I am going to share with you my favourite skin treat – the do-it-yourself salt scrub.
This easy and cheap to make (unlike it’s shop bought cousins) salt scrub will leave your skin smooth, soft and glowing. And if you like, you can take your salt scrub experience up a few notches to ‘day spa’ level by adding a few drops of essential oils for their luxurious fragrances and skin enhancing qualities.
Sarah’s Salt Scrub Recipe
Ingredients
2 tablespoons (approx.) table salt
1 tablespoon (approx.) carrier oil (natural and unfragranced eg. sweet almond oil or olive oil)
2-4 drops of essential oil of choice (see below for suggestions – you can mix a few together to make up your 5 drops.)
Method
1. Pour the table salt into a small bowl (like the Chinese dipping sauce ones).
2. Mix in the carrier oil gradually until the salt is sticky but not runny.
3. Add essential oil and mix well.
4. Jump in the shower (so you don’t make a mess) and apply small amounts of the salt mixture to your body (chest, back, arms, legs, feet, hands and only very gently on the face) in small circular motions. Avoid any delicate or broken skin.
5. Wash off the salt mixture under the shower.
6. To remove any greasy residue, immediately wash with a natural cleanser or vegetable oil based soap.
7. Jump out of the shower with your new radiant skin.
Depending on your skin type you might like to do this treatment once or twice per week. During hot, humid weather you can increase this to every second day or as required.
A quick note on essential oils
I love essential oils. They are extracted from flowers, leaves, fruits and other parts of plants. The essential oils carry the therapeutic properties of the plant from which they were sourced. Essential oils are different to ‘fragrant oils’ which are synthetic chemical fragrances lacking in therapeutic value. When purchasing your essential oils be sure the bottle reads “100% pure essential oil”. Most essential oils should not be applied directly to the skin and are best diluted in a carrier oil.
Essential oil suggestions to enhance your salt scrub:
- Tea tree oil – if you skin is prone to acne or fungal infections
- Lemon myrtle oil – similar to tea tree but I think it smells nicer
- Lavender – calming, relaxing, antiseptic
- Geranium – balancing for oily skins
- Lime – refreshing
- Grapefruit – has a detoxifying effect, great for use over cellulite
To book an appointment at the clinic or further information on Chinese Medicine contact Dr Sarah George (Acupuncture). Sarah is a practitioner of acupuncture (AHPRA registered), massage therapy and natural health.
