| Archived Articles & Messages |
...for so were the days of their purification accomplished,… six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet odours, and other things… Esther 2:12
And the king loved Esther...and she obtained grace and favor in his sight... Esther 2:17
I love these verses because they allow us to peek into the life of a woman and even more so an anointed woman. Never should we discount the amount of influence we have just through our beauty. I mean when you get down to brass tacks a combination of beauty and anointing saved a nation of people.[1]
So what does that (beauty and anointing saved a nation) say about how we should feel about our beauty? We should embrace it. We should give it its due respect. We should preserve it and never take it for granted.
As an aesthetician when I ask people what they use on their skin I get answers that would make you cringe. Answers varying from I don’t do anything at all - to using the common bar soap. And don’t even ask about sunscreen habits. You hear all kinds of things from I use SPF 15 (yet you’re in the sun for 10 hours a day!) or I’m a woman of color; we don’t need sunscreen.
WAKE UP!!!!!! No, no, no. We have to do what we need to protect our skin from all elements, including the sun.
Now let me assure you that taking care of your skin doesn’t have to be a long, laborious task. Many aspects of skin care will soothe, relax and allow you to have that much needed "me time” that women crave.
Since it is winter, we’ll focus on moisturizing. Due to the cold winter air, the body’s way of naturally moisturizing itself is impeded. We have to help the skin by adding extra moisture. For those who have dry skin, by nature, winter dry skin can be a headache to counteract. I have a suggestion - milk, yes milk. When bathed in milk you can reap many benefits. These suggestions are sure to make your skin silky, smooth to the touch, even toned and balanced.
Milk
2 cups powdered milk *
1 tbsp dried orange peel
2 tsp dried lavender flowers
2 tsp dried rose petals
2 tsp dried marigold flowers
Drizzle of sweet almond oil
One small muslin bag with drawstring closure
* Do not use milk baths if allergic to milk.
Combine all of the above and display in a decorative jar. To use, scoop a generous amount into a muslin bag and hang from faucet into the bath water. You will get all the benefits of a luxurious bath without the messy cleaning job.
Satin Milk Scrub
3 cups powdered milk*
1 cup oatmeal
4 tbsp almond meal
Several drops of orange scented oil
One small muslin bag with drawstring closure
*Do not use milk baths if allergic to milk.
Combine all of the ingredients listed above and then transfer to a decorative jar for storing. For your bath, fill the muslin bag with the scrub. Soak the bag in the bath water then use it to exfoliate your skin. The almond meal in this recipe acts as an exfoliant leaving you silky soft to the touch.
If you need a more aggressive exfoliant try this recipe.
Sea Salt Scrub
1 cup of sea salt
3/4 cup of almond or grape seed oil
Essential oil or oil fragrance*
* apply a small amount of essential oils to a small area of skin at least 24 hours prior to bathing to determine if there are any negative reactions, some essential oils maybe irritating to the skin.
Combine all ingredients and store for bath usage. After cleansing the body, use scrub to exfoliate all areas excluding the face and gentle area. Rinse thoroughly and pat skin dry. Proceed with moisturizing the body with a natural oil, such as olive oil (yes, olive oil) to seal in the body’s moisture and then apply a thick lotion.
Remember, whenever you moisturize the body use two layers. For the winter make sure the lotion has plenty of moisturizing ingredients to keep the body soft and supple for the entire day. Look for lotions with ingredients such as vitamin E, coconut oil, shea butter, jojoba oil, and olive oil. These penetrate the skin rather than lying on top of the skin as petroleum products do.
I hope these treatments have been helpful and I wish you a smooth and silky Holiday Season!
Tangela Love
Tangela Love is a Certified Aesthetician and makeup artist in
[1]The Book of Esther 1-10