2 Teaspoons sesame oil

2 To 3 tablespoons a.H. Rosemary, lavender, elder flower, or melissa

Combine salt, cornmeal, and oil; add hydrosol blend and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Wet your skin, either with water or hydrosol, and apply scrub using circular motion starting with the right foot up to the hip, then the left foot to hip, arms up to shoulders, and torso from neck down to hips. Rinse with cool to cold water, the colder the better. You may wish to tie the salt scrub into a cheesecloth if you find it too hard to work with it loose.

CUCUMBER TONER

1 large English cucumber

250 ml A.H. witch hazel, rose geranium, elder flower, linden, or lavender

Scrub the cucumber to remove any wax on the skin and run it through a juicer. Combine cucumber juice with hydrolate and store in the fridge. Apply using a cotton ball with gentle dabbing motions; use within one week. If you do not mind alcohol on your skin, you can add 30 ml vodka or grain alcohol to the blend, which will double the shelf life.

SIMPLE WITCH HAZEL TONER

100 ml A.H. witch hazel

2 teaspoons dried, or a large handful of fresh, sage, finely chopped

Pour hydrosol over herbs and allow to infuse in a warm place for 2 to 3 hours. Strain into a sterilized bottle. This is exceptionally good when your skin is exposed to sun or wind.

YARROW TONER

100 ml A.H. yarrow

100 ml A.H. rose or neroli

25 ml A.H. witch hazel

25 ml vegetable glycerin

3 drops E.O. clary sage or yarrow

Combine all ingredients in a sterilized bottle and shake well. This is great for damaged or sensitive skin and for balancing the complexion; use clary oil and neroli water for oily skin or the T-zone.

CITRUS SPLASH

In Turkey you are often offered a splash of lemon cologne to wash and refresh your hands and face before a meal in a restaurant. It is a lovely custom, and one restaurateur showed me how they made their own by macerating fresh lemons in grain alcohol—simple! This is my version.

2 whole organic lemons

2 whole organic limes

500 ml vodka or 40 proof alcohol

10 drops organic E.O. lemon

10 drops organic E.O. lime

500 ml A.H. neroli

Chop fruit coarsely and place in a widemouthed jar, pour the vodka over the fruit, and leave to macerate for five to seven days, shaking the jar frequently. Strain the mixture, squeezing the fruit to extract all the liquid, then pour through a paper coffee filter. Add the essential oils and shake vigorously; add the hydrosol, shake again, and store in a sterilized bottle. May be used as a body splash or cologne or to “wash” hands or face and is just divine in hot, humid weather. Offer it to your guests before dinner and make them feel really special.

EXFOLIATING FOOT SCRUB

In England a slang name for feet is dogs, which tells you how little attention some people give to these all-important parts. Love your feet and treat them kindly; they will reward you, and you may notice your circulation improve as well.

¼ cup cornmeal, ground adzuki beans, or ground lentils