Perk Up from the Winter Woes with a Green Home Spa Night!

Alright, so it’s the dead of winter and the majority of us are stuck indoors peering out our windows at gray skies and dirty snow. The warm glow sparked in our hearts from those early chilly days that ushered fresh and pristine winter wonderlands to our front doors is long gone, and we can’t help but begin to feel a little glum on the inside. More than even just a dreary attitude, though, I think it is safe to say that I’m not the only one suffering from a stuffy nose and dry skin.

With this in mind I have decided that it is the perfect time for a little pampering… the green way! I’m going to tell you how with a few simple ingredients and a little bit of time to yourself, you can replenish not only the moisture in your skin but revive your cheery demeanor as well!

What to grab:

• Natural Baby Shampoo or a light oil (such as olive or grape seed)
• Honey (raw preferably)
• 2-3 cups Powdered Milk (goats milk is a lovely choice- very moisturizing)
• Coconut Oil (virgin and organic if you can find it) or Shea Butter
• Your favorite essential oils (Lavender would be a lovely choice if you plan to head to bed afterward, or eucalyptus to help clear those nasal passages. It is a good idea to place a few drops of the essential oil in a couple tablespoons of a carrier oil such as olive, castor or almond, before adding to your bath.)
• A cup of organic tea (Chamomile would be a nice match with the lavender essential oils!)
• A good book or magazine (Why not pick a copy of the mag “Organic Beauty,” the premier issue is on shelves now!)
• 1-5 soy or beeswax candles (Who wants to pump the toxins from a paraffin candle into their little, organic spa party? Not me!)

Now steal away to the bathroom with a basketful of the above goodies and prepare to relax!

Step 1: Light your candles to create a nice ambient glow.
Step 2: Draw a bath, adding your powdered milk and essential oils (don’t forget the carrier oil)
Step 3: Gently remove your make-up with the natural baby shampoo or oil (or both if you have stubborn eye make-up)
Step 4: Wash your face with the honey! It may sound crazy, but honey has tremendous healing and skin balancing properties, not to mention a yummy scent!
Step 5: Pull up you hair, climb into your bath, break open your reading material of choice, sip your tea and relax!
Step 6: Once you are well relaxed and warmed to the soul, step out of your tub and apply a generous slathering of Coconut Oil or Shea Butter to your body to lock in all the moisture you just absorbed.
Step 7: Slip into the comfiest PJs you can find and crawl into bed. Sleep is, after all, the best way to replenish your body for a new day!

Don’t have time for a full-on spa night to yourself? Well, why not try incorporating some of these little tricks into your daily beauty regimen?

• Wash your face with honey every night before bed.
• Get a nice bar of goats milk soap to use in the shower.
• Coconut Oil or Shea Butter are always nice, natural alternatives to conventional moisturizers, and can be applied daily to body and face.
• A few drops of your favorite essential oil mixed with distilled water in a spritzer bottle can be used as a lovely pillow splash to rest your head on every night.
• A nice soy or beeswax candle can add a refreshing scent and calming glow to any room whenever you want!
• And of course a few minutes to enjoy a cup of tea and a good read never did anybody wrong- even if it was just for 5 minutes!

An original 5 Minutes for Going Green post. Follow the rest of MacKenzie’s musings on being a birth and postpartum doula while pregnant, totschooling her son, and still finding time to knit, at Mama Kenz Studio.