posie paige

Now that the winter cold is well and truly upon us here in down under, I thought I’d share a few tricks I’ve been doing to save my skin and my health from winter weather and illnesses…

Herbal facial steam
Recently I’ve been doing a lot of facial steam treatments, as I find them to be very beneficial in multiple ways. I love facial steams as they’re great for making skin feel fresh, clearing airways and are also very relaxing! I like to use organic peppermint tea leaves in my facial steam routine. Here’s how I do it:

1. Place two or three teaspoons of peppermint tea in a bowl and add boiling water.
2. Sit at a table, counter or desk and place the bowl in front of you, draping a towel or cloth over both your head and the bowl. Make sure to allow some fresh air in. If you have long hair, tie it back in a pony tail or use a headband to keep hair off your face.
3. Relax for around 5 minutes, breathing in the steam deeply. The steam will open up your pores, and the peppermint will help to clear your airways if you’re suffering from a blocked nose. Your face will feel a bit sweaty.
4. After 5 minutes or so, pat down your face gently with your towel or cloth. I like to finish the treatment by ending with a spritz of rose water on my face to close the pores again.

Moisturisers
Good moisturisers are essential to soothe dry skin induced by cold, dry weather and frosty winds.

A simple trick that I’ve been using is to apply nappy balm on my nose to prevent or help heal cracked skin caused by constant use of tissues. I’ve been using a sample size tube of Organic Babies Nappy Balm, which I received in my autumn Flora and Fauna beauty box. The sample size is perfect for keeping handy in a purse. Nappy cream is usually very gentle and soothing as it’s of course intended for soft and sensitive baby skin, and that makes it perfect for using on the face as well!

Another essential to have on hand is a good lip balm, as cold temperatures can cause lips to dry out quickly. I personally find that balms containing coconut oil are a lot more effective than others, as coconut oil really can’t be beaten on how well it moisturises. I have been using Hurraw lip balms in the flavours Chai Spice and Grapefruit. You can find these lovely little lippies online here at Flora and Fauna.

Homemade vapour rub
Homemade vapour rub is something I’ve been wanting to try making for quite a while, and now that I’ve well and truly got a cold there was no better time to try it. It’s actually a very simple thing to make, and is more natural and just as effective as store-bought vapour rubs. Basically, all you need to do is add essential oils to a base oil that has the ability to solidify into a cream. So without further ado, here’s my recipe…

You will need:

• 3 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon sweet almond oil
• 20 drops peppermint essential oil
• 20 drops lavender essential oil
• 10 drops lemon essential oil
• 5 drops tea tree essential oil
• A small glass or plastic container to store

Here’s the how-to:

1. Melt coconut oil in a small bowl or ramekin by microwaving for around 20 seconds.
2. Once melted, add sweet almond oil and mix with a spoon to blend.
3. Add peppermint, lavender, lemon and tea tree oils and stir. You can add more reduce the amount of essential oil drops, depending on how strong you want your vapour rub to be!
4. Once combined, pour the oil mixture into a small airtight container. I use reusable plastic containers which I buy just from the local chemist or pharmacy. I also use these containers for my homemade deodorant paste (recipe coming soon)!
5. You can leave the container out at room temperature to allow the coconut oil to solidify and create a cream, or you can pop the container in the fridge if you want it to harden quickly.
6. To use, simply rub a small amount onto your skin at pulse points; on your wrists, on your chest, behind your ears, etc… if your nose is feeling really blocked, you can put a tiny bit around your nose, or simply breathe the cream in deeply.

I hope you will find these tips useful and helpful. Keep warm! ♥