Create Your Own Homemade Healing Beauty Products With Super-Soothing Lavender

Unwind with our favourite purple flower as you harness the soothing goodness of lavender

Tub-time infusion

Melt away the day’s stresses with DIY bath salts full of magical ingredients

Anyone who understands the importance of self-care will know that a soak with a beautiful bath salt can do wonders for the soul. Take it one step further by making your own detoxing pamper product and your self-love will soar.

You’ll need:

• 3/4 cup Epsom salt

• 1/2 cup dead sea salt

• 2 tbp dried lavender buds

• 1 tbsp safflower oil

• 1 tsp vitamin E oil

• 10 drops of lavender oil

All ingredients are available from hollandandbarrett.com

1 Combine all of the ingredients and mix well. Transfer to an airtight container and allow it to rest for a couple of days. This will give the lavender time to infuse the salts with their fragrance. Add a handful to warm bathwater – relax and enjoy! It should keep for up to six months.

 

Get-glowing cream

You can have super soft skin with this simple moisturising recipe

It is possible for a homemade face cream to have incredible results – if you use the right balance of natural ingredients. This easy-to-make lotion includes jojoba to clear up any blemishes, while chamomile and lavender act as a calming solution, plus the beeswax and cocoa butter will add a blast of moisture to your complexion. All of this and it’s chemical free, too!

You’ll need:

• 2 saucepans

• 2 stainless steel bowls

• 1 whisk

• 1 tsp beeswax

• 2 tsp cocoa butter

• 4 tbsp jojoba oil

• 4 tsp vegetable emulsifying wax
• 2 tbsp water, infused with dried lavender

• 2-ounce glass jar

• 5 drops of chamomile essential oil

• 5 drops of lavender essential oil

1 To make the lavender-infused water, simply steep dried lavender flowers in boiling water for five minutes. 2 Next, heat a little water in the bottom of the saucepans. Place a stainless steel bowl over each on

2 Next, heat a little water in the bottom of the saucepans. Place a stainless steel bowl over each one and leave them to warm up for a  few minutes.

3 Add the beeswax, cocoa butter and jojoba oil into one of the bowls and gently melt – it’s important not to let it bubble.

4 In the other bowl, add the vegetable emulsifying wax and the lavender-infused water.

5 Once both solutions have melted, pour the beeswax mixture into a measuring bowl. Then, immediately add the lavender infusion, whisking quickly. After a few minutes, it will start to solidify into a thick, creamy paste.

6 Add the essential oils into the paste and transfer into a clean, glass jar. Use within two months.

Sweet-smelling treat

This lavender body oil is simple to make and beautiful on the skin

Renowned for its spiritually grounding aromatherapy properties, lavender has an essential oil that’s perfect for soothing the senses, and when combined with a skin-nourishing oil, this magic herb produces a winning beauty recipe.

You’ll need:

• Fresh lavender

• Non-scented base oil (almond, olive or safflower)

• Glass jar

• Dropper bottle

• Vitamin E oil

1 Tie up bunches of fresh lavender, sprig-side up, to dry out in a warm area until they are withered but not completely dead – this will reduce their chances of spoiling.

2 Crumble the lavender apart with clean hands, or bruise it slightly with a rolling pin to expose the aroma. Place in a clean jar.

3 Pour non-scented oil (almond, olive or safflower oil are best), into the jar, fully covering the lavender but leaving 1-2 inches of space at the top to allow for any expansion.

4 Place a tea towel over the top and leave the mixture to soak in a sunny spot for at least 48 hours.

5 Pour the mixture through a strainer or piece of muslin cloth and discard the caught lavender. Repeat the process if you wish to make the oil stronger.

6 Add a few drops of vitamin E oil to increase the shelf life. Transfer it into a dropper bottle with a funnel and store in a cool, dark place.