One of the best things about winter is that one doesn’t feel guilty about indulging in a little pampering. After all, the weather is god-awful, there isn’t a lot of activity in the garden, and dry winter skin gives one every justification for a well needed home spa session.
There is a lot said dry skin can enjoy at this time of year, right from the kitchen cupboards and pantry: a hydrating and nourishing oatmeal, clay and honey mask, warm herb infused oils to smooth out rough skin, just a little lemon juice to strengthen and brighten brittle nails, a blend of essential oils for fragrance.
Skin needs to be fed, hydrated and protected throughout the year, but at no time more than in the middle of winter, when a disciplined regimen of care is essential.
Here is a blend for a very nourishing cream that comes in handy when cold temperatures and biting wind chill stop by, it just skips the water based components and goes straight for the fats and oils. It also smells like a tropical island, which is great for shaking off the winter doldrums.
Add one tablespoon of almond oil to six tablespoons of coconut oil and one tablespoon of cocoa butter. Melt it all together in a double boiler, until completely blended, and add twelve drops of lemon or grapefruit essential oil. Pour it in jars and let it blend and solidify for twenty four hours. Not only will your skin thank you, but lemon oil draws out toxins from your system and stimulates the function of the lymphatic system to reduce puffiness.
If you want an extra dose of vitamins that skin especially loves, you can replace the almond oil with avocado oil, but the latter takes a little longer to be absorbed into the skin.
Main Areas: Garden Writing; Sustainable Gardening; Homegrown Harvest
Published Books: “Terra Two”; “Generations”; "Letters to Lelia", "Door No. 8", "Fair"; "A Year and A Day"; "The Plant - A Steampunk Story"
Career Focus: Author; Consummate Gardener;
Affiliation: All Year Garden; The Weekly Gardener; Francis Rosenfeld's Blog
I started blogging in 2010, to share the joy of growing all things green and the beauty of the garden through the seasons. Two garden blogs were born this way: allyeargarden.com and theweeklygardener.com, a periodical that followed it one year later. I wanted to assemble an informal compendium of the things I learned from my grandfather, wonderful books, educational websites, and my own experience, in the hope that other people might find it useful in their own gardening practice.