Beauty Begins at the Supermarket
by
Bruce Burnett

Page 1

"Of a green evening, clear and warm,
She bathed in her still garden,"
Wallace Stevens ("Peter Quince at the Clavier")

What an appealing concept. To be able to take a summer bath in one's garden amidst the flowers and herbs. However, in view of possible neighborly objections (or inappropriate glee), perhaps it's best to bring one's garden indoors and then have your bath.

Wallace Stevens goes on to write in the same poem, "Beauty is immortal in the mind-/The fitful tracing of a portal;/But in the flesh it is immortal./The body dies; the body's beauty lives." Indeed, the ancient Egyptians adorned and anointed their dead to preserve the body and make it more attractive for the world beyond. This practice evolved into intricate customs of beauty preparations for religious and other ceremonies. The ancient Greeks personalized beauty preparations, with an emphasis on beauty as another aspect of total health and well-being for the individual.

By Elizabethan times, there was an awareness of the vital role a healthy skin played in the pursuit of beauty and recipes for soaps, salves and herbal beauty preparations were passed down through generations. As Shakespeare wrote, "Beauty provoketh thieves sooner than gold."

The modern cosmetic industry was born in 1846 when Theron T. Pond developed his "Pond's Extract." Today's cosmetics are expensive mainly due to their high profit margins and the fancy packaging and marketing costs. The actual ingredients are cheap. But along with these cheap ingredients comes a host of health problems including allergies and chemical sensitivities due to the preservatives and synthetic fragrances and colourings.

With just a little time and knowledge it's possible to return to those healthy, inexpensive bath and beauty preparations of our ancestors. Most of the ingredients are readily available in your local grocery store. When you make your own bath and beauty products you know that you're using only fresh, natural ingredients. You can customize your natural cosmetics to match your skin and hair type and colour and you can scent them with your favorite herbs and essential oils.

For example:

• Apple cider vinegar is a soothing astringent that relieves itchy, dry, scaly skin and restores the natural pH (acid-alkaline balance). Add 1-2 cups to bath water or 2 Tbsp. to 1 cup of water for a hair rinse. Massage into hair and then rinse for smooth, shiny hair.
• Arrowroot powder makes a soft, gentle base for herbal body powders.
• Bentonite clay, found in many places in North America, has a tightening effect on the skin and absorbs excess oils. It is also used internally to combat yeast infection or candida albicans.
• Borax, also known as sodium borate, can be used as a natural water softener and emulsifier. It is also mildly antiseptic.
• Coconut oil is one of the best natural emollients for softening and relaxing the skin. Many people claim that there's nothing better for making the skin silky and supple and as an after-sun treatment and hair conditioner.
• Cornmeal makes an effective exfoliant for removing dead skin.
• Cucumber (the strained pulp or juice) is soothing, gently astringent and has a mild bleaching action, aiding in the removal of dead skin cells. Cucumber slices placed on eyelids eliminate puffiness.
• Grapeseed oil is emollient and non-allergenic. It is recommended for massage and bath oils especially for mature and delicate skin because it is light and non-greasy.
• Lemons are a powerful astringent. They will revitalize, sanitize and bleach the hair and skin and help restore the natural pH. Place a scooped out half lemon on your elbows to soften and lighten coarse, dark skin.
• Papaya contains a powerful protein-digesting enzyme that removes dead skin. It also helps restore the skin's natural pH level/
• Parsley is soothing and healing for acne, eczema and psoriasis. It also makes a good hair conditioner.
• Rhubarb roots, crushed and simmered in water make a brightening hair rinse for blonde or light brown hair. It will also emphasize blonde highlights.
• Rosemary is a mild astringent that will darken and condition hair, along with stimulating hair growth. Rosemary is fragrant and invigorating, especially for circulation. It will alleviate aching muscles when added to your bath.
• Rosewater is a very mild astringent and makes an excellent cleanser for dry skin when mixed half and half with glycerin

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