Catherine Bardey

Filled with simple recipes for do-it-yourself spa treatments from facials to body wraps and mineral-herb soaks. I say simple recipes because none of them are difficult to mix, however, some of them do require ingredients most of us do not have around the house. There are enough of them using everyday food ingredients and herbs though, that they would not be too difficult to manage. Problem being that I would rather eat avocado than smear it on my face.

I can't imagine ever having time to do all that is recommended here. Soaking and treating the hands (10-20 min.), facials (10-30 min.), body wraps (20-30 min.), soak in the tub each day (20-30 min.), and so on. That is for the actual body treatments, not the time required to mix the ingredients for them and clean up after.

I have never been to a spa, although this book makes it sound more inviting to me than it has before. I may try a recipe here and there if I ever have a slow weekend, and I might try a couple of them to make for Christmas gifts. In other words, I will keep this book for reference as a symbol of hope that life will slow down enough to do some of these pampering things for myself. Or, perhaps I will save up and go to a spa one day.

Included are recipes for the body outside, a few for the body inside (drinks, salads), lots of pages of terms for spa treatments (interesting), pages of actual spas to go to, places to buy ingredients and a nice glossary of essential oils and their properties for health, as well as some of the dangers.… (more)