DIY Relaxing Milk & Peppermint Bath

Now that the holidays are coming to a close why not take some time and treat yourself to a de-stressing bath with milk and peppermint!  This easy recipe requires only two ingredients and will leave you feeling refreshed and rejuvenated!

What You Need:

• 2 cups dry powder milk
• 4 bags peppermint tea (dry tea bags…not used)

What You Do:

• Start by turning on the water in your bathtub and getting it to a temperature that you like.  Once you’ve got the perfect temperature, close the drain and start letting the tub fill with water.

• Once the tub has reached about 1/2 of the way full, add the dry milk powder to the water and gently mix it around with your hands.  (You don’t have to go overboard trying to mix it because the pressure from the running water will help it to mix with the water as well.)

• Once the water level is where you would like it to be, turn the water off and add your tea bags.  Let them steep in the water and milk mixture for a few moments and then go ahead and remove them from the tub.

• Now you are ready to relax and soak!  After taking a bath in this mixture you should be left with skin that feels nourished and soft as well as feeling completely relaxed and refreshed.

DIY Holiday Peppermint Candy Cane Body Scrub

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!

Treat your skin to a delicious body scrub with a holiday favorite: candy canes!  This easy to make DIY recipe is quick and affordable and in most cases, you probably already have all or most of the ingredients on hand (and this is a great way to use up any leftover candy canes you have for the holidays)!

What You Need:

• 1/3 cup finely crushed candy canes
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup olive oil (more/less depending on your preference)
• 10-15 drops peppermint essential oil (more/less depending on your preference)

What You Do:

• Start by crushing up the candy canes.  My favorite way to do this is by breaking the candy canes into smaller pieces and placing them in a ziploc bag.  Then I lay the bag on a hard flat surface (such as a counter top) and start crushing with a hammer.  (Use caution though when crushing with a hammer or any object….the candy canes crush easily so there is no need to slam away because you risk damaging the surface your crushing on.)  Once the candy canes look thoroughly crushed, I flip the bag over and do the same to the other side to ensure I didn’t miss any.  You want to crush the candy canes until they are of a fine consistency.  (You don’t want to have any big chunks of candy canes left….they will do you no good and you risk scratching your skin with them if you add them to the scrub mixture so make sure you’ve crushed them well.)

• Pour the finely crushed candy canes into a mixing bowl.  Add the granulated sugar to the mixing bowl and stir.

• Slowly add the olive oil to the mixture in the bowl.  Stir well until the oil has mixed with the crushed candy canes and the sugar and you have a paste like consistency.  (It’s always a good idea to add the olive oil slowly and stir as you add so that you can control the consistency of the scrub.  If you like a drier and more gritty scrub, you can use less than the suggested amount.  f you prefer a smoother scrub, you can always add more olive oil until it has reached the consistency that you like.)

• Lastly, add 10-15 drops of peppermint essential oil to the mixture and stir well.  (You can add more or less of the essential oil depending on how “pepper-minty” you would like your scrub to be.)

• Transfer the mixture into a container for storage and future use.  When you’re ready to use, apply to your body and massage into skin and rinse with water while you’re in the shower.  Your skin will be left feeling refreshed and exfoliated and not to mention, smelling delicious!