Pre-Shampoo Treatment

If your hair is naturally dry or has become dry due to over shampooing, over bleaching, over colouring or too much sun or illness, both hair and scalp will benefit from the following treatment.
Egg and Honey Treatment for Dry, Damaged or Fine Hair
1 egg yolk, beaten
2 teaspoons castor oil
1 teaspoon runny honey
Dried milk powder, to mix
2 drops sandalwood essential oil
2 drops clary sage essential oil

Mix the egg, castor oil, and honey together then add enough dried milk to make a very soft paste. Add the essential oils and mix well.
Rub the paste thoroughly into the hair and scalp.
Cover hair with a plastic shower cap and then wrap the whole head in a hot towel. Alternatively, wrap the head in a towel wrung out in very hot water.
Leave for 20 minutes.
Shampoo with a mild herbal shampoo.

Detoxifying Body Mask

This body mask targets key areas of the body, such as the waist or thighs and improves detoxification. You will need cling film and large towels to wrap up the body and increase the heat so that the ingredients can penetrate more effectively. The treatment is best applied and removed in the bathroom, shower it off the skin afterwards. It is best to decide on one part of the body to work on, such as the upper back if there are pimples, or the thighs or waist for cellulite or bloating. You will rest with the mask on for 20 minutes; drink water during this time and also after the session.

Thyme, Sage & Juniper Body Mask
The quantity should be enough for two people. In a bowl, put 6 tablespoons green clay and mix in 180ml water to form a paste. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and 3 tablespoons of fresh thyme and sage leaves, washed and finely chopped and stir into the paste. Then add 6 drops juniper essential oil, stir again, and the mask is ready to use. Thyme and sage are skin-cleansing and purifying herbs, and juniper is one of the best detoxifying essential oils. Green clay is an excellent purifying medium, which draws toxins out of the skin, and olive oil adds nourishment.

Mask Application
Moisten the skin of the area you want to work on with a damp flannel, then apply the mask. You will need to get help if applying to your back, then cover it with a large piece of cling film and place a towel over that. If you want to work on the legs, it is easier to apply the mask yourself, just wrap cling film over the mask area, and wrap in a towel for 20 minutes. The mask needs to be showered off thoroughly afterwards. The skin should feel tingly and glowing.

HERBAL BATH MIX

All the ingredients for this mix are easily available to buy or they can be grown in a herb garden or window box. They are all associated with purification and cleansing. Use fresh herbs if possible.

2tsp organic oats
Small square of cotton muslin
7 basil leaves
3 bay leaves
3 sprigs of oregano
1 sprig of tarragon
Pinch rock or sea salt
Thread to secure

Pile the herbs in the centre of the muslin square, then add the oats.
Top with the salt, pick up the corners of the muslin and tie with thread. Hang the sachet from the bath tap so that the water is infused with the essence of the mixture.

FENNEL

This feathery herb, with its lovely aniseed aroma, will settle your digestion with ease.
For centuries people wanting to lose weight and stay young ate fennel seeds, however, fennel seeds are most effective as a digestive – settling the stomach, relieving colic and wind, and easing indigestion and heartburn. You can also boost your appetite by chewing some seeds before a meal.

Fennel is also antispasmodic and diuretic (releasing excess fluid from the body). Apply the cooled tea to your skin to help to reduce wrinkles. If you are breastfeeding, fennel will help to increase milk production.
NB: do not take fennel if you suffer from epilepsy or during early pregnancy. Check before giving fennel to children

Crystal Therapy
Using crystals to alleviate stress and trauma

A shock, accident or loss may leave you feeling profoundly shaken and insecure. The following layout helps you to release stress and gather yourself together again. Look out for the tensing of muscles, mental replay of events and sudden outbursts of emotions. Continue using this layout until these signs disappear. This will help to prevent the shock seeping deeply into the system.

For the layout you will need eight small clear quartz crystals, a rose quartz and a tiger’s eye.

Place a small rose quartz at the heart centre with four clear quartz points facing outwards, placed diagonally around it. At the sacral centre, below the navel, place a tiger’s eye. Surround it with four clear quartz crystals with points inwards, also placed diagonally. The stones at the heart centre release emotional tension while the stones on the abdomen balance the first, second and third chakras, and give stability and grounded energy.

Rosemary Brain Booster Blend

This blend is perfect for those times when you need to buckle down and revise for tests or exams. Apply it to your temples. Do not use this blend if you suffer from epilepsy.

6 drops rosemary
2 drops lime
2 drops peppermint
35ml hazelnut carrier oil

Essential Oils for Healing

Mental Fatigue
To combat mental fatigue, and the resulting memory lapses, one should add 10 drops of peppermint essential oil to the bathwater weekly.

Muscular pain
To alleviate muscular cramps and pain, apply hot compresses to the affected areas, using essential oil blend of Bergamot, Chamomile and Lavender.

Foot Soak and Acupressure
A really deep foot treatment can be very relaxing indeed. All over the skin surface there are acupressure points that link to the whole body, this is why it makes you feel so good. First you give the feet a deep exfoliation, then you follow this with the massage.

Hot Oil Peppermint Foot Soak
You need a plastic bowl large enough to sit both feet in comfortably. You also need a clean jam jar with a screw top lid. First, wash and very finely chop a handful of fresh peppermint leaves. Put these in the jar, pour over 240ml extra virgin olive oil, screw on the lid and shake. Place the jar in a heatproof glass bowl, half-filled with boiling water and leave for at least 15 minutes to warm the oil.

Place the feet in the plastic bowl, sprinkle over 2 tablespoons fine sea salt and pour over the warm peppermint scented oil. While the feet are soaking, rub the salt grains into the skin, covering the whole surface of the feet. The warm olive oil penetrates any cracked skin, while the peppermint is refreshing. After 15 minutes, lift the feet out and wipe them with lots of kitchen roll before wrapping them in a towel. Then move onto the acupressure massage.

The feet are already lubricated by the soak, so there is no need for more oil. Unwrap and work on one foot at a time.

Upper foot surface: using your thumbs, apply 5 lines of individual circular pressure from the base of each toe up towards the ankle. Each individual pressure should be firm for a few seconds, then move up slightly and repeat.

Lower foot surface: Repeat the circular pressure, starting at the base of each toe and pressing down the foot towards the heel.

Stroke the foot all over to finish, working over all the surfaces including the toes. Repeat on the other foot.

It goes without saying that, although any massage treatment can be performed on your own body, it feels much more rewarding to have someone else doing it for you, so encourage your partner to pamper you once in a while (preferably, often).

Rose Geranium Oil Blend

Rose Geranium is used to balance the hormones, PMS, Stress relief, adrenal burnout, Thyroid regulation, Balancing the sugar levels, urinary tract afflictions, water retention, a tonic on the bladder and kidneys and an analgesic for back spasms.

Recipe for Back Ache

1 drop of Geranium essential oil

2 drops of Clary Sage essential Oil

2 drops Marjoram essential oil

1 drop od Chamomile essential oil

Blend the oils in a dark glass bottle and use as a massage blend for the back muscles.

Used on a burner for anxiety, restlessness and mood extremes

Spiritual Blend for the burner

2 drops of Geranium oil

3 drops of bergamot

Blend the oils with a little water on a burner or you may use the oils on burner salts.