Natural Beauty Treatments from the Garden

You may have heard that natural ingredients are usually the best thing for your skin, body, and hair. They have become increasingly popular among the top beauty brands, and researchers have found more and more evidence to show the benefits of using plants and botanicals in your regular beauty routine. A homemade goodie bag with soaps, soaks, and scrubs for Mum are made all the more special when they are created with ingredients from your garden.

Botanical soap bars

These soap bars are the perfect way to add a bit of nature to your bath or shower routine with herbs and flowers picked from your garden.

To make these natural goodies all you need is:

- 1kg clear glycerine soap base (available for purchase from sites like eBay)

- Measuring cup

- Flexible cupcake or muffin mould

- 1 teaspoon essential oil of your choosing

- Garden botanicals of your choosing

In a few simple steps, you will have gorgeous smelling homemade botanical soaps!

1. Select your botanicals and essential oils. When choosing your botanicals, remember to select those small enough to fit into a bar of soap. Here are some popular ingredient combinations:

- Rosemary and peppermint

- Lemongrass and ginger

- Lavender

- Honey

- Rose petals

- Jasmine and mint

- Thyme

2. Now it’s time to make the soap. The reason for using clear soap in this instance is so that you can see the beautiful colours from your chosen botanicals. Cut up the soap base into cubes and microwave in a microwave-safe container. Make sure you don’t cook the soap, just melt it enough to see steam.

3. Finally, assemble the bars. Fill the moulds with your soap mixture until they are halfway full. Then, add your botanicals and a few drops of essential oil. Allow the soap to set for a few minutes before adding the remaining soap, filling to the top of the mould. Wait for them to dry, then remove from the mould.

Homemade botanical bath salts

Let Mum have a relaxing soak in the tub with this homemade bath salt mixture! Bath salts have great anti-inflammatory properties and are excellent for stress relief.

You will need:

- Epsom salts

- Coarse Himalayan salts

- Essential oil of your choosing

- Flowers (choose from a mixture of dried rosebuds and jasmine for skin health or chamomile and lavender to encourage relaxation and improve sleep)

- Ribbon or twine for decoration

1. In a large mixing bowl, add Epsom salts, Himalayan salts, essential oil, and flowers. Mix thoroughly until well combined.
2. Spoon the mixture into glass jars.
3. Add a bow or some ribbon wrapped around the jar for decoration.

Body scrub fresh from the garden

If you like growing your own fruit and veg in the garden, these body scrub recipe combinations will be a real treat! Let Mum pamper herself this Mother’s Day with your original recipe.

- Lemon zest, pureed papaya, sea salt, sugar, sunflower oil, orange essential oil

- Coconut oil, grapefruit zest, dried lavender, blitzed juniper berries, coconut oil, brown sugar

- Dried sage leaves, granulated sugar, honey, rolled oats and olive oil

Homemade essential oils kit

You will have noticed we’ve mentioned essential oils a few times in this blog, so we thought it might be helpful to provide you with an easy way to make them yourself at home. An essential oil kit is a great gift for Mum and even makes for a fun activity to do together.

Essential oils are different to infused oils. Infused oils are made by soaking herbs in a type of oil to activate compounds. Essential oils are steam distilled, usually in quite a complex process. Here is how you can make your own at home with ease - all you need is a bit of time.

You will need:

- A crockpot with lid

- Distilled water (available from Woolworths)

- 3-4 cups plant material

- Approximately one day in time

Method:

1. Place your chosen plant material into the crockpot and cover it with distilled water. It should be approximately three-quarters full.
2. Place the crockpot lid on upside down. This is how the steam will condense and fall back into the pot. If you don’t have a lid for your pot, simply use a plate.
3. Heat the water on high and then return to low to simmer for 3-4 hours.
4. Allow the plant material and crockpot to cool down before putting it in the fridge overnight. (Optional: Transfer the liquid to a container to save fridge space).
5. By the next morning, a thin hard oil film will have formed on top. It will look white in appearance. This is the essential oil! Gently but quickly lift it off using a fork or a spoon. Place it into a labelled bottle or tub with a lid.

Whilst these homemade essential oils may not be as strong as you’re used to, they are easy to make and a perfect way to use your own produce.

Once you have made your essential oils, you can use them for aromatherapy in a diffuser or directly on the skin. Essential oils can assist with relaxation, inflammation, headaches, and even controlling pesky mosquitos!

Pomegranate face scrub

For our last natural beauty treatment, this antioxidant-rich, super fruit face scrub is one Mum will love. It has anti-aging properties, and the seeds are rich in oil, which will strengthen the elasticity of your skin.

Here’s what you’ll need:

- 2-3 tablespoons of honey

- ½ a cup pomegranate seeds (crushed) with the juices left mixed in with the seeds

- ½ a cup white sugar

If you haven’t bought pomegranate before or maybe have never harvested it from your garden, here is how you cut it - and remember you may want to do this in a bowl to avoid the juices spilling and staining!

1. Using a knife, make a slit in the pomegranate and pull each half open.
2. Shake or tap to remove the seeds into a bowl. Lightly crush with the back of a spoon or in a pestle and mortar.

Once you have your pomegranate prepared, add your honey and then the sugar. If you’d like a thicker consistency, add more sugar. Combine to form a highly exfoliating scrub. To finish off the perfect gift for Mum, put the face scrub in a mason jar, seal with a lid and add a small bow with a hand-written label. Remember to remind Mum that exfoliation only needs to happen 2-3 times per week.

Disclaimer: If you have sensitive skin, some of these recipes may not be right for you. Don’t use any additional chemicals and do some research or ask a professional if you are unsure. Before using products you are unfamiliar with, always read the directions and immediately discontinue use if any irritation occurs.