Lessons in Personal Pampering: Body Scrubs

I go to Burke Williams at least once a month, if not twice for a full spa day. There’s usually a bubble bath, some sort of body scrub, perhaps a facial, definitely a massage and time in the sauna and steam room. It’s a little slice of heaven. It’s 4 to 8 hours of blissful personal pampering.

On one of my most recent visits, I had a body scrub – a sugar scrub and she added coffee grounds. It smelled heavenly (of course I craved Krispy Kreme donuts for the rest of the afternoon but that’s beside the point) and the sugar and coffee grounds exfoliated me to a baby bottom softness – the likes of which I had not felt before. And the caffeine in the coffee grounds helped to give my skin a firmer appearance. What’s not to love?

If you decide you’d like to try a scrub at home, here are some basics. Use sugar if you have sensitive skin; salt is more abrasive. Make sure you have a bath mat or towel on the floor of the tub and/or shower so as not to slip.

For the face: 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg mixed with several drops of milk to form a paste. Use it on your nose chin and four head – any areas where you have blackheads or congested pores. Rinse with cool water.

For the body:  3 tablespoons of salt or sugar, 2 tablespoons honey, 1 tablespoon olive oil – add 2 teaspoons of fresh minced herbs/botanicals (basil, mint, chamomile, rose petals, lemon peel or citrus Blossom) or a few drops of essential oils (make sure they’re safe to use topically – lavender, chamomile, lemon or mint). Massage all over, rinse completely.

Yes, you can find happiness! Listen in: Anne Riley on Lessons in Joyful Living Radio

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