Fighting cold, dry, irritated skin and the winter blues to boot? Well, welcome to January!

Remember though, January is the time for new beginnings, and that means shedding your scales and emerging a smoother, more velvety you! Why not start with this deliciously scented herbal foot soak. You’ll love it and your clients will as well!

Warming Foot Marinade

1/4 cup dried Orange Peel, cut
1/2 cup Oat Flakes
1 Tablespoon Cinnamon Bark Chips
1/2 Tablespoon Fenugreek
1/2 Tablespoon Caraway Seeds
1/2 Tablespoon Cloves
1/2 teaspoon Warmth Pure Essential Oil Blend
(Recipe below)

Crush seeds in a mortar and pestle, and mix with remaining ingredients thoroughly. Pour 4 cups of boiling water over 1/2 cup of the mixture. Let steep for 5 to 10 minutes. Pour into a foot bowl or dish pan, and then fill up the pan with hot water to cover the top of the ankles. Sit back and luxuriate!

---

Warmth Pure Essential Oil Blend

4 teaspoons, or 20 ml of Orange oil
1 1/2 teaspoons, or 8 ml of Bergamot oil
1/2 teaspoon, or 3 ml of Ginger oil
1/2 teaspoon, or 3 ml of Clove Bud oil

Gently blend oils together by rolling them in a closed dark glass bottle (amber/cobalt/emerald). Do not shake. (It’s not a martini!)

This intoxicating blend gives you a very cozy feeling when diffused into the air. It can also be added to lotion bases and soaps as in the recipes below. See our Scent page for the many different ways to use Essential Oils and for precautions regarding their use.

Note: Avoid if pregnant. Citrus oils increase the skin’s sensitivity to sunlight, so avoid sun/tanning beds after use. Cinnamon Bark, and Clove Bud Essential Oil are potential skin irritants. If you (or your client) have sensitive skin, this blend should be avoided.

So, while you (or your clients) are luxuriating in the warmth from above, how about a complimentary beverage?

---

Hot Citrus Spiced Cider

Purchase a half-gallon of really fine quality Apple Cider, and pour the contents into a large soup pot or sauce pan, over high heat.

Add:
(1) cup orange juice
(8) whole cloves
(1) lemon - sliced
(3) 1/4 inch slices of fresh ginger
(3) sticks of cinnamon
(1) shake of ground cinnamon

Mix all ingredients together and heat thoroughly without boiling.
Serve with a cinnamon stick and an orange peel curl.

Now your feet have been buffed dry with a warm fluffy towel; buff them again with a black manicurist’s nail file. This will sand off the rough edges, unlike the commonly used pumice stone that actually can make matters worse, by shredding your skin. To get a more polished look and feel to the skin on your feet, follow the above emery board sanding with the following sweet smelling sugar scrub.

---

Warming Turbinado Sugar Shine

Combine 1/2 cup of turbinado sugar (It is nice to have a mixture of different size granules, some fine, some a little coarser.)
2 1/2 teaspoons vegetable glycerin (very softening, although a bit sticky)
5 teaspoons of oil (such as sweet sesame, apricot kernel, etc.)
1/2 teaspoon of Warmth Pure Essential Oil Blend (Recipe above)

Mix the above ingredients. Work 1 teaspoon of the mixture between your palms and apply to feet or hands in a circular motion, making sure there is a towel underneath to catch the rub off. Remove with hot towels, which should help to dissolve the sugar. Pat dry.

---

Warming Hand, Foot and Body Lotion

In a small bowl, blend 4 ounces of your favorite unscented lotion base with 3/4 teaspoon of Warmth Pure Essential Oil Blend.
Store in a darkly colored 4 ounce squeeze top bottle

Want to hand-craft a beautiful gift to give your clients after this comforting foot treatment?

---

Warmth Shea Butter Cream Soap

Recipe makes (8) 5.4 ounce Celtic Knot Oval bars of soap.

43 ounces of Shea Butter Melt and Pour Soap Base
1/3 ounce of cinnamon powder
3 1/2 Tablespoons Warmth Essential Oil Blend
spray bottle containing rubbing alcohol

In a 2 quart Pyrex (or any microwavable dish) measuring cup, place 43 ounces of cubed soap base, and cover the top with a piece of plastic wrap. Leave a tiny opening to let steam escape. Microwave soap base for 2 minutes, remove from oven and stir. Put back in oven and microwave for 1 1/2 minutes, remove and stir. Put back and microwave for 1 minute, remove and stir. Soap should be close to melted. Place back in oven for 30 seconds, remove, stir and continue this process until all soap is completely melted.

When soap has cooled down just a bit, whisk in powdered cinnamon and essential oils. Pour mixture into soap molds, and spray the top with rubbing alcohol to pop bubbles, and leave surface texture smooth.

If you need soap that day, place molds in the freezer, and check after 20 minutes. Soap shouldn’t take too much longer to set. When completely hardened, push thumbs on the bottom of mold, underneath each soap bar, and gently pop them out of the mold. The only problem with freezing is you will ruin the integrity of these plastic molds faster. They tend to crack when using this method over just letting them air set. Pat soap dry and place in cello bags with a nice ribbon.

Besides a nice looking gift, this soap also makes a fabulous kitchen tool, as it a perfect adversary for that lovely garlic or fish aroma that sometimes seeps into the palms of your hands when cooking.

You can find good quality, natural soap base at www.brambleberry.com - I have been a satisfied customer of theirs for years. I also recommend their olive, hemp, goat’s milk, and especially their honey melt and pour soap bases.

Having had our own company that manufactures natural body products, we have all the necessary ingredients available to make the above products (except the soap base). If you are interested in reasonably priced, high quality essential oils, raw ingredients, or containers, please email me at info@solegarden.com and I will be happy to email you our price lists. Thanks, and happy blending!