Sugar Scrub! Making of an uplifting morning moment.

Sugar scrubs are good for exfoliation and can be scented in so many wonderful ways.  Sugar is preferable over salt scrubs for regular use as salt is much more abrasive.  Salt scrubs are good for use occasionally on very dry skin.

The scrub I made is meant to be uplifting in nature to be a nice morning wakeup during shower time. 

2 cups white sugar
1/4 cup almond oil (great for skin hydration)
8 drops peppermint oil
8 drops orange oil

Mix oil into sugar slowly to create the right consistency.

Peppermint essential oil is very strong and must be diluted.  It can help alleviate tension headaches and migraines. Astringent in nature when applied to the skin as well as refreshing.  From a spiritual side it is purifying and healing.

Orange essential oil is a natural pick me up.  Good for reducing anxiety and improving symptoms of depression.  Pagans recognize the highly uplifting nature of orange oil as well and seek to use the smell and the light topical application to improve moods.  Must be mixed with a carrier oil.

Who doesn't love a fizzy bath bomb?

In preparation for Christmas and Yule (catering to all my holidays!) I decided to make a batch of awesome fizzy bath bombs.  First time I have ever made one and they were so easy!  Never will I pay crazy costs for them again when mine are better anyway.

To make you need the following basic ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of oil (any nice carrier oil would probably work just fine: avocado, almond, coconut, olive, grapeseed, etc - I used avocado because the oil is great for skin elasticity and hydration and that is perfect for a luxurious bath)
• 1/2 cup of cornstarch
• 1 cup of baking soda
• 1 cup of citric acid
• essential oils (8 drops is good but I used a little more)
• My batch - I chose a relaxing blend since baths tend to be something I do at night before bed.
• 8 drops of lavender essential oil (food grade).  Because it can be applied neat (straight up) it is safer to add a little more.  Lavender is a healing herb in general.  It is good for calming nerves and releasing tension, relieving pain (works great on minor burns), disinfecting skin.  It has a lovely smell too.
• 4 drops of jasmine essential oil.  Jasmine is an antidepressant and an antiseptic (amongst many other things like romance), and it smells wonderful!
• 3 drops of frankincense essential oil. Frankincense is a tree resin and is healing, purifying, anxiety reducing, and uplifting so it reduces depression.  It also boosts the energy of the other oils so you get a super boost.

Put all the ingredients into a glass bowl and mix them up with your hands until it is able to be molded.  Place in molds or mold by hand and set aside to dry.  Drying takes a while...I ended up wrapping each one in parchment paper the next day and tying the packet closed with ribbon so it will dry over time and be presentation ready.

They smell amazing and I am so tempted to keep one for myself!  I may just make another batch.

Please keep in mind that I am not a doctor and I researched all my information on the internet and made decisions based on that information.