What is organic natural beauty? A certain sparkle in the eye, a soft glow to the skin, the bright sheen of healthy hair? For centuries we have had a fascination with beauty; what creates it and how to keep it fresh throughout our lives.
Does it come down to the lavender body lotion or shea butter cream we slather on our body or is it something more? To a certain extent, as we have all heard many times, real beauty comes from the inside.
But what does that mean? -- our physical inside? our spiritual inside? our personality? -- when you think about it, it's really a rather vague notion.
I believe beauty is a combination of all of those aspects and more.
One that is not talked about much, but practiced by many women in some form is that of self-honoring.
In this modern age, with its smudged lines of gender and roles, the act of honoring and promoting feminine beauty is often difficult to manage and sometimes even dismissed as silly or frivolous.
There is no immediate tangible benefit -- no promotion, no pay raise.
So why is it important? It is important because it puts us in touch with the essence of who we are -- soft, radiant, life-giving, nurturing beings, here to bring joy and beauty to all we touch.
I know that's not a very pc statement nowadays, but doesn't it strike a chord somewhere? Isn't it fun to get all dressed up and just be a woman? Doesn't it feel good to take care of yourself and revel in the results? For me, that is what organic natural beauty care is all about -- using the very best, purest ingredients to honor the most important person in your life -- you.
So let's take some time out today and enjoy some pampering.
We'll start with the simplest, yet seemingly most decadent of treats -- a bath.
Close the door, light some candles and take some time for you.
When you do so, though, avoid the synthetic bath oils and artificially scented bubbles.
There are many wonderful natural ways to enhance a bath and wholly nourish your skin, leaving it soft and glowing.
Most of them are easily found in your own home or at the local shop.
Of course, you should choose the very best organic, natural ingredients, whenever possible, to give your skin and body the greatest benefit.
Today, I'll introduce the most easily found ingredients...
Oat Bath: Oats are not only good to eat, but also incredibly nourishing and softening to the skin.
The easiest way to take an oat bath, without creating an unrelaxing clean-up job afterwards, is to fill a muslin bag, a square of cheesecloth or simply a sock with oats, tie it shut and hang it from the faucet as you fill the tub.
If you don't have a bathtub, this treat can easily be adapted to the shower by using the bag or sock full of oats to massage your body.
Organic oats are easily found at the health food store and now even in most supermarkets.
Baking Soda Bath: Baking soda is another wonderfully softening additive to the bath.
Just add a 1/4 to a 1/2 cup to the water as it is filling up, step in and relax.
Organic Milk and Honey Bath: Milk and honey baths were made famous by the queen of natural beauty herself, Cleopatra.
They have an incredibly soothing, softening effect on the skin.
To ensure that the milk doesn't spoil in the hot water, heat 1/2 cup organic whole milk and a teaspoon of honey ahead of time and then add it to the pre-run bath.
Be sure to rinse off thoroughly under the shower after a milk bath.
If you want to add a delectable lift to the senses as well, add a few drops of pure organic essential oils to any of these baths just before you get in.
Lavender, ylang-ylang, clary sage and chamomile are a few of my favorites for relaxation.
So what are you waiting for? Take a break from the screen and enjoy yourself!