‘Relax and rejuvenate’ craft sessions

I’m sure we can all appreciate a relaxing hot bath; it’s a chance to soak away the troubles of the day and soothe aching muscles in a haze of bubbles. But get the ingredients just right and it’s an opportunity to harmonise mind and body, too.

Our craft sessions are always popular, but never more so than when we are making something both attractive and practical. What better way, then, to explore our commitment to holistic well-being than by creating a special bathtime treat?

The minute we decided on bath salt bottles as a crafts project we knew it was a great idea. When combining Epsom salts with pink Himalayan salt and an infusion of essential oils, the resulting blend is believed to help combat fatigue and stress, perform a mild detox, and assist in balancing the body’s pH levels – providing that much needed ‘feel-good’ factor.

And when you top it all off with rose petals, it adds a certain ‘je ne sais quoi’ – as we’re sure you will agree.

Bathtime just got even better!

Following on from the success of the bath salt bottles, for our next crafting venture we continued in a holistic vein by attempting to make lavender soap. Although so-called ‘fancy’ soaps are undoubtedly attractive to look at on display in your bathroom, they can potentially possess health-enhancing properties as well. So, by carefully blending goat milk with dried lavender and lavender oil, we produced a soap bar that is delightfully fragrant yet kind to the skin.

While aromatherapy (the practise of using aromatic oils and compounds to promote well-being) has a long history, dermatologists describe goat milk as a skin ‘superfood’ – a useful exfoliant that is moisture boosting and packed with nourishing minerals and vitamin A. Meanwhile, the lavender acts as an anti-inflammatory that is reputedly good for everything from acne to eczema, and complements the goat milk to form a gentle, yet satisfying cleanser.

But whether it was a ‘body-balancing’ bath treat or skin-softening soap, both craft sessions were enormously enjoyable, and relatives may well see one or more making an appearance in their Christmas stockings this year….

…If they are VERY lucky!