Lavender & Labdanum Body Oil

One of the first things I discovered when I started drifting towards the natural/DIY side of things was body oil. Well, technically it was a massage oil that my parents had received as a slightly-too-hippy-scented housewarming gift, so I made off with it. But it was basically just jojoba oil (USA / Canada) with some essential oils in it, and it was awesome. After argan oil (USA / Canada), it was my first experience with applying straight oil to my skin, and I liked it. It was brilliant for my dry winter skin, and very little went so very far. I hoarded that bottle of oil for months until I finally figured out how to replace it.

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Shimmery Body Oil

This lightly shimmery body oil is perfect for heading out on New Years Eve. With just a hint of glimmer, you can shimmer and shine in the New Year (without being mistaken for a Show Girl). It also helps soothe parched skin, which is always great at this time of year.

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Peppermint Massage Bars

Every autumn I, along with the rest of my city (or so it seems), haul my arse back to yoga classes. It’s not that I don’t enjoy yoga enough to do it in the summer, it’s just that there are so many things to do when the days are long and warm. Anyhow, my inevitable return after my summer hiatus is inevitably greeted by the discovery of entirely new muscles as the protest in the days following a class. That’s where these peppermint massage bars come in.

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Similar to my tiger balm massage bars, this handy bar uses just three essential oils, so it’s a lot easier (and cheaper) to pull together. The peppermint & menthol provide a nice cooling tingle, which is just wonderful for sore muscles, while the cassia essential oil boosts circulation.

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Peppermint Massage Truffles

These cute little massage peppermint massage truffles are perfect for sore muscles, minor burns, or just cooling yourself down a bit before going to sleep on a hot night. They look good enough to eat (please don’t, though), and their cute wee size makes them great gifts. And, best of all, they’re super easy to make.

How to make Peppermint Massage Truffles (more…)

DIY Homemade Massage Bars

These homemade massage bars are great. They come together in an instant, mold wonderfully into any shape you need, and melt right at body temperature. The beeswax and cocoa butter (USA / Canada) smell wonderful, and they do a great job of moisturizing your skin and slicking up a massage. They also store really well, assuming you’re not living in Australia during the summer.

I find measuring cups make great molds for these bars; you can pour a centimeter or two of the molten mixture into the bottom of a cup (proportionate to the size of the cup). Once it sets up, the bar will pretty much just fall out. For smaller applications, I’ve found little silicone chocolate molds do quite well. That’s what I’m using for these ones; they’ll make great stocking stuffers wrapped in a bit of cellophane like a candy.

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