A wonderfully chic French friend gave me this tip years ago, I've used it on my body, occasionally my face and recently a lot on my hands. It's natural, relatively inexpensive and highly effective. I love writing and sharing energy medicine and natural healthcare tips and techniques, but every so often I get a bit 'girlie' and today is one of those days and I want to share it with you!
It's one of those things about aging that nobody warns you about, like saggy knees, and making noises when you get up or sit down; the body's ability for cell renewal diminishes and can lead to dry sometimes rough skin patches, certainly a 'dull' appearance ..... not life threatening but irritating if any itching is involved.
I find, as you know if you've seen the FIT FACE classes I did with Kim, that these practices can be, for me, almost a meditation, I take the time to reconnect with my body, talk to it, thank it, nurture it. It's a pause in my day for my body and I!
However, a simple yet powerful solution exists in the form of a homemade hand scrub using two natural wonders: the best quality olive oil and Himalayan salt.
In this blog, I want to explore some of the benefits of combining these ingredients to create a skin scrub that: combats dryness, promotes exfoliation, softens the skin, enhances overall skin health and makes up a bit for the body's lessened ability to renew those cells.
But first, how do you make it?
Extra virgin olive oil - organic, first pressed, cold pressed - whatever, the very best quality you can find.
Himalayan salt : fine or coarse, based on preference and skin sensitivity, the finer the more gentle the scrub will be.
Optional: Essential oils for fragrance and their therapeutic nature (if you have good quality) - I personally adore: Lavender and Frankincense for their ability to heal on a physical level and bring calm on an emotional level. Rose is another good choice and purely for the smell, I love Ylang Ylang, although you might prefer the smell of something fresh and citrus e.g. Mandarin. If your hands are stiff, try a combination of Black Pepper and Sweet Marjoram - an unusual smell that warms the muscle tissue and can help relieve stiffness (it was one of my favourite combos when I trained as an Aromatherapist and worked with a lot of athletes)
Instructions:
Measure Ingredients:
1 cup of Himalayan salt
1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil
Energy test or dowse for essential oil dose (if not - add 10 drops, 5 of each if you are using 2)
Mixing:
In a glass jar (you can recycle here, I love using a small Kilner jar that some food stuff arrived in months ago), combine the Himalayan salt, olive oil and essential oil/s
Stir the ingredients well until they form a consistent paste. Adapt to the consistency YOU like to work with, I personally like mine quite 'runny'.
I also label it with date.
Application:
Prior to using the scrub, ensure your hands are clean and dry.
Take a small amount of the scrub and gently massage it into your hands.
this is an opportunity to work over the joints and wrists. If you are familiar with acupoints, you have some powerful Source Points on the wrists and hands, pay particular attention to them. If you're not familiar with these, rather than go into detail here, I'll do another blog on them... but just know, that you will be 'working' them in some way, even unintentionally!
Massage the scrub in circular motions, paying attention to areas with rough or dry skin.
smile as you do this and I can't resist a bit of energy medicine here: hum or sing, which in turn will improve your Vagal tone.
Take the time to massage the scrub into the hands provides a moment of self-care and relaxation.
After massaging for a few minutes, rinse your hands with warm water.
Pat your hands dry with a clean towel.
For an extra boost of hydration, follow up a few drops of oil or your skin cream of choice. I make my own hand oil using a slightly lighter oil as a carrier for day use, such as Peach Nut Kernel with my chosen essential oil/s. For a really deep night time treatment I'll use the olive oil (without the salt) and in addition to the essential oil/s I'll add Vitamin E oil or any of the richer base oils e.g. Argan (cosmetic quality), Jojoba ... the choice is wide nowadays - have fun experimenting.
Frequency:
Use the scrub 1-2 times per week for optimal results.
Store in a Cool Place:
Keep the remaining scrub in a cool, dry place for future use.
OK, so what is it actually doing?
Hydration and Moisture: Olive oil is renowned for its moisturizing properties. Packed with antioxidants, vitamins A and E, and fatty acids, it deeply nourishes the skin, replenishing lost moisture and promoting elasticity. When combined with the hydrating effects of Himalayan salt, the scrub becomes a potent solution for combating dryness, particularly for some of us who may experience increased skin dehydration and as I mentioned reduced cell turnaround. Obviously I have to slip in here: are you drinking enough water?
Exfoliation for Renewed Radiance: Himalayan salt, with its natural exfoliating properties, works wonders in sloughing off dead skin cells, skin doesn't appear quite so dull.
Anti-Aging Antioxidants: Both olive oil and Himalayan salt boast powerful antioxidant properties. Antioxidants help combat free radicals, which contribute to the aging process. The regular application of this hand scrub helps neutralize free radicals, reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles on the hands.
Improved Skin Tone and Texture: The combination of olive oil and Himalayan salt not only softens the skin but also contributes to a more even skin tone. The scrub promotes circulation, encouraging a healthy blood flow to the hands. This, in turn, can reduce discoloration and promote a smoother texture.
OK, so who is off to their kitchen cupboards to see if they have the ingredients! :)
WARNING - if you use on your body in the shower or bath be VERY careful as while the salt disappears, the oil doesn't and can make it very slippery.