Summer is the perfect time for DIY beauty treatments. Garden herbs or wildcrafted herbs are ideal for facial steams, foot baths and hair rinses, or try seasonal vegetables for homemade beauty products. Here are four very easy summer beauty treatments for the skin and the hair.
Facial Steam with Fresh Herbs
Herbal steams hydrate the skin, unclog pores, eliminate toxins and have many other benefits for the skin. They are easy to make with seasonal herbs and flowers from the garden or with wildcrafted herbs. Cleanse Your Skin with an Herbal Facial Steam has step by step instructions.
Cucumber Treatment for Sunburned Skin
A cucumber treatment is a quick home remedy for skin that is suffering from a day out in the sun. You’ll need
- half to one cucumber
- (and – optional: 1-2 drops of Lavender essential oil (Lavandula angustifolia)
Blend the cucumber (and the lavender oil) in a food processor or a blender into a mash. Apply on sunburned areas or, if you want a full-body beauty treatment, all over the body for a cooling, hydrating skin treatment. Leave for 15-20 minutes before you rinse off the cucumber mash.
Herbal Hair Rinses
Herbal hair rinses give your hair natural shine, condition the scalp and enhance your hair color. Suitable herbs for homemade hair rinses include
- nettles: a great herb for hair health and suitable for all hair types and colors
- chamomile: especially good for blonde hair
- rosemary: boosts circulation in the scalp, improves hair and scalp health and is ideal for dark hair
Make an herbal hair rinse as if you were making an herbal infusion. Place a handful of herbs in a jar or a jug, pour a few cups of boiling water over the herbs and leave to infuse until the water cools down (at least 30 minutes). Strain and use the herbal infusion as the last rinsing water after washing your hair.
Cooling Foot Baths with Essential Oils
Refreshing, cooling essential oils such as Lemongrass or Peppermint are perfect for foot baths in the hot weather. Use warm or lukewarm water and add a few drops of Lemongrass oil, a natural deodorant and great for excessive perspiration and for fighting infections, or a drop or two of Peppermint essential oil to refresh and energize tired feet. Lavender is a good alternative, especially for feet with hard or cracked skin.
More footbath ideas: Refreshing De-Stressing and Energizing Foot Baths
