The holiday season is coming up, and one of the best gifts we can give each other is the opportunity to be pampered. Everyone deserves to be treated well. There are many options available to indulge others; my favorite way to be spoiled is to treat the mind and body to a good relaxing bath time.

A wonderful bath doesn’t require high cost products. Good quality ingredients can be found locally, and your thoughtfulness and a bit of time will allow your loved ones to take care of themselves at home with natural body care products that you create.

Keep it simple, but be creative! This is possible by purchasing ingredients and packaging found locally. The grocery store, the local health food store, or a side trip to a craft or specialty store will net you all the items needed for creative skin pampering gifts for your loved ones (or yourself!) Include the addition of a nice candle and natural incense to help set the mood for bath time.

For ingredients: carrier oils, sugars, and salts can be found in grocery stores. Essential oils, herbs, beeswax, and other oils can be sourced at health food stores. When looking for packaging locally, I have found a lot of lovely bottles and jars for gifts at stores like Pier 1. Head over to the craft stores for items to decorate the containers you pick up.

Body butters (as simple as a nice light oil, cocoa butter and a bit of beeswax); massage oils; herbal bath teas with herbs, oats, and essential oils packaged in muslin bags; exfoliants; and bath candies made from cocoa butter, oats, oils and essential oils and packaged in candy foil are just a few ideas of what you can do for others.

Tina Glenn is owner of Faerie Made, a company offering high quality natural handmade soaps and body care products found in quality stores and spas and on the worldwide web at www.faeriemadesoaps.com. She can be reached at 828-251-5291 or via email at tina@faeriemadesoaps.com.

Scented Gifts To Make

Foot treatment
Take 3 parts fine Sea Salt, 2 parts Epsom salts, and 1 part baking soda and combine with peppermint essential oil (not a lot, but enough to scent). Mix together and package in a nice jar. If you want to make it pretty, add some lavender buds or rose petals.

Massage oil/Bath oil
Light oil such as sweet almond oil or sunflower can be found in the grocery store. Take the oils and add essential oils to it. Just add enough essential oils to impart a light scent, because many scents can be overbearing (lavender essential oil is always a good choice, as it is safe for almost everyone). Package in nice bottle and decorated with dried herbs tied to the bottle neck with raffia.

Exfoliating body scrub
This is another easy to create but decadent gift that has ingredients found at local grocery stores. Mix a light oil such as sweet almond, sunflower, safflower, sesame (not toasted!) with the same amount of sugar (you can use brown, white, turbinado or a combination); add some essential oils to scent. Put some lavender buds in the mix to offer a hint of color and glamour. Package in jars with lids, and decorate.

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