Getting personal: homemade herbal gifts to pamper your family and friends - The Herbalist

Vegetarian Times, Dec, 1996 by Kathi Keville

Homemade herbal gifts to pamper your family and friends.

For years, I've been making my own herbal and aromatherapy gifts for the holidays, and everyone who gets them loves them. Personal care items made from herbs are an especially good choice for several reasons: They're versatile enough to suit the different tastes of almost everyone on your gift list, and they're fresher and purer than any store-bought product, at a fraction of the cost.

Three or four hours are all you need to make a sleighful of presents. Some projects will literally take longer to wrap than to make. You probably already have all the tools you need: bowls, pans, measuring spoons and cups and a blender. The ingredients aren't very hard to find, either; most are sold in any grocery store. The only special trip you may have to make is to a natural food store for a few herbs and essential oils.

Personal care products become much more elegant when packaged in a decorative bottle or jar. Adding a few ribbons or strands of raffia, perhaps tied with sprigs of herbs, dresses up even the simplest container. Look for self-adhesive labels with colorful borders printed on them. Take an excursion to a gift store for more ideas.

If you're feeling exceptionally inspired, go ahead and replace the herbs and essential oils I suggest with other ones of your choosing. Herbs and essential oils suitable for most types of hair and skin include burdock, calendula, chamomile, geranium, lavender and rose. Small amounts of peppermint or rosemary improve circulation, while chamomile, lavender, jasmine and carrot seed soothe irritated, sensitive skin.

FRAGRANT BATH SALTS

THESE ARE A HIT with anyone who loves to soak in the tub. Aromatic salts make water feel silky and smell great, and they also soften skin. The only drawback is they look so attractive on the bathroom shelf some people need to be convinced to actually use them. I always end up promising to give a refill next year. The basis of this homemade product is the same as the "mixed salts" or "mineral spa salts" listed on the labels of pricey commercial bath salts: They are all simply table salt, often mixed with some borax and baking soda.

Relaxing Bath Salts

1/2 cup table salt
1 Tbs. baking soda
1 Tbs. borax
1/8 tsp. lavender essential oil
1/8 tsp. geranium essential oil

Mix dry ingredients together, then add essential oils. You can mix in a bowl or put salt in a plastic, self-sealing bag, add essential oils, then tightly seal the bag. Toss bag around to distribute oils. Use about 1/4 cup per bath.

DISPERSING BATH OILS

Oil and water don't mix, so most bath oils end up floating on top of the bathwater, which is fine if you have dry skin but can leave you feeling too greasy if you don't. A dispersing oil spreads throughout the water, producing plenty of fragrance without coating your skin. For the Magic Mint Bath Oil, I've used castor oil because it's water soluble. Add sprigs of dried herb to the bottle for extra decoration.

A nice gift for someone with dry skin is a layered bath oil made of vinegar and oil, which relieve dryness and itching. The vinegar disperses throughout the water while the vegetable oil floats on the top. These layers form in the bottle too, so this oil deserves a slender, clear container to show it off properly.

Magic Mint Bath Oil

To make a larger batch of bath oil, you can double or triple the amounts of ingredients.

1/4 cup castor oil (equal to 2 ounces)
1/4 tsp. spearmint essential oil
1/4 tsp. orange essential oil

Combine all ingredients.

Two-Layered Lemon Twist Bath Oil

It may seem odd to use vinegar in bath oil, but it smells wonderful blended with the scents of lemon and bergamot.

1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 tsp. lemon essential oil
1/4 tsp. bergamot essential oil

Combine all ingredients, then let sit; they will quickly divide into two layers. Shake well immediately before using.

FACIAL STEAM

Steaming with herbs moisturizes skin, increases circulation and relaxes facial muscles. Although it is especially suited for an oily complexion, almost anyone will benefit from it. However, you should avoid steams if you have enlarged blood vessels on your face, acne or extremely delicate skin.

Be sure to include these directions for use when you give these herbs as a gift: Cleanse face before steaming. Bring about 3 cups of water to a simmer. Add 1/4 cup herbs, turn off heat, cover pan and steep a few minutes. Remove lid and hold your face about six inches over the pan. Drape a towel over your head and the pan to form a tent that will hold in the steam. Steam up to 10 minutes, taking breaks if necessary to cool off. Then moisturize right away, while skin is still damp.

Floral Facial Steam

If this gift will be used within a day or two, use fresh herbs; otherwise, use dried.

1/4 cup rose petals
1/4 cup rosemary leaves
1/4 cup fennel seeds
1/2 tsp. peppermint leaves

COMBINE ALL ingredients.

FACIAL CREAM

A cream combines the best of both worlds for your skin--water to keep it moist and fresh and oil to prevent the water from evaporating. This recipe is a little bit tricky to make because you need to get the balance of beeswax and oil just right; too much beeswax will solidify the cream and too much oil will liquefy it. Following the instructions exactly should result in success but if not, you can try gently reheating the cream, then whipping it again in the blender or food processor. For best results, though, you'll probably want to try again from scratch.