the modern American diet with its fat, sugar, salt and protein actually works to speed up the depletion of magnesium from our bodies.

Interestingly, our focus on getting enough calcium is another factor in decreased magnesium levels. In a delicate dance of balance, calcium depletes magnesium yet calcium functions best when enough magnesium is present. Studies indicate that taking a calcium supplement without enough magnesium can increase the shortage of both nutrients. Researchers have found that many Americans have five times as much calcium as magnesium in their bodies, although the proper ratio for optimum absorption of both minerals is two to one.

With such widespread magnesium deficiency one might think that magnesium supplements would be called upon, but studies show that magnesium is not easily absorbed through the digestive tract. The presence of specific foods or drugs, certain medical conditions, and the chemistry of a person’s stomach acid can render magnesium supplements ineffective.

This brings us to Epsom salt. Known scientifically as hydrated magnesium sulfate, Epsom salt is rich in both magnesium and sulfate. While both magnesium and sulfate can be poorly absorbed through the stomach, studies show increased magnesium levels from soaking in a bath enriched with Epsom salt! Magnesium and sulfate are both easily absorbed through the skin. Sulfates play an important role in the formation of brain tissue, joint proteins and the proteins that line the walls of the digestive tract. They stimulate the pancreas to generate digestive enzymes and are thought to help detoxify the body of medicines and environmental contaminants.

Researchers and physicians suggest these health benefits from proper magnesium and sulfate levels, as listed on the web site of the Epsom Salt Industry Council:

Improved heart and circulatory health, reducing irregular heartbeats, preventing hardening of the arteries, reducing blood clots and lowering blood pressure.
Improved ability for the body to use insulin, reducing the incidence or severity of diabetes.
Flushed toxins and heavy metals from the cells, easing muscle pain and helping the body to eliminate harmful substances.
Improved nerve function by electrolyte regulation. Also, calcium is the main conductor for electrical current in the body, and magnesium is necessary to maintain proper calcium levels in the blood.
Relieved stress. Excess adrenaline and stress are believed to drain magnesium, a natural stress reliever, from the body. Magnesium is necessary for the body to bind adequate amounts of serotonin, a mood-elevating chemical within the brain that creates a feeling of well being and relaxation.
Reduced inflammation to relieve pain and muscle cramps.
Improved oxygen use.
Improved absorption of nutrients.
Improved formation of joint proteins, brain tissue and mucin proteins.
Prevention or easing of migraine headaches.

All this from a bath, hurray! While there are many different brands of Epsom salt, they are all the same product chemically, and can be found at most drug stores. Add two cups of Epsom salt and soak for at least 12 minutes. Do this three times weekly.

If you are pregnant or have any health concerns, check with your doctor before using Epsom salts.

Jasmine: Heaven Scent Aromatherapy

Annie B. Bond — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 04:36:55 +0000

The smell of jasmine transports me to moonlit summer nights with the soft, sensual scent of jasmine wafting through the night air. It is no surprise, given that in India jasmine is called “queen of the night,” because the scent is stronger after sunset. The scent is known to be comforting, calming, and certainly sensual, and I also always associate it with romance.

Try this homemade jasmine perfume formula to open the doors of romance, to calm, and uplift the mind. Known as a fertility oil, it is healing for sexuality and even known to ease the trauma of giving birth.

Cupid was known to tip his arrows with jasmine blossoms, to help inspire love and desire! Jasmine oil is also antidepressive, being mildly euphoric.
Make sure you buy a pure jasmine oil that is produced through the purest process, without the use of solvents. “Absolute” oils are those that derive the oil through solvent extraction rather than stream distillation. The purest jasmine oil of all is derived from the old-fashioned enfleurage process using oil extraction, traditionally made of animal fat.

To make a perfume add a few drops of pure jasmine oil to 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil, such as avocado or sweet almond. Stir to blend, and dab on your body.

Aromatherapy Bubble Baths to Heal the Spirit

Melissa Breyer — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 21:00:08 +0000

Aromatherapy baths can help with common human problems such as low self-esteem, anxiety, worry, indecision, and anger.

A favorite book of many people�s is �Aromatherapy for Healing the Spirit� (Gabriel Mojay, Healing Arts Press, 1978). The book is one of the most authoritative and helpful for choosing the right essential oil at the right time.

What better way to soothe your spirit than with a bubble bath infused with just the right essential oil to help you in the moment? Here is a safe formula for homemade bubble bath, and essential oil recommendations inspired by Mojay�s book.

Bubble Bath Mix for One Bath
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 tablespoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2-3 drops essential oil

Bubble Bath Mix in Bulk Quantity
1 cup baking soda
1 cup cream of tartar
1/4 cup cornstarch
Up to 5 drops essential oil per bath (optional)

Combine the baking soda, cream of tartar, and cornstarch in a jar. Use a few tablespoons per bath. Add the essential oil at the time of the bath; otherwise the baking soda will neutralize the scent during storage.