Island indulgences: sensuous fruits and flowers—steeped in tropical history and tradition—inspire these skin-care and color favorites - Potions & Prescriptions

Natural Health, March, 2004 by Megan O'Connell

No locale invokes as primordial a mood as a tropical island, where bare feet and bare skin are de rigueur, and the natives have found nurturing uses for nearly all of the local flora.

"The power of nature in the islands helps visitors return to who they truly are," explains Sharon Warren of Warren Botanicals Inc., a Hawaii-based company that uses tropical plant extracts to create pampering spa products and treatments.

So delight n exotic lotions and cleansers, such as Desert Essence Tropical Blends Body Lotion in Plumeria ($8; desertessence.com) and Red Flower Indian Jasmine Cleansing Body Wash ($18; redflower.com), that combine botanicals with luxuriously potent scents of tropical flowers. As for the sunny eye and lip shades--their bright colors embody the everpresent rainbow that makes the tropics so magical.

HIBISCUS

Islanders believe this flower can absorb negative energy. Bring on a positive mood with spring shades such as Clarins Colour Quench Lip Balms in sheer-gold, shimmery 01 and peachy-pink 04 ($16.50 each; clarins.com) and Benefit Shangri-La Sheers lipstick in Picked Up In Paradise and eye & cheek powder in I lotus'ed you looking ($18 each; sephora.com), all of which complement traditional hibiscus blossom colors such as orange, pink and yellow.

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GINGER

A striking red or pink flower with an edible root, it's eaten to ease all upset stomach and applied topically to relieve aching muscles and increase blood circulation. Find it in [H.sub.2]O Plus Ginger-Citron Shimmering Body Souffle ($12.50; h2oplus.com).

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MANDARIN

This citrus fruit has an invigorating scent that energizes while helping to relieve tension, frustration, irritability and moodiness. Start your day by smoothing on The Healing Garden Mandarintherapy Get Glowing Body Lotion ($6.75; at drugstores).

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COCONUT

Islanders have countless uses for this tree fruit--inside and out. Not only is it a common food and drink, coconut is also incorporated into beauty routines as a skin emollient and dry-hair treatment. Coconut oil in Pookie Blue Hawai'i Lip Balm ($7; pookiestore.com) helps keep lips soft and shiny.

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