After a hard day, many people want to head straight for bed. Ease enflamed emotions with a quick soak in lavender infused bathwater. Lavender has long been renowned for its healing and soothing powers and ability to cure insomnia. A few whiffs of this Provencal pleasure, and you can’t help but feel relaxed. Color experts also claim that the deep purple-blue of the fresh herb triggers stress-fighting chemicals in the brain. Sprinkle your bathwater with dried lavender or add a few drops of lavender oil to running water. To ease sore muscles and a frantic mind, use the Epsom salt recipe mentioned earlier in this article, but substitute lavender oil for the peppermint oil. There is also a slew of wonderful lavender soaps, bath oils and lotions available on the market today. For the best results, look for products containing real lavender oil.
Feeling both Wired and Tired?
Try the citrusy scent of neroli oil, which has a sedative effect, in your bath. Researches at the University of Vienna in Austria recently discovered that the odor molecules of neroli oil travel to the emotional center of the brain, the limbic lobe, and work to soothe restlessness. To create an at-home spa add several drops of neroli oil (available at many health food stores) to your bathwater or try a product containing neroli oil. For a night of deep slumber, spritz your pillows with a neroli scented linen spray.
Get rid of Cellulite
Want to diminish the appearance of those discouraging dimples? Use bath products with real papaya extract. Papaya enzymes help reduce puffiness in skin and the appearance of cellulite by buffing away dead skin cells and giving skin a radiant glow. Soak in a papaya bath and be sure to follow up with an exfoliating product that contains papaya enzymes. Can’t find it in the store? Make a paste of fresh, mashed papaya and coarse sea salt and apply to affected areas.
Another way to lessen the effects of cellulite is with caffeine. Many new bath products contain this eye-opening chemical, which stimulates circulation beneath the skin to flush away dimply fat and reduce puffiness. For a quick remedy at home, just save the coffee grounds from your next pot. Hop in the tub or shower and rub yourself down with the grounds for several minutes before rinsing away.