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.
Make Your Own Foot Spa! Make a Foot Scrub - Grind 2 T sunflower seeds (shelled), and 2 T coarse salt, in a food processor. Then add 1/2 cup cornmeal, and process another 30 seconds. Put into a bowl and
mix with 3 T buttermilk. Add 1 T ghee (to make ghee, melt 3 T butter over low heat in a skillet, don't burn, then after 5 minutes, skim off the solids, and the remaining butter is
"clarified butter" or ghee). Then also mix in 1 T sesame oil. Wash the feet then pat them dry, then smooth this mixture all over the feet, especially heels. Rinse, pat dry.
Bubbling Foot Bath (This helps remove foot odor, fungi, and athlete's foot) - Pour 1 cup apple cider vinegar, 2 cups warm water and 3/4 cup baking soda, in that order, into a foot basin. (You can double this for
a deeper foot bath). Put feet into the foot basin and let soak for 10 minutes, then rinse and pat dry.
Peppermint Foot Moisturizer - Melt 3 T cocoa butter and 2 T shea butter in a low oven at 200 degress. Once melted, add 1 T. ghee, 1/4 t. peppermint
essential oil, 1/8 t. ginger essential oil and 1 T cooking oil, mix well, then use to massage feet.
I highly recommend Mountain Rose Herbs (click on the banner below)...they sell high quality, fresh, organic herbs, perfect for your homemade cosmetics...
Rosemary Milk Toner for Feet 1 cup hot milk * 1/2 cup mint leaves * 6 sprigs of rosemary * 2 t peppermint extract
In a pan, simmer milk, mint, and rosemary for 15 minutes. Take off the heat, and cool. Strain, then stir in extract. Soak a clean cloth with the mixture, and apply to feet, wrapping
it around feet. You can cover them with plastic after this if you want. Makes enough for one application.
Baking Soda Footbath Add some baking soda to warm water for a footbath that softens the skin and makes it easier to use a pumice stone to get rid of callouses, etc...
Soft Hand and Feet Scrub 1 oz ground Almonds 1 beaten egg 1/4 oz. ground Comfrey root 1 tbls. honey
Mix all the ingredients together. Coat your hands well with the mess and have someone assist you in putting on rubber gloves. This is best if used before bed and mix left on till morning. Works for dry feet as well.
Another easy home cosmetic is *nonpetroleum jelly*, or fake vasoline. This is great on dry, cracked feet.
In the top of a double boiler, with water simmering underneath, melt/stir together 1 1/4 oz. grated beeswax and 3/4 c. almond oil. Remove from heat
and pour into containers. For firmer gel, use 1 1/2 oz. beeswax. For softer gel, 1 oz bees wax.
Herbs for Athlete's Foot * Bathe feet frequently in thyme and marigold tea
Corn Softener Supposedly binding a lemon slice onto a corn overnight for several nights with make it go away.
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.