Naturally Me
 
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Orange Flower Water is a great addition for your dressing table. It can be used as a skin toner after cleansing and in my opinion has one of the most exquisite aromas that there is, making it an ideal candidate for a natural perfume.  You can dab it behind your ears and on your wrists.  The way I like to wear it is in my hair.  I use it as a final rinse after shampoo and conditioning.  The wonderful aroma lasts and lasts.  It's a tad extravagant to do that, but the aroma is so rich and has so much body, that you can afford to dilute the flower water (about 50/50) and still get a lasting aroma.  

Orange Blossom has excellent skin rejuvenation properties, and is used in aromatherapy to ease stress and nervous tension, and to promote relaxation.  It is also used in Middle Eastern cooking.  I once tried it in biscuits, but found the aroma too over-powering to eat.  You can buy orange flower water at some supermarkets - in the baking or world foods aisles - or from Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and some Indian food shops.  There are also hundreds of places that you can buy it online too.
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This is one of the nicest masks I have made.  The aroma of the crushed dried lavender buds was really wonderful.

I came up with the recipe to see if it helped my dry skin, but it would also be a good after-sun face mask as all of the ingredients are soothing, and encourage healing.
INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp oatmeal
1 tbsp dried lavender buds (make sure that they are food grade or organic)
1 tsp Dead Sea Salt
Water 
  • Place the oatmeal, lavender buds and Dead Sea Salt in a spice mill and grind until smooth.
  • Pla
  • Take 1-2 teaspoons of the powder and add enough liquid of your choice to make a paste.
  • Apply to the face and neck, avoiding the eye area, and leave to dry for 10-15 minutes.
  • Rinse off with lukewarm water while gently massaging the face with small circular motions.
  • Moisturise.
For extra anti-inflammatory / soothing action, you could try using Calendula (Marigold) petals instead of all or some of the lavender.  Also Aloe Vera Gel or Cucumber puree instead of water.
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This is a lovely addition for a relaxing bath.  Throw the bundle into the bath and let it infuse into the water releasing the delightful floral aroma.

INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp dried lavender buds
2 tbsp dried rose petals
2 tbsp dried chamomile flowers
2 tbsp sea salt (optional)
1 tbsp Orange Flower Water
ALSO:
15cm square of muslin or cotton
String
  • Mix together the flowers, salt and Orange Flower water in a clean container.
  • Place the mixture in the centre of the muslin or cotton square.
  • Bring the corners of the fabric up to meet eachother at the centre of the bundle and secure with the string.
  • You can make the string long enough to suspend the bundle under the hot tap, or simply throw the bundle into the bath and leave to infuse.
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Oats are very soothing and also have a cleansing action making them an ideal ingredient in soap-free facial cleansers and scrubs.  Honey is a great natural moisturiser and exfoliant.  Yogurt (and also milk) contains natural AHA's which help to remove dead skin cells resulting in brighter skin.

INGREDIENTS
1 tbsp ground oats
1 tsp honey
1 tsp vegetable oil (sweet almond, olive, sunflower or similar)
Water, milk or yogurt
  • Mix the oats, honey, and oil together with enough water/milk/yogurt to form a loose paste that spreads easily.
  • Massage into face and neck using small circular motions.
  • Rinse off straight away or leave the mixture on for 10 minutes or so as a face mask, then rinse off with lukewarm water.
  • Pat skin dry.
  • Moisturise.
This is also a lovely treatment for hardworking hands.  Massage the mixture into hands and leave for a few minutes before rinsing off.  It will leave hands feeling soft and smooth.  But some advance planning might be necessary to make sure you don't leave a trail of oats & honey in your wake!
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