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Beauty
Begins at the Supermarket
by
Bruce Burnett
Page
2
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Since
Roman times, the soothing, healing and beautifying action
of herbal baths has been well known and in herbal magic
a bath was regarded as the most effective way of diffusing
the herb's power over the whole body. Basically there are
three ways to prepare an herbal bath:
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Make
an infusion of the herb, just as if you were making a
cup of herb tea. Use one teaspoon of the dried herb to
one cup of boiling water. Allow to steep for about 10
minutes, strain and add to the bath.
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Place your herbs (preferably fresh) in a cheesecloth bag
and add to the bath while it's running.
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Use essential oils. This is more expensive - although
only a few drops are required - but more fragrant and
arguably more therapeutic from an aromatherapy point of
view. Essential oils can also be blended with sea salt
or Epsom salts to make a salt bath; especially soothing
for sore, aching muscles.
So,
whether for your hair, skin or overall beauty and well-being,
it's fun and economical to return to grandmother's beauty
regime. A trip to your local store is all that's required.
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Papaya
Face Pack
4 medium ripe papayas
1½
tsp. (7.5ml) aloe juice or gel
4
Tbsp. of bentonite clay. Possible substitutions
include: green clay, French clay or kaolin (China
clay).
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Peel and seed the papayas and blend the flesh in a food
processor until smooth. Add the aloe and clay and blend
some more. Spoon the mixture into a lidded glass jar with
a rubber seal. Store in the refrigerator and use within
five days.
Spread the face pack over your face and leave for 20 minutes
before rinsing off. As with all skin treatments, it is advisable
to test the paste on a small area of your skin (e.g. under
your forearm) before applying to test for sensitivities
and allergies.
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Rosemary
Hair Rinse
½
cup of dried rosemary
1
tsp. of borax
4
cups of distilled or filtered water.
Bring
the water to the boil and remove from heat. Add the
rosemary and borax, stir, cover and steep for about
two hours. Then strain and bottle.
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Use as the final rinse after shampooing and conditioning.
Do not rinse out. This rinse will give your hair luster
and body and is especially good for dull, lifeless and flaky
hair. Be aware that it may stain lightly-colored towels.
Discard the rinse if you haven't used it within 10 days.
"Beauty
Begins at the Supermarket"
was first published in Canada's Healthy Living Guide
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