These days, "beauty" is a booming industry, with numerous campaigns for women to "buy more to be more". Unfortunately, most of the regular products have toxic chemicals. Even though those substances might help maintain the appearance of beauty, they don't keep your body healthy.
At Sole Toscana, we believe that beauty is a side-effect of eating well and taking care of our bodies and skin. Here are some inexpensive ways to feel healthy and beautiful every day.
For Your Face
HERBAL FACE STEAMS
Herbal steams are such a fantastic option for hydrating your skin and releasing impurities.
Put a couple of tablespoons of fresh herbs or a few drops of essential oil into a pot of water and let it simmer.
Drape a big towel over your head and the water. Inhale the steam deeply. This treatment leaves your skin hydrated and your pores open, ready to accept your other skincare products. Finish off the process with a hydrating serum or moisturizing oil.
Examples of herbs to use for your steam session include rose, lavender, and rosemary.
FACIAL MASKS
There are facial mask recipes for every skin type, so dig in.
Normal or Dry Skin:
- ¼ an avocado
- 1 tbsp of plain greek yogurt or kefir
Combine the ingredients and slather on the paste. Leave it for 15 minutes. Rinse off with lukewarm or cold water and continue with your routine.
Oily Skin:
- Juice from ¼ a lemon
- 1 tbsp of raw honey
Mix the ingredients and spread evenly on your face. Leave for about 15-20 minutes, then rinse off with cold water.
For Your Hair
The most important thing to do to grow luscious hair is to maintain a healthy diet. Ensure you get enough vitamin A and protein. Keratin (a form of protein) makes up your hair, skin, and nails. Drink enough water too to keep your hair moisturized from the inside.
HAIR RINSES
Do an apple cider vinegar rinse once a week after shampoo and conditioning to balance the acid mantle of the scalp and remove any leftover soap.
For one rinse:
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
Pour the mixture over your head, massage it into the scalp and let it dry. You don't have to rinse off the ACV after this.
If you're concerned about your hair's color, here are a few hacks. For light-colored hair, use a mixture that's half apple cider vinegar and half chamomile tea. For dark hair, adding a walnut husk extract to the ACV to keep your strands shiny. Don't worry about the vinegar smell, it will dissipate after your hair dries.
BONUS TIPS
Stimulate blood flow in your scalp by doing regular scalp massages and finger-combing your hair. Finger combing is gentler than a brush and allows you to remove any shed strands without breaking the healthy strands.
For Your Body
BATHS
Soaking in a bathtub with herbal infusions is remarkably healing for the skin and inexpensive. Here's one of our favorite herbal bath recipes- you don't need all of these herbs and salts, any herbal mixture will do.
Herbal Bath Recipe
- A cup or two of oatmeal
- 2 or more cups of sea or Epsom salt
- 1 heaped teaspoon of coconut oil
- A few tablespoons of baking soda
- Herbs like lavender, kava, rose, skullcap, yarrow, and rue
The best way to add herbs is to put them into a tea bag or sack then place it in the tub.
FOOT SOAKS
The best thing about foot soaks (apart from the relaxation) is that you can enjoy them anywhere in your house. For maximum benefits, soak your feet for at least half an hour.
Herbal Foot Soak Recipe
- A few teaspoons of baking soda
- 1/2 cup of sea, Himalayan, or Epsom salt
- A heaped teaspoon of coconut oil
- Herbs like kava, rose, lavender, skullcap, yarrow, and tea tree
Tip: For a double dose of relaxation, do your face steam while you're preparing your foot soak. Then apply a soothing facial mask while soaking your feet.
With love,
The Sole Toscana Beauty Team
