Look good for your wedding

The "bride-to-be" under goes a lot of stress and yet is expected to look radiant on her special day.

The book, 50 Ways to Pamper Yourself by Stephanie Tourles, gives tips a bride can follow to look and feel her best on her wedding day.

Polish your body

For all skin types: In a bowl, combine one-fourth cup sugar with one-fourth cup of warm coconut or olive oil. Stir. Gently massage onto your body with your hands or a mitt using light but firm pressure. Continue massaging until a rosy glow appears. Rinse with warm water, then towel dry.

Cleanse and condition your skin

Simple, natural cleansing creams, fruit pastes and grain blends are very gentle and nourishing and do a thorough job of cleansing without stripping your skin of its natural barrier of protective oils.

For smooth, soft skin, wash your face everyday with plain, organic yogurt or buttermilk. Use it as you would ordinary cold cream, avoiding the eye area. It’s gentle enough for all skin types and as a bonus, it contains naturally occurring lactic acid. This acts as a mild exfoliant to remove dead-skin buildup.

Keep your pearly whites gleaming

You can make simple yet effective and pleasant-tasting natural dentifrice at home that will leave your teeth sparkling and your gums in the pink.

In a small bowl, combine one tsp. of baking soda with one drop of essential oil of orange, lime, spearmint or cinnamon. Dip a wet toothbrush into this mixture and brush your teeth as usual to fight plaque buildup and neutralize mouth odor.

Condition your tresses

Enhance the gloss of normal or dry hair with jojoba oil. Actually a plant wax, not an oil, this yellow substance closely resembles human sebum. It makes a superb scalp and hair conditioner. To six tbsp. of jojoba oil, add one tsp. each of the following essential oils: rosemary, basil, lemon and lavender. Store in a four-ounce, dark glass bottle. Shake vigorously before each use. Apply one to two tbsp. to dry hair and scalp. No need to soak your hair. Just make sure all strands are coated thoroughly. Be sure to give your scalp a good five-minute massage to stimulate circulation and encourage hair growth. Cover your hair with a shower cap and wrap with a warm, damp towel for up to an hour. Shampoo and follow with a good, light detangling conditioner if necessary. This treatment may be used weekly.

Hand therapy

To exfoliate dry skin from your hands, try this simple formula: In a small bowl, combine one tbsp. of sugar with one tbsp. of olive oil. Stir well. Now massage your hands thoroughly, especially around the cuticles and in between your fingers in the webbing. Rinse thoroughly and apply moisturizer.

Find time for fitness

Exercise helps you deal with the physical and psychological demands of a hectic life.

If you are busy and can’t exercise a straight 20 or 30 minutes, you can break up your exercise routine into 10-minute segments and try to fit three to six segments into your day.

If you are working and if it’s possible, walk or ride your bicycle. If that’s not possible, park a bit further so you can have a nice walk to the office.

Make exercise time your time. Remember, there’s no better way to pamper yourself than taking care of your health.

Make an herbal dream pillow

A dream pillow is a fragrant, soft little pillow filled with herbs traditionally used to calm nightmares; evoke colorful, exotic or peaceful dreams, or simply help you sleep soundly.

Romantic dreams are made of these: one-fourth cup lavender, one-fourth cup whole chamomile, two tbsp. hops.

To make a dream pillow: choose one of the above blends or anything you like.

To make a quick pillow, buy a three-by-five-inch or a four-by-six-inch plain muslin cloth drawstring bag and fill it with your herbs. Tie closed. You can also use the plain bag as the liner and cover it in a softer, more decorative fabric like flannel, silk, satin or velveteen.

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E-mail the author at: babyjackster@yahoo.com