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I love this scent combination! Lavender and Sandalwood have got to be some of my new favourites. Sandalwood is a wonderful scent that is often used in shampoos and body wash. At least for me, that’s what I always think of with this scent: Clean and fresh!

Lavender flowers and pure lavender essential oils in particular are always beneficial to have on hand for SO many reasons.

Here’s a short personal story of how lavender has helped me.

A few weeks ago (RIGHT before we left for the holidays), I fell backward to the floor and hit my head pretty hard. I was pretty sure it was a mild concussion due to the immense pain, dizziness and goose egg that followed shortly after. (Thankfully because the fall was backward, I was not as worried that our 20 week baby was harmed in the womb).

The next two days were very difficult and busy with trying to finish packing for going away for two weeks. Balancing ordinary life with two little kids, was also a challenge, and trying to take care of my concussion. Thankfully the hubby was able to take one of those days off to take care of the kids, which made it much easier.

In general, I have a hard time “relaxing” or laying around when there’s lots to do! So that’s also why these few days were particularly difficult.

When Jesse and I got married, my aunt had given me a sachet of home-dried lavender flowers that I usually keep in my clothes dresser so that the contents of the drawer smell nice. When the concussion happened, I knew that the relaxing scent of lavender would help in so many ways.

So whenever I lay down to try rest, I put the sachet of dried lavender on the pillow next to me and breathed in the scent. Within a few breaths, I could feel my muscles relax, airways open up more, and headache pain began to decrease.

I wish we could grow lavender this far in the north! Perhaps if I get a greenhouse built one of these years then I can experiment with this idea. But until then, I am very thankful for being able to purchase dried lavender online.

On a side note: this past summer, my other aunt and uncle took my mother and I to a lavender farm in the Niagara (Ontario) region, named “Mingle Hill Farms“. It was SO beautiful and calming to walk among the rows of lavender bushes, and breath in the wonderful aroma. If you are in the area, it is definitely worth checking out!

Benefits of using a sugar scrub on your skin:

• Improves circulation
• Cleanses the skin pores
• Removes any dead skin
• Moisturizes the skin
• Muscle relaxant
• Helps to remove toxins
• Smooths the skin

What are sugar scrubs made of?

Most scrubs are simply made using products found right in your kitchen! The basis of most scrub recipes consist of: an oil and an exfoliant, with herbs and essential oils used to cleanse and exfoliate the skin, and they do wonders to relax muscles and nerves in the process!

Base Oil:

Coconut oil is the most common oil used, but olive oil, grape seed oil, and sweet almond oil are also used. I love using organic virgin coconut oil, mostly for the amazing health benefits, and the gentle scent.

Exfoliant:

Sugar and salt are most commonly used as an exfoliant, and while there are many types of sugars and salts, my opinion is that the bigger the granules are, the better it will rub on your skin. For example, I would recommend a coarsely ground sea salt over an iodized-finely ground table salt. However, I have also enjoyed learning of many more creative ingredients that can be used as the rough element in a scrub: oatmeal, coarsely ground coffee beans, rice, some seeds, veggies and fruits. Mud and sand are also great!

Dried Herbs/Flowers:

• Lavender -Most health food stores carry this, with comparable prices on Amazon due to their popularity.
• Rosemary -Check your kitchen spices! Or you can buy at any grocery store.
• Peppermint -Easy to grow, or you can forage for wild mint! You can also cut open a peppermint tea bag or purchase larger dried pieces at the grocery store or online.
• Rose Petals -You can pick your own wild roses and dry them or look for them at your local health food store, or buy online.
• Rosehips -These grow in abundance in the north, so we pick our own wild rosehips and dry them, but you can also purchase them online or check out your local health food store.
• Calendula -Easy to grow your own! Also available at health food stores or online.
• Camomile -Look for these growing wild! Just be careful to select flowers that are not near roads or have been sprayed. You can also cut open a Chamomile tea bag, or buy the whole flowers at a health food store or online.

Commonly Used Essential Oils for Body Scrubs and Their Medicinal Uses:

• Lavender: Lowers stress, anxiety, and headaches. Improves sleep quality, relaxes muscles, lowers pain. Also used to treat head lice and stimulate hair growth.
• Peppermint: A great resource for opening up the sinuses and relieving headaches.
• Sandalwood: Calming and a relaxing scent.
• Lemon: A bright and refreshing scent that helps to even out the skin tone.
• Tea Tree: Aside from being used to treat lice and insect bites, Tea Tree oil is also known as an anti-fungal, and anti-septic and an anti-inflammatory.
• Eucalyptus: An antiseptic, anti-fungal, anti-viral, and anti-bacterial essential oil. Fights infection and promotes healing.
• Rosehip: Primarily used for treating eczema, acne and rashes. It has linoleic acid in it which shrinks pimples and reduces inflammation.
• Sweet Orange Oil: An anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, aides in digestion, but most known to act as a mood enhancer and relaxant.
• Geranium: Used to treat depression, balance hormones, improve circulation, and sleep aid to name a few.
• Carrot Seed Oil: An antioxidant, anti-fungal and anti-bacterial. Primarily used to treat skin infections and inflammations.
• Jasmine: Used to treat depression and anxiety, aides in balancing hormones and improving energy and sleep.
• Grapefruit: Treats acne and other skin infections. Mood enhancer and may also help with weight loss.

Other Commonly Used Skin Care Oils:

• Vitamin E Oil is one that I always add a few drops of into whatever skin care products I am making at the time. It is highly beneficial to the skin because of its moisturizing properties and it is also an antioxidant.
• Jojoba Oil is another all-around essential skin oil that is a great moisturizer and cleanser. It is also known to help with treating acne, psoriasis and eczema.

How to Make Lavender Sandalwood Sugar Scrub

Supplies Needed:

• Mixing bowl and spoon
• Small glass jar, 125ml
• Measuring cups
• Teaspoon

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 1/4 cup Organic Virgin Coconut Oil
• 2 teaspoons dried Lavender Flowers
• 10-20 drops of 100% Pure Lavender Essential Oil
• 10-20 drops of 100% Pure Sandalwood Essential Oil
• 1/4 teaspoon Vitamin E Oil
• 1/4 teaspoon Jojoba Oil

Directions:

1. If the coconut is hard, you can soften it a little in microwave or small pot on the stove.
2. Mix in all the other ingredients.
3. Let cool if the oil is still warm.
4. Spoon into the small glass jar, pressing down to fit it all in.
5. Add a few more dried lavender flowers to the top and a few more drops of lavender and sandalwood oils before closing.
6. Enjoy!

Optional: Label and tie ribbon or twine around it for a cute DIY gift!

Here are More Sugar and Salt Scrubs to Try!

More Ideas for Natural Living:

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