Monday, January 12, 2009

Home Wellness Treatment: Divine Cocoa-Espresso Body Scrub

Rich organic oils soften while the chocolate's high antioxidant content nourishes tired, rough skin. Espresso temporarily lessens the look and feel of cellulite. And the scent? Pure heaven.

Ingredients:

Feel free to play around with ratios. If you like a scubbier scrub, decrease your liquids and add more espresso. If you prefer something less invigorating, add less espresso and more oil. Additional macadamia nut oil is excellent for aging skin in need of rejuvenating. Less scrub and additional half and half is great for sensitive skin, or substitute with heavy cream.

1/2 cup coconut butter
1/8 cup half and half
1/8 cup coarsely-ground espresso
2 tablespoons macadamia nut oil
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (alcohol-free)
10 drops sweet orange oil

Obtain all organic ingredients whenever possible. Coconut butter will be solid at room temperature, so begin by melting this, still in the bottle or jar, in a container of hot water. When softened, mix all ingredients and use right away. Cap leftovers tightly and refrigerate, using the remainder within four days.

This treatment is for the body only; do not use on the face. Use before showering, and in lieu of your body brush if you use one. A weekly scrub is excellent during winter months, and this scrub is particularly suitable before shaving or applying self-tanner.