How do you get ready for summer?

One great way is to give your skin an overhaul is using salt scrubs.  Especially for mature skin, along with a Vitamin E supplement.  You can make your own salt scrubs at home and they are one of the easiest home spa products to make.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup sweet almond, grapeseed or another light-textured fragrance free massage oil. Don't use simple cooking oil from your pantry. Olive oil is used in some recipes, but not for this recipe.
• 1 cup fine sea salt.  Even better is fine Celtic Sea Salt if you can find it. No Morton's table salt!!  Substitute sugar for more sensitive skin, which is gentler with an added bonus that it produces glycolic acid, one of the natural alpha hydroxy acids that exfoliates the skin. Sucanat is not a good choice for this recipe.
• 5-15 drops high quality essential oils. The essential oil you choose for your salt scrub depends on the result you want. Here is an extensive list to choose from. You can experiment and do your own blend.

Preparation:
Place salt (or sugar) in a small bowl.  Add the oil, mixing well with a wooden spoon. The texture should be moist enough to hold together, but not overly oily. You can adjust the amount of oil to achieve that texture.  Gently tap in the drops of essential oil and combine well.  Voila!!  

The purpose of an at-home body scrub is to exfoliate the outermost layers of dead skin cells, revealing softer, younger cells just below.  An home body scrub probably won't be as thorough or pampering as a spa treatment, but it still has benefits and is a lot less expensive.

How To Give Yourself A Body Scrub At Home

• Prep the skin by soaking ten to fifteen minutes in a warm tub to soften the skin. Add a relaxing essential oil like lavender, jasmine, or rose-geranium. Drain the tub and pat yourself dry.
• Place a towel on the edge of your tub and sit on it. Put a little scrub in the palm of your hand and rub it over the skin.
• Roll up a moist washcloth and rub your skin, sweeping in an upward motion towards the heart. Spend at least a minute or two in each area for a full exfoliation. You are not a sticky pot, so don't scour too hard or long!
• For your back ask your partner to help or us a body brush with a long handle to get to the hard to reach spots between your shoulders.
• When you're finished, rinse under the shower.

More At-Home Body Scrub Tips

• A home body scrub once a week should keep your skin smooth.
• If you start to experience irritation, cut back on the frequency of scrubs or try something gentler than salt, like a sugar scrub or exfoliating mitt.
• Do not us a body scrub on your neck or face! It's too harsh and the oil will break your face out.