The following recipes were collected by Kirsten Anderberg over a 30 year period. She makes no medicinal claims about these
recipes and cautions people to make sure you know what herbs and plants you are dealing with before using them, and how those herbs interact with your body.
Pine Needle Bath 1 pound pine needles and cones ** Water
Boil pine needles and cones in water for 1/2 hour, then let it stand 13 hours before adding to bath. This is enough for several baths.
Purple Rosemary Flowers...
You can use wild herbs for baths. Collect some today! Put herbs in cotton
tea bag or cheesecloth and make bath into a giant teabag to soak in! Some good wild
herbs for baths are Eucalyptus, Mint, Pennyroyal, Pine, Rosemary, Sage, Calendula,
Comfrey, Hens and Chicks, Blackberry leaves, Dandelion, Stinging Nettles...Also, you can
add 1/4 c. honey to bath water for a sweet, silky bath.
I highly recommend Mountain Rose Herbs (click on the banner below)...they sell high quality, fresh, organic rosemary, perfect for your homemade cosmetics...
Skin Softening Herbal Wash Bags 3 T. ground oatmeal, 3 T. ground raw sunflower seeds, 1 scant T. buttermilk or milk powder, 1 T. dried lavender. Can substitute ground almonds for oatmeal or in addition...also can sub chamomile for lavender, or can put in 3 parts ground soap to get bubbles or scent. Mix ingredients, store in airtight waterproof container, until use. This is enough for one 3x5 muslin bag. To use, fill bag, wet thoroughly, and use like little bar of soap...exfoliates, cleans, tones...
Cocoa Bath Fizzies 2 T. cocoa powder 1/4 c. cornstarch 1/4 c. citric acid 7 T coconut oil, melted
baking soda to make a dough. Mix cocoa powder, cornstarch and citric acid...melt oil and drizzle into dry ingredients. Mix. Add baking soda enough to make a workable dough, but work quickly and try not to knead much so as not to activate the baking soda. Make into balls and dry 2 days....
It is easy to dry your own herbs! Just hang them on string until dry then store them!
Dried Herb After Bath Powder 1 c. powdered arrowroot, 1 c. cornstarch, 1/4 c. baking soda, pulverized herbs for fragrance. Sift together.
Perfumed After Bath Powder 2 c. cornstarch, 1 c. rice flour, pulverized/powdered herbs for fragrance, Mix all ingredients and keep in tightly closed jar for about 1 week, then transfer to container of choice. Apply with powder puff or sprinkle on...
Variations - Add 2-3 vanilla beans to powder or sprinkle cup of rosepetals into mix, cover, let roses scent powder for 1 week then sift out....
Milk Bath 1 c. powdered milk, 1/2 c. Epsom salts, 1 T. baking soda, 1 T. cornstarch, few drops of essential oil
Mix thoroughly, shelf life is 2-3 months.
Make Your Own Facials, Bath Salts, Lip Gloss, and Aloe Gel! You can make your own spa ingredients, using kitchen ingredients. Homemade cosmetics, the old-fashioned kind your granny used to make, are fresher and healthier for your skin, than products with chemicals in them to expand their shelf lives. For instance, you can have a fabulous facial by combining in a bowl:
1 egg yolk * 2 T. egg white * 1 T. honey * 1 t. rose water
Beat together and then apply to the face and neck. Leave on for about 10-15 minutes, then rinse off with warm water. You will be amazed how refreshed you feel. After the facial, you can spritz your face with a toner made from:
1/2 c. distilled witchhazel * 1/2 c. rose or lavendar water * 3/4 t. vegtable glycerin. Shake your toner before each use, and spray or pat on your face when it is feeling dry.
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DISCLAIMER: Do not eat or drink tea from any plant you have not fully studied and identified properly. Please consult with your local alternative herbal care specialist before using herbs you are not familiar with.
Kirsten Anderberg. All rights reserved. For permission to reprint/publish, please contact Kirsten at kirstena@resist.ca.
Kirsten Anderberg. All rights reserved. For permission to reprint/publish, please contact Kirsten at kirstena@resist.ca.