Natural Herbal Beauty

DANDELION (Taraxacum officinale)

Dandelions are filled with nourishment, good for skin, liver and urinary systems, and therefore excellent for keeping the skin clear. Make a tea of leaves and flowers — 125 ml (¹/2 cup) herb to 750 ml (3 cups) boiling water — and use as a wash for itchy skin, eczema and red skin. Use as a facial wash to invigorate the skin. Steep leaves and flowers in oil and use as a bath or body oil.

ELDER(Sambucus nigra)

Flowers, leaves, stems and roots of the elder can all be used medicinally. For cosmetics, though, the flowers are usually used. They are gently astringent and they soothe and soften the skin. (more…)

The simplest remedy for the symptoms and diseases of excess is cleansing. Natural health practitioners believe that when the body is overloaded with toxins, disease occurs. The disease may be as commonplace as a cold or an allergy, or it can be as serious and life- threatening as the clogged arteries that lead to a heart attack or the damaged cells which give rise to cancer. (more…)

Cleansing Principle #4: Purify with Breathing Exercises

Breathing is an involuntary act that primarily occurs beneath the level of your conscious awareness. By focusing your attention on your breath, you can dramatically affect your well-being. Special breathing exercises have been practiced in the Far East for centuries as a means of purification and renewal, and are used to heal the body, improve mental concentration, and enhance spiritual practices. The regular practice of calming breathing exercises has been proven in research studies to be an excellent method for relieving stress and anxiety. (more…)

Creating a nontoxic environment and lifestyle are essential for optimal health. At the same time, no matter how pristine your environment, your body still needs to detoxify on daily basis. There are a number of powerful and effective ways of assisting your body in the process of purification. These practices will support your overall health and well-being, while helping you to feel younger and more vibrantly alive. (more…)

Milk cleansers are much gentler on your skin than soaps. Making your own herbal cleansing milks is simple. To keep them fresh for more than

1 week, freeze the strained herbal milks in ice cube trays, and pop out a cube to thaw as needed.

For Dry to Normal Skin:

2 tablespoons calendula flowers

1 tablespoon chamomile flowers

1 tablespoon rose petals (more…)

You’ll need:

2 deep buckets large enough to hold both of your feet

2 tablespoons powdered ginger rosemary essential oil

Alternating hot and cold foot baths help to stimulate lymphatic flow and also relieve tired, aching feet and legs. Fill one bucket with water as hot as you can tolerate and stir in the powdered ginger, and fill the other with ice cold water. Use buckets large enough to comfortably hold both of your feet with the water at least covering your ankles. If possible, find buckets deep enough so that the water will reach to the middle of your calves. The higher the water reaches, the more it will assist lymphatic flow. (more…)

You’ll need:

1/2 cup fine sea salt

1 tablespoon almond oil

5 drops grapefruit essential oil

Once a week, treat yourself to this all-over body cleansing scrub. Fine salt crystals exfoliate dry and dead skin cells, and almond oil moisturizes your skin, leaving it silky smooth. Grapefruit essential oil adds purifying properties as well as imparts a delightful uplifting fragrance. (more…)

Herbs have long been valued not only for their benefits when taken internally, but also for their healing and beautifying properties when used externally. For the following facial and bodycare recipes, choose herbs and essential oils according to your skin type.

Dry Skin

Herbs: Chamomile, comfrey, elder flower, rose Essential Oils: Chamomile, sandalwood, lavender (more…)

Much of the body’s healing work takes place while you sleep. Without the need to attend to all of the functions of daily life, your immune system and organs of detoxification can focus attention on cleansing and restoration. This is the time when your body does major housecleaning, taking care of wastes that have accumulated during the day and repairing cellular damage. Cultivate the habit of going to bed early, before 10 P.M. (more…)