Two Simples Every Woman Should Know

Red raspberry leaf and chasteberry are each simples that are invaluable for women’s health and healing. Raspberry leaf taken as an infusion can prevent menstrual cramps for most women. Take a teaspoon to a small handful (depending on severity of cramps experienced) and steep covered in freshly boiled water for ten minutes. Head those cramps off at the pass by drinking one cup per day for a week before you expect your cycle to begin. (For severe cramps, take this herb every day of the month!) This herb actually has a pleasant flavor and can be used to make caffeine-free ice tea or sweet tea (but if you are having cramps on the day you plan to drink it, its healing effect will work better if you drink it warm). Raspberry leaf combines well both in taste and effect with many other common simples, such as chamomile or mint, so you can experiment with flavor combinations…or even invent your own custom moon time tea!

Why does raspberry leaf have this wonderful effect? An aromatherapist of my acquaintance tells me that in pharmacological research, this plant has been shown to improve the tone and condition of the uterus! Which is why it is also the number one simple an expectant mother ought to include in her regimen. At least one strong cup daily is recommended to support your body in the process of creation during every month of pregnancy.

Chasteberry (also known as “Vitex” from its scientific name, Vitex agnus castus), is the number one simple for the power surges known as hot flashes frequently experienced by ladies in their middle years. The part used is the berries; simmer a couple of teaspoons low in a cup or two of water after bringing the water to a boil, making sure to cover the pot so as not to lose the medicinal volatile essence. This herb tastes medicinal but not terrible and can be combined with any mild herbal tea for flavor. If you prefer convenience, either chasteberry or raspberry leaf can be purchased in capsules, though it is a bit more costly to take them that way.

Always choose organic medicinal herbs when you can find (and afford) them, not only to be kind to Mother Earth but because their healing effects are stronger.

Simples

Teas brewed from a single herb are commonly called simples, a lovely phrase from olden times. Experience has taught me that simples often have the most potency; the purity of that single plant essence can come through undiluted. There are a plentitude of helpful, healing, and tasty simples you can brew, but yarrow is one you should brew regularly. Boil one pint of spring water. Combine with a half-ounce of dried yarrow in your favorite crockery pot. Steep for ten minutes and strain with a nonmetallic implement, such as an inexpensive bamboo strainer or cheesecloth. Sweeten with honey; clover honey intensifies the positivity of this potion and makes it a supremely lucky drink. Yarrow brings courage and nourishes a strong heart as it is a major medicinal; it is also useful for fever. All these aspects make yarrow one of the most strengthening of all simples.

Spa Feng Shui: Sauna Serenity

The Scandinavians make sure their saunas have bunches of wonderfully fragrant silver birch branches hanging nearby that they can use to gently brush their skin to stimulate circulation. This sauna practice is deeply relaxing and can be a marvelous communal experience. No wonder Denmark is the happiest place on earth!

You can emulate this by hanging herbs from your shower rod or above your bathtub. This infuses the aromatic oils into the air as soon as the steam hits the herbs. We recommend bunches of lavender for tranquility and eucalyptus to aid with colds and congestion. A muslin bag filled with dried orange rind and dressed with orange essential oil will lift depression. Rosemary can help you process sadness and grief and activates your memory. A big bag of mint leaves is a major mood booster and sends concentration levels soaring. After a few uses, these herbs can be dried by laying them on a baking sheet and setting them aside in a cool dry place for two weeks. Once dry, tie into a bundle with twine and add it to a bonfire for the high holidays. Enjoy the holy and sweet-smelling smoke as it ascends into the heavens!

Rosemary and Thyme: A Rejuvenation Retreat

All of us get worn down due to the sheer busyness of life. Oftentimes when we feel depleted, we get a little sad, too. To rid yourself of negative emotions, try this purification bath. Draw a warm bath at noon when the sun is at its healing peak, then add the following essential oils into the water as it flows from the faucet.

• Two drops rosemary for calm
• Two drops peppermint for stimulation
• Three drops lavender for energetic cleansing
• Three drops thyme to relieve mental exhaustion

As you soak and steam, repeat this prayer four times:

Sadness, I release you—goodbye.

Fatigue, I release you—goodbye.

I greet this day anew. My life is now renewed.

Blessed be me, so mote it be.

Miracle Mint Foot Therapy

After a long day at the office, hiking, or even dancing at your drum circle, our feet get “dog tired.” This pagan pick-me-up will soon have you out and about, feeling fresh and fabulous.

You need:

• Mortar and pestle
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil, softened in a small bowl
• 1 teaspoon vinegar, either white or apple cider vinegar
• 3 drops mint essential oil
• Handful of fresh mint leaves, crushed

Place the coconut oil paste in the bowl and fold in the crushed mint leaves. Grind the mint leaves into the coconut thoroughly with your mortar and pestle. Add in the vinegar and the essential oil. Stir those in, then spoon the mixture into a small jar and place it in your freezer for five minutes. Sit in the side of the tub and gently massage the mint mix into your feet, giving every toe and heel lots of loving attention. Take your time, as your feet do so much work all day, every day. When you are satisfied, rinse your feet clean in the shower, carefully making sure not to slip on the coconut oil. Now, you deserve to put your feet up and just enjoy life. 

Herbal Enchantment

Here is a concise guide to the enchanted realm of herbs, essences, plants, and plant properties.

• Benzoin can be used for purification, prosperity, work success, mental acuity, and memory.
• Camphor can be used for healing, divining the future, curbing excess, especially romantic obsessions, and to cool a surfeit of sexuality.
• Cinnamon refreshes and directs spirituality. It is also a protection herb and handy for healing, money, love, lust, personal power, and success with work and creative projects.
• Clove is good for bringing money to you, for protection, for your love life, and for helping to evade and deter negative energies.
• Copal should be used for love, purification, and consecration.
• Frankincense is another spiritual essence that purifies, consecrates, and protects.
• Lavender is a plant for happiness, peace, true love, long life, and chastity, and it is an excellent purifier that aids with sleep.
• Myrrh has been considered since ancient times to be deeply sacred. It aids personal spirituality, heals and protects, and can help ward off negative spirits and energies.
• Nutmeg is a lucky herb that promotes good health and prosperity and encourages loyalty and fidelity in relationships.
• Patchouli stimulates and grounds while engendering both sensuality and fertility. It also supports personal wealth and security.
• Peppermint is an herb of purification, healing, and love. It supports relaxation, freedom from anxiety, and sleep as it helps to increase psychic powers.
• Rosemary is good for purification, protection, healing, relaxation, and intelligence. It attracts love and sensuality, helps with memory, and can keep you youthful.
• Sage brings wisdom, purification, protection, health, and a long life. It is very useful for dispelling negative vibrations and cleansing, and it can help make your wishes come true.
• Sandalwood is a mystical, healing, protective essence that helps attract the objects of your hopes and desires as well as dispersing negative energies and spirits.
• Star Anise is a lucky herb that aids divination and psychism.
• Tonka Bean brings courage and draws love and money to you.
• Vanilla brings love and enriches your mental capacity.
• Wood Aloe is good for dressing or anointing talismans and amulets you want to use for protection.

Ageless Skin Spa Facial

You will notice that many an herbalist appears ageless. There is a good reason for this; we manifest a lot of joy in our lives, including creating potions to take excellent care of our skin for goddess-like youthfulness.

Combine these oils in a sealable dark blue bottle

• 2 ounces sweet almond as base oil
• 2 drops chamomile essential oil
• 2 drops rosemary essential oil
• 2 drops lavender essential oil

Shake very thoroughly and your potion is now ready to use.

Clean your skin with warm water, then gently daub your face with the mixture. You can also make a salve or balm using my recipe if you want to turn the clock backwards. Prepare to be asked for your beauty secrets a lot.

Sensual Scents for Massage Candles

Traditionally, these oils are considered to have aphrodisiac properties; besides that, they simply smell wonderful on your skin and in your home. Just burning the candles will be magical!

• Amber
• Cedarwood
• Clary Sage
• Jasmine
• Neroli
• Patchouli
• Rose
• Sandalwood

Light My Fire DIY Massage Candles

Making massage candles is very similar to making any other type of candle in a pot, tin, or can. I recommend using soy wax as it is soooo gentle on the skin. Soy is also nice and soft, so it melts easily and stays together in a puddle after melting and can be reused by us thrifty crafters. If you have an allergy to soy (and it won’t irritate your skin unless you have a soy allergy), you can use beeswax instead, which is very widely used. (For example, it is in nearly every single Burt’s Bees product.) It is the addition of the additional oils that prevents it from hardening again and enables your skin to absorb it. Essential oils or cosmetic-grade fragrance oils are also added to create a soothing atmosphere. All soap-making fragrances that are natural as well as soy candle safe are perfect choices for scenting your massage candles. Try the basic directions below to make your first candle. For every three ounces of wax, you’ll add one ounce of liquid oil and one-quarter ounce of fragrance. I suggest making two candles in four-ounce metal tins as a step on the “as a step on the way to mastering this craft.

You will need these elements:

• 2 ounces sweet almond oil or vitamin E oil
• 6 ounces high quality soy wax
• Half an ounce essential oil
• 2 4-ounce metal tins
• 2 6-inch candle wicks

Directions

1.Melt the soy wax into the sweet almond oil or vitamin E oil in a double boiler over simmering water.”

2.Add the essential oils and stir gently to avoid bubbling or spilling.

3.Once the wax has cooled somewhat but is still melted enough to pour, place the wicks in your containers and pour the wax.

4.Allow several hours for the candles to set and harden.

5.Trim the wicks to one-quarter of an inch above the top of each candle, and they’re ready to use.

Tranquility Touch Massage Oil Blend

Sandalwood, lavender, and clary sage create a deeply soothing blend with a sensuous scent. Gather the following elements:

• ¼ cup of apricot or almond oil as a carrier oil
• 2 tablespoons jojoba oil
• 15 drops sandalwood essential oil
• 15 drops lavender essential oil
• 5 drops clary sage essential oil

Measure each oil into a dark-colored, sealable bottle. Carefully cap the bottle and gently shake until the oils are blended together. Shake well each time before using; store the bottle in a dark cupboard or shelf. Before using it on yourself or a loved one, you can warm it by putting the sealed bottle in a cup of warm water and letting it set there for five minutes. Many a masseuse pours the oil into her palms and lets it warm with her own body heat. Either way, warming your massage oil adds to the relaxation factor.

Rosemary Lavender Serenity Salve

• ½ cup rosemary essential oil
• ¼ cup lavender essential oil
• ¼ cup coconut oil
• 4 tablespoons beeswax

Combine the rosemary essential oils and the coconut oil. Heat the oil and wax together until the wax melts completely. Pour into a clean, dry jar. When the mixture has cooled a little but has not yet set, add the lavender essential oil, which is also an antiseptic, and stir gently. Seal the jar and store in a cabinet to use anytime you scratch yourself working in the garden or want to renew and soften your hands and feet after a lot of house or yard work. Another note, use it on the outside of your skin and it will work wonders, but if a cut is deep, don’t get it inside the wound. Let your physician handle that. Rosemary is a miracle plant for healing; in combination with the lavender, this power duo will restore your spirit along with your skin.

Calming Balm: Bay Leaf

Any body oil or herbal oil can be turned into a salve with the addition of beeswax. The ratio for a salve is three ounces coconut oil to one ounce of beeswax. If you have a bay laurel tree nearby, pick some fresh leaves, or you can go to your spice rack and take three bay leaves from the jar. Grind the dried leaves in your mortar and pestle until broken up into fine little pieces. Set aside a fourth whole leaf. Use a double boiler to heat the oil and wax until completely melted. Test the viscosity of your salve by pouring a dab onto a cold plate. If you want the salve to have a denser texture, you will need to add more wax, and now is the time to do it. If satisfied with the consistency, pour off into jars to cool. Balms are simply salves with the addition of essential oils. Add two drops of eucalyptus essential oil and two drops of lemon oil while the mix is still warm. Sprinkle in the finely crushed bay laurel into the mix, stir well, and seal to preserve the aroma. Bay Leaf Balm will have a wonderfully calming effect anytime you use it and can be rubbed on your temples when you need to destress. I recommend Sunday night baths where you slather on the balm before stepping into a hot bath. Take a washcloth and massage your skin, then lie back and relax for twenty minutes. When you drain the tub, your stress will also empty out and you can start your week afresh, ready to handle anything that comes your way.

Lavender Love Massage Bars

Massage bars should look, smell, and feel luxurious. Cocoa butter is beloved for its delicious chocolate scent. I also recommend shea butter or mango butter as other options, for they are also sumptuous. You will need:

• 3 ounces cocoa butter
• 3 ounces beeswax
• 3 ounces almond oil
• 1 teaspoon of lavender essential oil
• soap bar molds (available at all craft stores)

Slowly heat the beeswax, almond oil, and cocoa butter in a double boiler over low heat until just melted, then remove from heat. Add essential oil when mixture has cooled slightly and stir it in well. Pour into soap molds and cool until hardened, approximately two hours. Place in freezer for a few minutes before popping the bars out of the molds. To use, rub massage bar on the skin—the warmth of the skin immediately melts the bar. Package your handmade massage bar in a pretty lined basket and give it as a thoughtful gift.

Island Paradise Body Whip

Put one cup of coconut oil into a medium-sized bowl. Using a hand mixer and a whisk attachment, mix the oil until it reaches a soft, whipped-cream-like consistency. Add four drops of an essential oil with a scent you love into the mix and give it a last whip. Get in the bathtub naked and lather all over with the aromatic blend, then ease down into the water and just soak. Doesn’t it feel luxurious?

Apple Cider Skin Toner

This recipe utilizes apple cider vinegar, which should become one of your household mainstays. Many people assume—incorrectly—that vinegar will be irritating to skin, but it’s actually quite the opposite as it neutralizes pH and softens skin. Apple cider vinegar will become one of your most-loved beauty fixes. To create a skin-soothing facial toner, just mix one-part water and one-part vinegar and apply to a cotton swab or soft clean cloth to wipe gently over a clean face.

Witch Hazel Wisdom

Witch hazel is an excellent and inexpensive astringent and antiseptic to always keep on hand. Topical uses for witch hazel include cleaning cuts, reducing skin inflammations and abrasions, sunburns, insect bites, bruising, poison oak and ivy, diaper rash, eczema, varicose veins, and hemorrhoids.

Preparations of witch hazel from the pharmacy generally contain isopropyl alcohol, so make sure you only use it externally, as it is poisonous to ingest. Make cold compresses with witch hazel for painful hemorrhoids, varicose veins, or other skin inflammation and bruises. Take a witch hazel tincture, add fifteen drops to a small bowl of warm water, immerse a clean soft washcloth in the solution, and leave it soaking for five minutes. Wring out the washcloth and lay it on the affected area.

As an astringent, witch hazel works well for drying sores, diaper rash, and poison oak and ivy. Use witch hazel tincture (five drops to eight ounces water) if you want to avoid the isopropyl alcohol.

Orchard Fresh Hair Conditioner

The goddess of orchards is Pomona, who is a protector of nature associated with love and beauty. You will be protecting your lovely locks by creating this simple yet effective DIY conditioner.

• 1 cup warm water
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Mix both ingredients in a bowl and pour over freshly shampooed hair. Gently massage into your hair and scalp and leave for a few moments before rinsing. It’s remarkable how well these two components work to clean and condition your hair. You save a mind-boggling amount of money, and your hair and your home will be healthier. After a couple of months of DIY hair love, your hair will be shockingly shiny. Place an apple on your altar, and offer your thanks to the goddess Pomona for her generosity and guardianship of fruit orchards around the world.

Yummy Spa Scrubs: Luxe Locks DIY Shampoo

For medium to oily hair only

• 1 cup warm water
• 1 tablespoon baking soda

Take a large bowl and pour the water in. Fold in the baking soda and stir well until it has dissolved. Now, pour it over your wet hair while in the bath or shower. Massage the mixture into your hair, paying special attention to the scalp. If you tend to have oily hair, concentrate your efforts around the hairline and at the crown of the head. If you have long hair, you can double up on the amounts. Rinse thoroughly.

Orgasmic Oil

I use this potion as a combination body care oil and mystical massage oil. You will need:

• 1 cup of sesame oil (you can cheat and get the sesame-scented oil from the pharmacy or grocery store, which works just as well in a pinch)
• Clove, cinnamon, and ginger (powdered)
• Bergamot, amber, and jasmine essential oils
• Amber-colored jar
• Magnetite

Take the sesame oil and add a pinch of each of the spices. Then add a drop of citrusy bergamot and a teaspoon each of the amber and jasmine oils.

Stir gently and then place in an amber-colored jar with a stopper. Place the jar beside a piece of magnetite, also known as lodestone, which draws people to you. Let it sit for a full week, and then use it to bring great happiness into your life.

Oatmeal Chamomile Mask

Two things you doubtless love to taste in the morning can also be an important part of your beauty regime, chamomile tea and warm oatmeal. Here’s what you need to make the mask:

• ½ cup old-fashioned oats, ideally steel-cut, crushed into finer bits using a ricer
• 1 cup chamomile tea, steeped covered for a half hour
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon honey

Take a half cup of the brewed chamomile tea and add with the honey, baking soda, and oats in a small bowl. Now add 2 more tablespoons of tea and mix to create an oat paste. Set it aside for five minutes. If the mixture is too dry, you can get the desired texture by adding a bit more tea. Add the sugar and mix well. Apply the mask to your face after you have cleaned your skin and while it is still a bit damp. Allow it to dry on your face for ten minutes. Rinse the paste off your face well, then massage your skin gently with a natural moisturizer. Your skin will be miraculously smooth!

No More Itchy, Dry Skin: Porridge Potion

Naturally calming oatmeal is one of the best solutions for irritated and itchy skin. Add a cup of well-ground oats tied up in a muslin bag to your bath to help soothe the pain and discomfort of sunburned skin. It is also good for rashes and helps get your skin back to a smooth and healthy condition.

Earthly Pleasure Sensual Scrub

Sandalwood, amber, and vetiver are all rich, earthy scents that combine well together.

• 5 drops sandalwood essential oil
• 5 drops amber essential oil
• 2 drops vetiver essential oil
• ½ cup Epsom salts
• ½ cup baking soda

Combine the essential oils with the Epsom salts and stir in the baking soda. Mix well, and the mixture will become a richly scented paste. You can use it a couple of different ways; one is to slather it onto yourself and shower off with a loofah and thick washcloth. But my favorite way to soak up this earthly pleasure fully is to roll it into a ball after you mix it, then place the ball under the faucet as you are running a hot bath. The entire room will smell like paradise. Soak it all in, lie back, and enjoy the experience fully.

If you want to store some of this scrub for the future or give it as a thoughtful gift, you can store it in a lidded plastic one-cup container, or roll the mix into bath bomb balls and let the balls dry on wax paper or paper towels. This recipe can make three palm size bath bombs. Note you will be asked for more!

Mother Nature’s Beauty Secrets: Very Vanilla Sugar Scrub

Sugar scrubs exfoliate the skin while helping it stay nourished with moisture. This recipe could not be simpler yet is a delightfully decadent DIY scrub in the tub.

All you need are four simple ingredients:

• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup white sugar
• ¼ cup organic olive oil
• 6 to 8 drops Vanilla essential oil

Grab a small bowl and measure out equal parts white sugar and brown sugar. Start with ¼ cup of each type of sugar. Mix the sugars together thoroughly using a wooden spoon. Now, add in the olive oil—the amount used depends on your taste. Do use enough oil, though, to coat the sugar well and create a pliable texture. Lastly, add in a few drops of vanilla; I go with at least six drops. You can also try variations on the recipe with all brown sugar and various other essential oils. My absolute favorite is equal parts vanilla oil and amber oil, which I call “vamber.” It is great to get ready for a date night out on the town. You will look and feel like the goddess of love herself.

Bless Your Body Meditation

Whenever you have made a batch of salts, scrubs, or magic potions, whether for your own use or as a gift, you should stop and count your health blessings with this mindfulness practice.

Sit in a comfortable position with your bottle of potions placed in a bowl or dish in front of you. Think about the blessings in your life and what gifts your particular item offers; visualize your skin and hair gleaming with vitality. Picture your loved ones wearing a big smile as they use your handmade remedies. What are you grateful for at this moment? There is a powerful magic in recognizing all that you possess and in having an attitude of gratitude. Breathe steadily and deeply, inhaling and exhaling slowly for twenty minutes. As you meditate, send the positive energy into the bowl containing your personal potions. Now, the blessings are there any time you or a loved one may need them.

Shea Soother: Light as Air Lotion

Here is a real treat: a light creamy body lotion that glides on and does not feel heavy. Best of all? The delectable scents of almond and grapefruit. Anyone on your gift list will delight in this, as will your household. A mixer is ideal, otherwise use a hand whisk and wooden spoon, a lidded jar, and the following ingredients:

• ½ cup room temperature virgin coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons room temperature raw shea butter
• 2 cups almond oil
• 2 tablespoons red grapefruit zest
• 2 teaspoons tapioca flour

Place the shea butter, coconut oil, almond oil, and red grapefruit zest in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Mix on medium for half a minute. Now, turn to high and whip the lotion for about four minutes, until it is light and fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed. Add in the tapioca flour and mix for one more minute. Transfer to a jar with a lid and store at room temperature for up to a month.

Once known as “the forbidden fruit of Barbados,” grapefruit awakens the mind and body and speaks to “the soul. Like many other citrus fruits, it is cheering and renowned for what it does for the skin, even reducing cellulite. Almond is beloved for bringing luck in love and is prized as an erotic massage oil. Coconut protects and purifies and enhances confidence. Coconut brings forth your real allure and beauty, so use it carefully!

Sacred Self-Care Spa Scrubs

Here are some simple scrubs for you to try. Keep some sealable glass jars with lids handy so you can store them for up to two months. Be sure and rinse the tub “and sink thoroughly after use to avoid stains or stickiness. Add pretty labels, and you’ll have pretty and practical gifts for your gal pals!

Lemon Up

• ½ cup of white sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of lemon rind zest
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

CocoColada Sugar Scrub

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil
• A teaspoon each of cinnamon and ground cloves

Morning Cup Coffee Scrub

• ½ cup coffee grounds
• ½ cup fine sea salt
• 1 to 2 tablespoons almond oil

Make Your Own Topical Ointment

• one stainless steel saucepan, bowl, whisk, and cooking thermometer
• small clean jars or cans to store your ointment in
• 1 tablespoon (15 grams) beeswax
• 5 tablespoons (80 milliliters) organic vegetable oil (sunflower oil is effective and affordable; jojoba oil and avocado oil are nice, but pricey)
• Arnica tincture; add 30 drops of arnica tincture to make an arnica cream. OR Calendula tincture; add 30 drops of calendula tincture and 10 drops of lavender oil to make calendula cream

(Note that arnica, calendula, and lavender can all be harmoniously combined in whatever proportions you prefer.)

Melt the beeswax and vegetable oil in a double boiler (or in a bowl over a saucepan in a pinch). When the beeswax is fully melted, remove the pan from the heat. Whisk the ointment until it has cooled to around 100 degrees, then stir in the tincture you are using.

Label and store in clean, sealable, lidded jars or cans. Your homemade creams will last longest if you keep them refrigerated, especially when the weather is warm.

Remedies at the Ready: Your Herbal Medicine Cabinet

I’ve found that my remedy box has grown into a cupboard over the years. I tend to study and read up on a condition and seek out the most effective and reliably recommended remedy to treat it. Most herbs, tinctures, and essential oils have more than one therapeutic use, and my knowledge has grown as a result of having some of these herbs in my cupboard. Often, the range of uses is wide; for example, lavender oil is indicated for skin conditions, respiratory and circulatory problems, nervous tension and exhaustion, coughs and colds, muscle aches, and menstrual cramps, as well as cuts. I stanched a deep cut on my toe with lavender oil recently, a new use for me, and it worked great. It’s a natural disinfectant, too! I would estimate that this cure cost me about a dime as opposed to a two-thousand-dollar trip to a crowded emergency room, with exposure to myriad viruses. It was peace of mind for pennies.

I keep a well-stocked first aid kit. Instead of expensive over-the-counter products, we use hydrogen peroxide, witch hazel, calamine lotion, aloe vera gel, and both arnica cream and calendula cream. We are ready for (almost) anything!

Creams and ointments are often expensive to buy but can be made easily at home.

DIY Herbal Salves, Lotions, Potions, and Skin Soothers

Taking good care of your skin is truly good common sense. Staying hydrated by drinking enough water and light herbal teas is a good start, as is moisturizing with natural and organic lotions and salves, Gentle abrasives in the form of body scrubs are an excellent way to stimulate your skin, the largest organ of the human body. Massaging yourself with these is also good for the lymphatic system. It is extremely affordable and oh so easy to use what you already have on hand, such as brown sugar, baking soda, or coffee grounds, along with binding substances which keep the abrasives sticking together while you scrub. Binding substances can be oils such as almond oil, coconut oil, olive oil, or my personal favorite, sesame oil. You can use honey, too, if you don’t mind a bit of stickiness. Let your imagination run wild with extras such as fragrance or appearance enhancers—spices, essential oils, or even flower petals.

Kombucha Tea

Some people love the taste of kombucha tea; others don’t relish it at all. It has been credited with miraculous properties and is a probiotic, making it very curative for digestive issues. Kombucha also comes recommended for acne, constipation, arthritis, depression, and fatigue, and is hailed as a protection against cancer. I regard it as a tasty tonic, and my family drinks it daily. My nephews were the first of my kin to taste kombucha, and they loved its fizziness and flavor. This healthful drink is easy to make so long as you have a “ferment” (which some people call “a “mushroom” because of the way it looks). To procure your ferment, try to find somebody who brews kombucha already. They should have plenty of ferments to share, as every batch of tea grows an extra ferment on top of the original. Before brewing your kombucha, you will need:

• a large wide-necked glass jar, a cloth or paper towel to cover the jar, and a rubber band to secure the covering cloth or paper towel
• 7 tea bags, either black or green (preferably organic)
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 quarts water
• kombucha ferment

Boil the water and add it to the tea bags in the jar. Let it steep for twenty minutes.

Remove the tea bags and add the sugar, stirring to dissolve.

When the tea has cooled, add the kombucha ferment with some of the liquor that it came in, which should come out to roughly 10 percent of the total tea in your jar.

Cover the jar with the cloth or paper towel, securing your cover with the rubber band. The lid will serve to keep dust and flies out while still allowing the tea to breathe. Let the jar sit in one place (as moving can disturb the fermentation process), out of the direct sunlight and at room temperature.

The fermentation process will take seven to twelve days, depending on the temperature in the room. Your batch of kombucha will ferment more quickly if the room is warm. You have to check to see when it is ready, and you’ll be able to tell by the taste. When fermented, the tea can be decanted into glass bottles with screw lids and kept in the fridge. Remember to keep a little of the kombucha tea to add to the next batch with your ferment.