Lavender to relax

So it’s January. It is cold and dark outside and everywhere you go you see the word, ‘detox‘. Well at Daisy Green Magazine we are also thinking along those lines but what is different is that each of us are detoxing with you. We will try and help you through this cash strapped January but instead of completely detoxing, we want you to feel pampered to. It’s just no fun when people tell you, ‘don’t do that, don’t eat that’, and just ‘don’t’ in general. We want to encourage you to, do and make and be.

January is a month where it’s really difficult to get motivated. But if you manage to motivate yourself this month it’s likely that you will be encouraged to keep up your new regimes for more than just one day. By the way I am writing this whilst lying on my bed – but I have exercised (for four whole minutes) and had a healthy breakfast and lunch.

Before you carry on reading, if you are at home go and make yourself a big mug of tea, relax and unwind. This could be the start of your girls day or night in.

This day isn’t all about pampering it’s about so much more. Today is about taking charge and making plans. Organise your wardrobe, kitchen cabinets and any cupboards that are so full they are about to burst. Discard the things you no longer need, and discover things you’ve neglected. It’s also about making some home made beauty products and absorbing yourself in your home.

Now I hope this doesn’t make me sound like your mother but I want you to go and tidy your bedroom and bathroom. You will enjoy the later part of your day so much more if you have a lovely haven to laze in. Also don’t forget to make sure your biggest and snuggliest towels are available - OK so there is my first ‘don’t’.

By doing all of this you will have given yourself a very good workout and you will have everything just as you need it. Please don’t despair if you haven’t got the items I am going to include in the ingredients list as they are all readily available in most good supermarkets, chemist or your local health store.    

Now the fun stuff begins, you have cleaned out your cupboards and you now know what goodies you have to put to use for your pamper session. I have always been a woman who has enjoyed a good night out but as I have gotten older, I have appreciated the benefits of having a night in.  We all spend so much time and money in making our homes lovely that we forget that they are ours to relax in and appreciate.

If like me you find yourself at a loose end, wondering what everyone else is doing, stop and think about what you are doing, there is no point in feeling like you are missing out. Instead make your evening lovely and therapeutic and I could almost guarantee that you wake feeling fresh and rejuvenated the next morning.

Can I let you into a secret? At this time of the year women, a sweeping generalisation I know, often go into hibernation. We cover up and hide every part of our body and actually neglect our skin. Then spring raises its head  and miraculously we think that a couple of days of moisturising a razor blade and maybe a new hair cut  will make us look better, healthier and ready for the months ahead. Why bother spending time, energy and money I hear you ask? Well you should bother because after almost four months of not taking care of ourselves both inside and outside it could be classed as neigh-on neglect. If we take care of ourselves from now, come April when our bodies are exposed to the world they would have received three whole months of TLC and your skin will be soft and lovely and you won’t be a fuzzy-wuzzy bear with fuzzy-wuzzy hair, which is a head start on all those women not reading Daisy Green Magazine.

Your cupboards – ingredients needed

You won’t need them all today but over the next four weeks we will be introducing you to new recipes so treat the list a little like the recent Gordon Ramsay Cook Along Series and buy only the ingredients that you require as, when and if required.   

• Oats (preferably organic)
• Sea salt or rock salt
• Milk
• Brown sugar (the softer the better for face but rougher for knees and elbows)
• Virgin olive oil
• Lemon
• Pear, apple (both currently in season in Britain) or banana
• Honey
• Double cream
• Baking soda
• Epsom Salts
• Essential oils
• Shower cap
• Body brush

Five home made natural recipes to get you started

Pear face mask

Approximate cost per mask – 70p

Ingredients: 1 pear (as ripe as possible), ½ teaspoon of honey, 1 tablespoon of double cream

Peel and core the pear. Cut the pear into small pieces to make it easier to mash. Put the pieces into a bowl and mash into a smooth paste. Add the honey and double cream. Spread the mixture evenly over the skin on the face and neck. Leave for about 15 minutes. Rinse the face and pat dry with a clean towel.

Oatmeal mask

Approximate cost per mask – 25p

Ingredients: Oatmeal and water

Mix 2 tablespoons of oatmeal with a little water (or milk) in a small bowl. When it is in a paste form it is ready to use. Spread the mixture evenly over the face and neck. Leave for approximately 15 minutes. Rinse the face and pat dry with a clean towel.

Brown Sugar Exfoliator

Approximate cost per exfoliation – 30p

Add 1 tablespoon of brown sugar to a half tablespoon of olive oil. Stir to mix.  Apply the mixture to your body using circular motions. Rinse the body with warm water.

Honey and Olive Oil Hair Mask 

Approximate cost per mask – 30 to 50p depending on length of hair

Mix 2 tablespoons of honey with honey with 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Apply to hair from root to tip; this is mild enough to be used on the scalp. Cover hair a shower cap. After 15 minutes shampoo and rinse well.

Salt bath

This will help aid the removal of toxins and relax you

Approximate price per bath – 50 to 75 pence

1 cup of sea salts, 2 cups baking soda, 1 cup Epsom Salts, 1 to 2 tablespoons glycerine per bath (optional – glycerine helps to keep the skin from drying) and essential oils (optional – lavender is very good to aid relaxation)

The proper method is to combine the sea salts, baking soda, and Epsom salts in a bowl and blend them.  Pour ¼ of the mix into the bath while the tub is filling. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons glycerine to keep your skin from drying out (more for dry skin, less for oily skin) and essential oils of choice.

The quick way is to scatter the individual parts in the bath just before you step in.  Try both methods to see what suits you best. 

When you step out of the bath wrap yourself in a big towel and enjoy feeling of being relaxed. Put on your pyjamas, make a warm mug of milk with some honey and then go to bed and sleep. In the morning, the house is tidy, your mood lightened and you will be ready for the day ahead whatever it may bring. 

Please note - none of the Daisy Green Magazine team are doctors or alternative specialists. But all of these recipes have been made, used and enjoyed. However, if there are any contraindications as to why you shouldn’t try these recipes then please don’t. Do not take hot baths and salt baths if you have heart trouble, high blood pressure or are diabetic.